REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER {JANE FONDA, MAUREEN DOWD, ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., JOE SCARBOROUGH, ALAN K. SIMPSON} (TV)
Summary
One in this live political comedy talk show hosted by satirist Bill Maher. This episode's guests are actress/activist Jane Fonda, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, former Florida Congressman and TV host Joe Scarborough, former Wyoming Senator Alan K. Simpson, and environmental attorney and activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Maher opens the program by appearing as "Bishop Joey," the comedic "opening act" for new Pope Benedict XVI. In his opening monologue, Maher discusses President George W. Bush's new Energy Policy Act of 2005; a Chicago underpass on which an image of the Virgin Mary has apparently appeared; the Vatican's decision to post the Pope's email address on their website; potential new United States Ambassador John Bolton's infamous rage issues and closeness with Vice-President Cheney; and new laws regarding a contraceptive sponge.
The first guest, Fonda, joins Maher via satellite and comments on her recent book tour for her memoir, "My Life So Far," and her many positive encounters with Vietnam veterans; her sense of the modern-day "revisionism" regarding the unwinnable Vietnam War; why she is proud of having traveled to Vietnam and regrets only the famous photograph of herself sitting on the anti-aircraft gun; parallels with the current Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, also "based on lies"; why America's actions are creating a "fertile breeding ground" for extremism and terrorism; her late-in-life adoption of Christianity and why it is not necessarily in conflict with her feminist views; Maher's questions about her third husband Ted Turner's recreational habits; and explanation of an anatomically correct doorway in her household.
Maher then introduces Dowd, Scarborough and Simpson, and the panelists touch on such topics as: Maher's November 2004 "tiff" with Simpson, in which they argued about Maher's acerbic humor; whether the Republican party has been "hijacked" by intolerance, particularly of gay people; Scarborough's views on "cultural blind spots" and why conservative Christians are not the only ones irked by LGBT topics; why most cultural homophobia is rooted in organized religion, despite the fact that the Bible says very little about gays; Simpson's dismissal of the hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church's notorious leader Fred Phelps as "the goofiest guy in America"; Pope Benedict XVI's disparaging comments about gays and why political leaders "obsess" about sexual orientation for the main purpose of gaining votes; how Pope Benedict XVI possibly harmed John Kerry's presidential campaign, compared with common worries that Pope John XXIII would unfairly influence John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic president; Dowd's views of the Pope's similarities to Cheney; whether Benedict, who also holds antiquated notions of gender roles, could potentially become more progressive with time; why the Catholic church is losing members even in traditionally devout Ireland; President Bush's praise of Pope John Paul II, despite his open condemnation of many of Bush's positions; how the church's anti-contraceptive views are harming the fight against HIV/AIDS; a surprising lack of improvements to airport security since 9/11 and Maher's demands that Republicans confront Bush about the issue; his assertion that "sense of time is different" for terrorists from Arab nations; and an upcoming new book, "The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln" by C.A. Tripp, that explores the oft-discussed theory that the sixteenth president was gay or bisexual.
Kennedy Jr. then joins the panel via satellite and comments on the need to improve fuel efficiency standards and limit dependency on foreign oil; his disapproval of the Energy Policy Act; Bush's "nonsense on stilts" statement that drilling for oil in the Arctic will be environmentally beneficial; Bush's financial and political reasons for his obtuse positions on environmental issues; Simpson's strong opinions on Kennedy's views; Scarborough's sense of the "cultural divide" surrounding environmentalism, including Bush's upbringing in an "oil culture"; the controversy surrounding John Bolton and why a hotheaded person is an exceptionally poor choice for an ambassador; why Hillary Clinton's alleged anger toward husband Bill is not a comparable situation; and Simpson's disinterest in Bolton's long-ago misdeeds.
Finally, in the "New Rules" segment, Maher discusses issues such as flavored water and homeless shelters with gymnasiums, and then touches upon why rising gas prices are an unfortunately logical result of American car companies' refusal to embrace hybrid technology and other environmentally friendly methods.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: April 22, 2005 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:57:54
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:86259
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedy; Political satire; Actors and actresses; LGBT Collection; Environmental protection
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2003-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Sheila Griffiths … Executive Producer
- Brad Grey … Executive Producer
- Marc Gurvitz … Executive Producer
- Bill Maher … Executive Producer, Writer
- Scott Carter … Executive Producer, Writer
- Dean E. Johnsen … Supervising Producer
- Billy Martin … Producer, Writer
- Buster and Shavoni … Theme Music by
- Chris "Kid" Reid … Theme Music by
- Hal Grant … Director
- David Feldman … Writer
- Brian Jacobsmeyer … Writer
- Jay Jaroch … Writer
- Chris Kelly … Writer
- Danny Vermont … Writer
- Bill Maher … Host
- Jane Fonda … Guest
- Joe Scarborough … Guest
- Maureen Dowd … Guest
- Alan K. Simpson … Guest
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. … Guest
- Pope Benedict XVI
- John Bolton
- George W. Bush
- Dick Cheney
- Bill Clinton
- Hillary Clinton
- Pope John XXIII
- Pope John Paul II
- Abraham Lincoln
- C.A. Tripp
- Ted Turner