Bill Maher's New Rule: 'Don't Censor Huckleberry Finn'

Bill Maher has some choice words for the publishers who want to omit offensive language from Mark Twain's classic Huckleberry Finn. In a new episode of "Real Time," set to air this Friday, he tells them: "Don't censor Huckleberry Finn ... hearing there are bad words in it is the only reason teenagers do read it."

He goes on to offer choice suggestions for renaming other classics to incorporate dirty words, like Leaves of Grass and The Great Gatsby. Use your imagination, or watch below.

WATCH:

Comments

[Alva Mahaffey-Johnson]

02:25 AM on 01/24/2011

I'm black and I don't feel they should censor books. It all reminds me of Fahrenheit 451. What's next? Are we going to burn any and all books with bad language that is offensive to people. I guess the bible is the first to be burned, because as a woman there are areas offensive to me (submit to thy husband...ummm seriously).

This book was written during a time when the N word in public was common. It was NEVER right, but it was more common (unfortunately). Removing that from all books ever written does a disservice to this younger generation who may not understand HOW pervasive racism was during THAT time. It can either show us how far we've come, or how far we need to go.

[APMOTRBC]

11:32 AM on 01/24/2011

I agree it shouldn't be censored. I just hate what it does when taught in an under supported classroom setting to a bunch of 7th graders with too much hormone and no adult control.

[KatieDavis]

09:10 AM on 01/23/2011

I thought it was insane to edit Mark Twain. Then I interviewed Dr. Gribben on my podcast, Brain Burps About Books and he had a chance to speak for more than a 3-5 minute sound byte. I was surprised that he moved me from one side of the fence to, well, sitting right on it. It's a little uncomfortable. If you want to listen: http://bit.ly/fEpRmU

[sabelmouse]

08:40 AM on 01/23/2011

Cory111
[In my grandparen­ts time they were called guinea’s, wops, dago’s, spaghetti benders, Goombah’s, grape or garlic stompers and even Black Italians if they were from Sicily and had dark skin. I would imagine a few others names were also in the offering. But they would just consider the source and get about the business of building a better life for themselves and their children which they did as the years passed. They never had any family members taking government funding (though there is nothing wrong with it under the right conditions­) because they worked as a family unit and helped each other out with food or housing until the tide turned. I think there was a lot of pride involved in doing that, we Italians seem to have enough of that to go around.
Times and people change…suc­h is life.
Have a great day…lots of tennis this morning.
Cory ]

emigrants are not the same as people who have ben abducted from there homes, transported in horrendous conditions, lost faminly, perhaps had there children torn from them and sold and the are being mistreated every day.
if you mean to compare those situations you need more informatin on slavery. and this particular slavery too was different from what went on in the middle east or africa or ancient rome.

[Robin Lemstra]

05:50 PM on 01/21/2011

First of all, Love the Bill Maher show, introduced me to quite some things and there's always intelligent conversation from people who wouldn't debate eachother otherwise.

But eh.... isn't it live? With the questions for the overtime segment and such? How could you have this fragment? Unless it is with a laughtrack...

[freddsky]

12:43 PM on 01/21/2011

In 1960 (?) Reader's Digest sensitively bowdlerized excess sensationalism from Harper Lee's one-hit- wonderwork "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Bob Ewell originally testified: "I seen that black [ N ] yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!"
RD spared our blushes by snipping the word "ruttin' "

Makes ya proud to be Amurkan!

[Bogstomper2]

09:16 AM on 01/21/2011

The best way to respond to attempts to censor Twain is to promote more of his work, especially his political writing. There's very little to complain about these days that Mark Twain didn't already complain about. In many ways, he was the Jon Stewart of his times, highlighting social stupidities by poking fun at them.

He wasn't always amusing though. "To the Person Sitting in Darkness" is a dark, bitter essay that will surprise people who think of Twain as little more than a humorist. "The United States of Lyncherdom" is another.

[Nelson Montana]

10:26 PM on 01/20/2011

I think they should remake Goodfellas but make the ethnicity of all the gangsters ambiguous. That would really make me feel so better about myself.

[mivogo]

12:09 PM on 01/20/2011

Yes, let's censor all books and thoughts. Iran and Pakistan will have nothing on us!
That's why those two nations don't have a Bill Maher (they might have once, but only until the first time he opened his mouth)
You nailed it, Bill.

[Hardyman1966]

11:58 AM on 01/20/2011

Perfect, as usual, Mr. Maher.  PC BS shouldn't be retroactive when it comes to literature.  That's who we were, and in many cases, still are.

[NatTurner1]

10:35 AM on 01/20/2011

While they are at it, can they take out the incest, adultery, and murder out of the bible? Im just sayin'

[joyf1]

11:59 PM on 01/20/2011

f and f, Nat. Good one.

[NanaMex]

12:21 AM on 01/21/2011

x 2 :)

[gypsysailor]

01:29 AM on 01/20/2011

Maaarrrrk Twain! Two fingers in 20 feet deep.

[Robin Feltner]

08:07 PM on 01/19/2011

As per usual....Bill Maher can do no wrong. Brilliance meets hilarity. What's not to love about this guy?

[gamblerman]

05:41 PM on 01/19/2011

Bill, It;s the TDM Music Show!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhKhGWRRUDI

[Nelson Montana]

05:23 PM on 01/19/2011

Next up -- Anne Frank's Diary. Take out all the stuff about the holocaus t because, well, it's just so distasteful.

[bellsshells]

05:48 PM on 01/19/2011

Anne Frank is not analogous. Would you have adolescents read "The Sopranos" uncut?
It was an "Important" series.

[Nelson Montana]

09:56 AM on 01/20/2011

The Sopranos are as significant as The Diary of Anne Frank and Huck Finn? You're joking, right?

[lolawants1117]

04:59 PM on 01/19/2011

Although I neither like nor condone the use of the "N" word, it is important in a historical context, such as Mark Twain's literature.
http://alettertothepeople.blogspot.com/2011/01/dear-alan-gribben.html