REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER {ALEC BALDWIN, ROSEANNE BARR, JACK KINGSTON, A.B. STODDARD, ROBERT GREENWALD} (TV)
Summary
One in this live political comedy talk show hosted by satirist Bill Maher. This episode's guests are filmmaker Robert Greenwald, actor and activist Alec Baldwin, newspaper editor A.B. Stoddard, Georgia representative Jack Kingston, and actor and comedian Roseanne Barr. The program begins with a fake advertisement for “Feign-Feign” medication that assists users to become irate over trivial news items. In the opening monologue, Maher discusses a misinterpreted joke made by Senator John Kerry about President Bush, Bush’s surprisingly favorable comments about the status of the war, and the recent scandal involving conservative pastor Ted Haggard and a male prostitute. He then speaks to Greenwald via satellite and discusses his documentary film “Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers” including: the ways in which American troops are working alongside staff members from private companies and making far less money; the dangers of “cost-plus contracts” that unfairly distribute money amongst troops; and the lack of laws covering the rights of troops and preventing private owners and government officials from profiting from the war. Baldwin, Stoddard and Kingston then join Maher onstage, and the topics discussed include: how the Republican government does not investigate claims such as the ones made in Greenwald’s film; controversies surrounding the Halliburton company, particularly in relation to finances; Baldwin’s sense of defense fraud being tantamount to treason and why; the rapidly growing national debt and the need to pay for the war through raised taxes; whether recent decreases in unemployment are related to tax cuts; how the tax cuts benefit only the very wealthy; comparisons to the actions of President H.W. Bush; the actions of President Clinton, including how he “gutted welfare”; debate about Kerry’s joke and the double standard of public reception to comments made by liberal and conservative figures, particularly President Bush’s many malapropisms; the many ways in which President Bush “uses” the troops; the need for Democrats to be more assertive in the face of controversy; recent reports about global warming and its relation to the economy; the impact of the current “culture of convenience and indulgence” and the efforts to make the general public care about important issues. Barr then joins the conversation via satellite, and the topics she discusses include: the merits of aging; the need for society to get “back to the middle” between liberalism and conservatism; her feelings on underfunded public schools; the representation of the working class on her show “Roseanne”; and her current activities, including her new HBO stand-up special, “Blonde and Bitchin’.” The panel then discusses the following topics: the Haggard scandal and similarly ironic stories involving other anti-gay conservatives; funding for abstinence education and its dubious effectiveness; debate about out-of-wedlock births and the merits of a nuclear family; debate about gay marriage and its various consequences; and the overwhelming frequency of political advertisements on television and the suggestion to ban them entirely. Maher then closes the show with his “New Rules” segment, in which he proposes new “rules” related to his controversial Halloween costume; plans for an autobiography from celebrity Kevin Federline; public marriage proposals; repackaging of “old crap” for further profit; and various “talking points” for the candidates in the upcoming midterm elections, including issues about taxes and debt and references to President Bush’s current role as a “retarded child emperor.”
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: November 3, 2006 11:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:90596
- GENRE: Comedy; Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Politcal satire
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2003-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Sheila Griffiths … Executive Producer
- Scott Carter … Executive Producer
- Marc Gurvitz … Executive Producer
- Brad Grey … Executive Producer
- Bill Maher … Executive Producer, Writer
- Dean E. Johnsen … Co-Executive Producer
- Brian Jacobsmeyer … Co-Executive Producer
- Jay Jaroch … Co-Executive Producer
- Chris Kelly … Co-Executive Producer
- Billy Martin … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Matt Wood … Associate Producer
- Mary Knowles … Associate Producer
- Sue Bennett … Segment Producer
- Deena Katz … Segment Producer
- Scott Carter … Writer
- David Feldman … Writer
- Matt Gunn … Writer
- Danny Vermont … Writer
- Hal Grant … Director
- Chris "Kid" Reid … Theme Music by
- Buster and Shavoni … Theme Music by
- Bill Maher … Host
- Alec Baldwin … Guest
- Roseanne Barr … Guest
- Robert Greenwald … Guest
- Jack Kingston … Guest
- A.B. Stoddard … Guest
- Bill Clinton
- Ted Haggard
- Kevin Federline
- George W. Bush
- George H.W. Bush