Bill Maher: US Is Just Like Michael Jackson--"Fragile, Over-Indulgent, In Debt, Over The Hill" (VIDEO)

On "Real Time" Friday Bill Maher went on a diatribe about how the reason America mourned Michael Jackson so intensely--or as Maher put, lost its "collective shit" over Jackson--was because, well, "Michael Jackson is America." Maher argued that this was case by suggesting that both America and Jackson could be described as "fragile, over-indulgent, childish, in debt, on drugs, and over the hill."

WATCH [segement begins around the 1:45 mark.]

Comments

[GabrielXL]

*nods in agreement* ...but are we just realizing this?

[madtom]

The truth hurts.

[LiveLifeNow]

When you say stuff to incite and has no constructive value it is just mean.. I expect more from Bill Maher than he dispolayed in that clip.

[twisted-european]

I found the Sanford/Foley comparison of love letters much funnier:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_zDR8mr4Os

But cheating is cheating, Bill, even if you are in love!

[AmericanWarrior]

Unfortunate Bill. I am a fan of yours but this episode stinks....

[goldcoastsailor]

Maher has been irrelevant for some time now, because he just ain't funny no more.

[Coltrane1234]

Why do people care about Michael Jackson so much?

[Winston Smith]

Because he was fragile and got picked on a lot but deep down was a sweet caring person. I just feel bad for the guy. Living trainwreck, multi-mult­-millionai­re but still trainwreck.

[situationcritical]

Why do people care about anything?

[Cherubim]

Because Michael Jackson loved us, and we loved him so....
Never Can Say Goodbye:
Click on and Feel the Love: Thank you, Michael Jackson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GveM_95x56k&feature=PlayList&p=BA2AE373C4BC240F&index=5

[raker]

Talking to Scarborough, Maher observed that health care is just the latest issue on which the Republican­s/conserva­tives are on the wrong side of history. It's been a battle against them since the revolution, through slavery, onto civil rights, Social Security, Medicare, Vietnam, Iraq, etc., etc. They're wrong about health care too.

Scarborough whimpered that the Repugs were right about welfare.

[steamboat]

Escalation of VietNam was by democrats. Slavery abolished by a republican president.

[Helzapoppin]

The only thing funnier than Maher poking fun at Michael Jackson is how defensive and indignant so many people get when he pokes fun at Michael Jackson. Apparently Obama isn't the only one benefiting from disturbing celebrity worship.

[carsntrucks]

Yeeeah. I like Bill, but this just seemed more like a hit piece about America.

[ResistanceisFutile]

Inciteful.

[GabrielXL]

...and Insightful.

[ResistanceisFutile]

Depends on your point of view!

[AirForceBlue]

Guess somebody switched the planets...­........I just agreed with Bill Maher on an opinion of his, the state of this country...­........"f­ragile, over indulgent, in debt and over the hill." Oh, and that's merely the beginning.

Libertarian.

[Bulbul]

Maher is the reason I subscribe to HBO, but now he is losing his touch. I did not appreciate his incessent bashing of MJ. One does not need to be a fan to appreciate a talent, I am no ones fan , but of course I recognize MJ`s enormous talent , and his fame surpasses Beetles and Elvis worldwide. Bill ,should stick to politics and Palin and stay away from being a music critique , he knows noting about. He also did not stick to the fact, said nothing about the unfortunate Pepsi incident and the begining of addiction due to the enormous pain MJ had to endure !
Sorry Bill, you are showing your age, you narrow minded point of view shows, you lost me in there.....

[dmyron]

Not in agreement with the "over the hill" remark as regards MJ, but a talking head on MSNBC gushed that he compared to Mozart....­....ppplll­ease!

[octopi]

I'm just guessing that you don't know much about Mozart's biography.

[AirForceBlue]

Apples and oranges, anyway.

[malodorousgit]

The truth hurts, I guess.

[savethecountry]

On the one hand Maher ridicules the incessant coverage of MJ's death and funeral, then spends half of his "New Rules" segment, not to mention part of the panelists' time, on MJ. Bill's slipping. Once an avid fan, now I only watch based on who his guests are.

During discussions with this week's panelists he completely dismisses actress Anna Deveare-Smith and refers to Jason Alexander as the only actor on that night. And continues to make fun of Michael Jackson.

OBVIOUSLY MJ had problems. Those problems may have even led to illegal and reprehensible activities with children. Of course, none of that was ever PROVEN, but why ruin a good story with the facts? In the meantime, for many people around the world MJ was transformational through his music and dancing, much like Maher's beloved Beatles (except the dancing), who he used to further belittle MJ with snarky comments.

Here's hoping that Maher gets back to what he does best: politics.

[roch20]

That's right! I do not like the way he rant against MJ, whatever the reason for doing so, once it become clear this was against a dead man, for me, it was time to change channels!

[Green-Zanto]

So you watched 55 minutes of an hour program, and switched channels at the very end of the show?

[jlab]

He did not "rant" "against" a dead man, he pointed out that America worships the very character traits that tormented and ultimately killed Michael Jackson. By reacting all insulted and changing the chanel, you proved his point.

[Bulbul]

That is the main point, he is ranting against a dead man....tot­ally uncouth behavior on Bill Maher`s part......

[farley1]

Just another "over the hill" white dude who just doesn't get it. BM is such a whiner, lately.

[GrainneKathleen]

Yes, ranting against someone who passed on is low, Bill. I love your comedy when it is about politics, but when you bring arts and entertainment in , you just sound mean and caddy. There are plenty of people who would disagree that Michael lived off his early work - he kept creating.

[fresno500]

He does not even acknowlege that Michael had vitiligo universalis. He continues to state he "bleached" himself.

Very telling.

[HRH]

How do we know that? Because he or one of the leeches in his family said so. They all have as much credibility as Sarah Palin.

[tanustar]

Yup! Bill Maher and others keep referring to MJ's so called 'skin bleaching' and his white kids, yet we are constantly being told their criticisms have absolutely nothing to do with race!
Please!