Highlights
- Bill Maher’s appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman was unpopular due to his aggressive approach and controversial topics.
- Maher received boos from the audience throughout the interview, particularly after making a George Zimmerman joke and disparaging comments about Florida.
- Despite the negative reactions, Maher was defended by some fans and even predicted Donald Trump’s run for President during his interview with Letterman.
Bill Maher knows all about getting into it with the audience. That has been evidenced on Real Time. Kevin Smith once had the perfect response to an audience member yelling during Real Time with Bill Maher. However, in this particular instance with David Letterman, Maher’s response was shock at the boos that he was getting from the audience.
We’re going to take a look back at Maher’s appearance on The Late Show, and why he was so unpopular alongside David Letterman. Maher as per usual, touched on controversial topics of the time. It seemed like his approach was a little too aggressive, and it would lead to multiple boos throughout the interview.
Let’s take a look back.
We’ve seen several examples of Bill Maher getting into it with the audience on Real Time. However, Maher has been getting into disputes with crowds long before. His appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman back in 2013 was among the more unpopular interviews on the program. Maher was getting booed throughout the interview on various topics. At one point, Letterman hilariously checks his watch, wanting the interview to end.
Maher got his biggest boos after cracking a George Zimmerman joke, which was a hot topic at the time. Maher said, “You know that they want to give George Zimmerman a gun now? The Florida state law is that he can get his gun back. I say that if he gets a gun, Casey Anthony gets a baby.”
Maher got booed and said, “What is it with the booing tonight”?
Another statement didn’t sit well with the audience either, with Maher taking a shot at Florida. Maher commented that he was a minority owner of the Mets, and that it was better than being a minority in Florida. The crowd again turned against Maher, the guest again seemed to be puzzled by the reaction.
Ultimately, this was far from Bill Maher’s most awkward interview. When speaking to Letterman, Maher admitted other interviews went of the rails to a worse degree.
Bill Maher Discussed His Bumpy Interview On The View During A Different Late Show Appearance
Bill Maher received fewer boos for his appearance in 2011. However, he wasn’t steering away from controversy. Once again, Maher was taking aim at others, this time, someone in the media. Maher poked fun and Elizabeth Hasselbeck telling Letterman she made him look good.
Maher discussed his time on The View, reacting to Hasselbeck’s displeasure with a certain joke. Bill replied, “We do a comedy show for an audience that’s perhaps different than your audience,” Maher responded. “You are a public figure. It was not aimed at you personally, but when you are a public figure, you are out there and you’re fodder for comedians to make comments on.”
Maher this time around, was actually defended by fans, and one of the women on The View, Joy Behar. She said, “We walk the ledge. It’s not easy.”
Maher told Letterman how different it was to be viewed as the victim.
“It was like, ‘thank you, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, for making me look good!”
Maher made other reveals during his time alongside David Letterman. One of the statements proved to be accurate years later, despite Letterman denying it.
Bill Maher Also Predicted With David Letterman That Donald Trump Would Run For President
Bill Maher also predicted Donald Trump’s run for President. However, David Letterman told Bill Maher, “A reliable source assures me he’s pretending. It’s Halloween.”
At the time, Maher was getting the word from inside sources that Trump was seriously plotting a run for President. Maher had made the prediction back in 2011. He tells Letterman, “He is now sucking up to evangelicals.”
Of course, David Letterman was quick to poke fun at Donald Trump, something we’ve seen repeatedly from Letterman in the past. “I know someone who is very close to the Trump machine, if you can believe there is such a thing. It actually puts his hair on it and they have told me repeatedly, ‘Relax, it’s a joke. He’s pretending. It’s Halloween.’”
During the 2011 interview, Maher would then switch his focus, and take shots at another hot topic at the time, Sarah Palin.
“She is someone who served as the Governor for half a term of a state with no people. And had a reality show on, I love that, on the Learning Channel. That’s like me having a show on the Christian Broadcasting Network, you know. There has to be a higher bar for running for president, I think, than having a Facebook page or a reality show.”
Clearly, during his time on The Late Show, Maher didn’t hesitate to bring up various controversial names. Though it didn’t always work out the way he wanted, especially given the negative reactions Maher faced alongside Letterman.
Source: NewsFinale
