REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER {AL GORE, JOHN KRASINSKI, RALPH REED, NICOLLE WALLACE, CORNEL WEST} (TV)
Summary
One in this live political comedy talk show hosted by satirist Bill Maher. This episode's guests are former Vice-President Al Gore, conservative activist and author Ralph Reed, former White House Communications director Nicolle Wallace, philosopher and activist Dr. Cornel West, and actor John Krasinski.
In his opening monologue, Maher discusses the previous day's Republican Presidential Debate and the candidates' "impotent white rage"; New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's bombastic comments about President Barack Obama; "human screensaver" Ben Carson's lack of engagement; and Ted Cruz's controversial denouncement of Donald Trump's "New York values."
Gore then takes the stage to discuss Maher's commitment to reporting on climate change; Maher's regrets for supporting Ralph Nader over Gore in the 2000 election; Obama's "war on coal" and recent moratorium on new federal coal leases; the truth behind Gore's infamous "I invented the Internet" soundbite from 2000; the Paris Accords and why solar and wind power are becoming less expensive than fossil fuels; and the cross-section of religion and climate-change denial.
Maher then welcomes Reed, Wallace, and West, and the conversation explores the following topics, among others: the "New York values" comment, including Reed's explanation that Cruz failed to note that he was quoting Trump directly from an October 1999 interview, in which he linked liberal views with New York; the racist "dog-whistle" implications in Cruz's comments; Trump's "evolution" to more right-wing views; Cruz's general lack of likability, shared by Paul Ryan, who refused to applaud many of Obama's positive statements at the 2016 State of the Union Address; the recent naval incident in which a number of American sailors were captured by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after straying into Iranian waters, and were released unharmed 15 hours later; Reed's reminder that the Iranian government is currently detaining several other Americans on exaggerated charges; and West's view that Saudi Arabia has also done so, but is not penalized because of the United States' oil interests.
Next, Maher discusses various celebrities' endorsements for their preferred presidential candidates and their "real reasons" for picking those specific politicians. Krasinski then joins the panel and comments on his deadpan character of Jim Halpert on "The Office"; his upbringing in a military family and recent role as Global Response Staff team member Jack Silva in the film "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" (2016); his friendship with the real Silva; the largely unknown story of the 2012 Benghazi attacks, which were later heavily politicized; Krasinski's sense of the incident as resembling a car crash in its confusion and rapid-fire series of events; the death of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who declined extra security protection; comparisons to the New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Cologne, Germany, allegedly committed by Syrian refugees; Maher's views on differing cultural morality, including actions permissible under Sharia Law; West's argument for a more "nuanced read" of Muslims and Islamic culture; Reed's sense of the lack of necessary vetting for European migrants and others; why Trump's suggestion of a "Muslim ban" has encouraged his base; and West's sense that black American voters will support Democratic candidate Senator Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton upon getting to know his views and platforms.
Maher presents the "New Rules" segment, featuring jokes about dating practices, pop singer Ciara; and a unique tribute to late musician David Bowie from the Crocs company. He then explains that, despite his policy about not "badgering" his audience with requests, he asks viewers to help him land his first on-air interview with President Obama, who has appeared on many other talk shows over the course of his two terms, arguing that he himself has made a reasonable range of both positive and negative comments about the president and that the show boasts strong writing and high ratings. Maher is then surprised with a mariachi band and a cake for his upcoming 60th birthday.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: November 30, 1999 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:56:57
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 128614
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Politics; Actors; U S - Elections; Benghazi, Libya - Sieges
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2003-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bill Maher … Executive Producer, Writer
- Scott Carter … Executive Producer, Writer
- Billy Martin … Executive Producer, Writer
- Sheila Griffiths … Executive Producer
- Brad Grey … Executive Producer
- Marc Gurvitz … Executive Producer
- Dean E. Johnsen … Executive Producer
- Chris Kelly … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Matt Wood … Producer
- TJ Baldino … Co-Producer
- Miles Leicher … Associate Producer
- Mary Knowles … Senior Segment Producer
- Sue Bennett … Segment Producer
- Vanessa Gedney … Segment Producer
- Deena Katz … Segment Producer
- Paul G. Casey … Director
- Adam Felber … Writer
- Matt Gunn … Writer
- Brian Jacobsmeyer … Writer
- Jay Jaroch … Writer
- Bob Oschack … Writer
- Danny Vermont … Writer
- Chris "Kid" Reid … Theme Music by
- Buster and Shavoni … Theme Music by
- Bill Maher … Host
- Cornel West … Panelist
- Nicolle Wallace … Panelist
- Ralph Reed … Panelist
- John Krasinski … Panelist
- Al Gore … Guest
- David Bowie
- Ben Carson
- Chris Christie
- Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Ted Cruz
- Ralph Nader
- Barack Obama
- Paul Ryan
- Bernie Sanders
- Jack Silva
- J. Christopher Stevens
- Donald Trump