Bill Maher's 'Religulous': Oscar Bait?

LA Times:

When I attended a press screening for Bill Maher's "Religulous" in New York on Tuesday, it struck me like a lightning bolt on the road to the Kodak Theatre via Damascus: yeah, "Religulous" will probably be nominated for best docu at the Oscars -- and God help us all after that.

We know that "Religulous" is seriously in the derby for several reasons. First, Lionsgate hired veteran Oscars PR reps to handle its ballyhoo (Michele Robertson in L.A., Jeff Hill in New York). Secondly, the studio is giving the documentary its theatrical runs in L.A. and New York to qualify it for academy consideration, as Jeff Sneider notes at Anne Thompson's blog at Variety.com. Thirdly, the hallelujahs that film critics gave it today at the screening. More disciples are sure to follow.

In order to catch on widely like religion itself, what atheism has needed for a long time is a popular preacher to rally 'round. Maher just volunteered for the job that's been vacant since Madalyn Murray O'Hair vanished in the 1990s (eventually found murdered in 2001). Richard Dawkins has been a fine temporary stand-in, but not flashy like O'Hair. Bill Maher kicks things up a notch. He's a pop culture hipster who already has a large, anti-establishment flock, and he has a bully pulpit that O'Hair didn't: his own HBO show plus vast presence across all media.

Read the whole story: LA Times

Comments

[dora rice]

We all have a soul, a inner self, which guides us through our entire life. Some things like tragedy , disaster, sorrow, our mind can't phantom , and we look for a refuge not to go crazy. People who have been taught that there is a god and he is the refuge for all our unexplainable pains, are lucky. People who have a biological reason and who can explain why pain and sorrow happens are also lucky. Psycho's , who for some reason in their development were not lucky enough to have an inbred grudge, soul, conscience,god , that they can set their guidelines by, are poor lost humans.

[Hirnlego]

LOL. What drivel..

[dora rice]

when an unexplainable tragedy ever strikes at your dwelling, you will find god, budday, Mohamed, real quick. You won't call it drivel then.

[totalliberal]

"I'm not a bad guy! I work hard, and I love my kids. So why should I spend half my Sunday hearing about how I'm going to Hell? "
:Homer Simpson.

[StrayTalk]

"Jesus must be spinning in his grave"

--Barney

[liberalgirl31]

Can't we call a cease fire to all this? The Founding Fathers set up this country so that you can believe whatever you want. You have the right to be Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, deist, whatever. Just don't force your beliefs on other people. If you think YOUR version of the truth is the only one that matters, then that is just being arrogant (whether you are a theist or atheist).

I have a feeling Maher will be interviewing only fundamenta­lists/reli­gious zealots to set up as straw men. Somehow I doubl he will be talking to Jim Wallis or Desmond Tutu.

[PDXTransplant]

People with religion cannot understand how a person cannot believe and people without religion cannot understand how someone can.

[andvoodoo2]

I disagree. I believe in God. I pray. That said, I understand how some people can be atheists or believe differently than I do. And, as long as someone doesn't try to condemn me or anyone else for having different beliefs, I respect them and their right to believe (or not) as they see fit.

[GJMandinka]

Who is more ethical? The person who behaves well out of fear of damnation? Or the person who behaves well because they choose to adhere to a set of reasoned ethical principles?

[HandsOnTheScreen]

As miserable as sinners will be in Hell, they would be even more miserable in Heaven. They have preferred the fellowship of fools over that of the wise on earth and so they will in eternity. There is nothing in Heaven which the selfish can enjoy or relate to.

[Hirnlego]

How on earth do you convince yourself to believe that bogus?

[andvoodoo2]

I know what you mean! I WANT to go to hell! All of my friends are going to hell and I want to spend eternity with them!

[JohnFromCensornati]

Dont need reason, dont need rhyme
Ain't nothing I would rather do
Going down, party time
My friends are gonna be there too
I'm on the highway to hell
No stop signs, speed limit
Nobody's gonna slow me down

[MemphisBuffalo]

Go Bill Go!

[mamacat]

Bill Maher can help make the argument for the cloning of Humans.
I want to see his movie, but I want him back on HBO. Solution? Cloning. But only with the approval of one of the official religious banks.

[Swerinjer]

Is it true that Maher punks out by not criticizing Judaism? Of course...why do I even need to wonder?

[Paradym]

Hate to disappoint, but Bill pretty much criticizes every religion. It's just that Jewish people tend to keep their beliefs to themselves whereas Christians are in everyone's business and provide much more fodder for criticism.

[PaxMundis]

Actually, I've been wondering that too... one of the earlier articles describes a scene in which Maher confronts a rabbi - but an anti-zionist rabbi who believes that Israel shouldn't exist. An extreme point of view, I admit, but really - is this the best example he could come up with of Jewish extremism? Remember that Maher wrote on this site that Israel was right to defend itself by invading Lebanon?

As well, as I've mentioned before, Maher is an enthusiastic supporter of PeTA. While not a religious organization, PeTA has been known for their extremist views that offend many people. Where is Maher's "politically incorrect" deconstruction of them?

Frankly, for someone who claims to be a libertarian, Maher has a lot of "new rules."

[PaxMundis]

"Hate to disappoint, but Bill pretty much criticizes every religion. It's just that Jewish people tend to keep their beliefs to themselves whereas Christians are in everyone's business and provide much more fodder for criticism."

Um, yeah, about that. Apparently his criticism of Judaism amounts to interviewing an anti-zionist rabbi, not exactly at the vanguard of conservative Jewish thought.

On this very site Maher wrote in support of Israel's invasion of Lebanon. He is nowhere near as ideological neutral as he claims.

[Jared137]

Good for Maher. People have to stop being so stupid about religion. It holds us down and prevents us from being a civilized society (government willing - they love to push the religion and keep the nation all holy. This certainly is why most people refused to critically analyze 9/11 . They wanted to believe it was a religious war with the "Osama-ter­rorist-fac­e" embedded in the smoke of the towers). Since Maher is bringing up subjects like talking snakes and bushes, I hope he also brings up the fact that the bible condemns incest, yet adam and eve had to get their grandkids somehow...same with noah. Really creepy.

Seriously, if my toast came out of the toaster with the face of jesus...I'd eat it.

[Podewumun]

Communion with butter and blackberry jam. Heavenly! :D

[UncleJimbo]

Jared137! If my toast came out of the toaster and looked like Jesus....I'd sell it on E-bay to some Fundie wacko and make a few bucks!

[Jared137]

Damn. Never thought of that Jimbo. You gotta point. I need to get out my creme brulee blowtorch and torch me a few toast portraits!

[JohnFromCensornati]

Your get rich scheme is already up in smoke. You can buy little metal things to put in the toaster with the bread. Mary, Jesus, whatever. I think you can still eat the cheese sandwich even with JC branded on it. No eternal penalty.

[kellygrrrl]

"Religious" folks don't understand - WE have no probs with religion. Just keep it to yourself and out of Public Policy, Education and Government.

[smags72]

SPOT ON!

[ShanniC]

I heard that! Let's keep church and state divorced forever!

[instagladiator]

But what would the publicans do?

[foxfan]

Keeping it out shouldn't mean keeping it locked up. This country was founded on the basis of pursuing religious freedom.

[nanoscare]

This country was founded in response to taxation without representation. Some people came here before it was founded to escape a government entwined with religion, most came here to make a buck and have a piece of land to call their own. Pursue your religion all you want and keep it out government like our forefathers intended.

[HandsOnTheScreen]

The decline in American pride, patriotism, and piety can be directly attributed to the extensive reading of so-called "science fiction" by our young people, a poisonous rot about creatures not of God's making, societies of aliens without a good Christian among them, and rawsex between unhuman beings with three heads.

[mddragon]

Really? I thought the decline in American pride, humility, and strength can be directly attributed to the republican party. Tell you what Job, how about you believe all that and I will believe what I want without any threats of hell from you ok?

[Podewumun]

You say "science fiction" and I think Jules Verne. Or maybe Jonas Salk.

[smags72]

See now, this is my reason for disliking the 'religious' aka 'christians' in this country (because goodness knows no other religion is ever given such center stage, even though we are supposed to have ALL religions as equals - ha!). They think that if 'their god' isn't involved, then it's evil, period. Whatever happened to tolerance? Oh that's right, if you're not christian, you are going to some kind of 'hell' that they have made up to make us behave...

[foxfan]

Actually all religions are supposed to believe that they are the only true religion. I don't believe however that we should be forcing our religions down each others throats.

[alsm9]

@HandsOnTheScreen - Seriously? Do you understand that most of the people who read your post probably think you are crazy? You are not a good spokes person for Christians. I'm starting to think you are a joke. Like, maybe you are a fair lefty who is trying to make Christians look really bad by posting nonsense. If so you are doing a great job. By the way, there are lots of old people who read "so-called science fiction".

[NewArtz]

Perhaps some people prefer science fiction to the unscientific fiction which is religion. With the kind of eternal presure many "My God or you go to hell" religious fanatics put on others, it takes more faith to be an atheist than someone who just goes along with the program rather than face eternal damnation.

[Jamesdean]

there is nobody like Bill Maher and I just love him!!!

[PaxMundis]

"there is nobody like Bill Maher and I just love him!!!"

Actually, there are quite a few like him - he thinks he's the second coming of Lenny Bruce or George Carlin, but he doesn't have their flair or, frankly, morar character (both Bruce and Carlin had strong moral beliefs - most real satirists do). Maher is a hack who found that his sub-Seinfeld material (seriously, check out some of his early routines) wasn't cutting it and decided to switch to "political" humour.

[Curies]

Be rational - if only because it's rare - and live in a better neighborhood.

[instagladiator]

Touche'

[Curies]

Seneca put it best: "Religion is regarded by the wise as false, by the many as true, and by the rulers as useful." Napoleon: "Religion is excellent stuff for keeping the common people quiet." The whole thing's a con - fear of death begs to be exploited, and it's so easy. Your own fear is the handle on the club they hold over you. If people are so sure there's someone waiting on a cloud up there, why do they cry and scream when told the cancer is inoperable? Is your inbox cluttered with invitations to celebrate someone's terminal diagnosis? To come to grips with mortality is to grow up, finally. Get your justice here on earth - all this about hell or karma, any of it, is just manipulation. It's bad enough Reagan believed the end was coming soon - if he had faced something like the Cuban missile crisis and woke from a nap in a trigger happy mood, it could have been more than inconvenient for all of us. Would you want the plane you're on piloted by someone who believes in reincarnation? I wear a t-shirt which reads "If you believe the meek will inherit the earth you're just where they want you" and you'd be surprised how many people ask where to buy it or whisper "I don't believe that crap anymore, either." Read Bertrand Russell's Best - it's like a tonic. Be rational - if only because it's rare - and live in a

[azyuwish]

Also read "God is not Great" by Christopher Hitchens.

Subtitled "How Religion poisons everything". Yep.

[PaxMundis]

"Also read "God is not Great" by Christopher Hitchens.

Subtitled "How Religion poisons everything". Yep."

You mean the same Christopher Hitchens who enthusiastically support the invasion of Iraq, who still says it was a good idea? That one?

[PaxMundis]

"Get your justice here on earth - all this about hell or karma, any of it, is just manipulation. It's bad enough Reagan believed the end was coming soon - if he had faced something like the Cuban missile crisis and woke from a nap in a trigger happy mood, it could have been more than inconvenient for all of us. Would you want the plane you're on piloted by someone who believes in reincarnation? I wear a t-shirt which reads "If you believe the meek will inherit the earth you're just where they want you" and you'd be surprised how many people ask where to buy it or whisper "I don't believe that crap anymore, either." Read Bertrand Russell's Best - it's like a tonic. Be rational - if only because it's rare - and live"

If one believes that justice only exists on earth, and that being meek is for suckers, than what stops one from just taking what one wants, without regard for others? A lack of belief is just as likely to lead to Randian selfishness as Russellian compassion. If the universe is just a cold, mostly lifeless place without any purpose, then why not just be the biggest *ssh*le you can and take everything for yourself? It won't matter in the end.

The very idea that people can "live rationally" died in the early 20th century. This is not an argument for belief, but an argument that belief is just as valid an existential choice