On Friday’s episode of HBO’s Real Time, it was the best of host Bill Maher and it was the worst of Bill Maher. On one hand, Maher called out astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s unwillingness to upset the woke crowd when he refused to affirm that male and female differences are scientifically based. However, later, he falsely claimed the country has elected a female president, but “our stupid system” prevented Hillary Clinton from becoming president.
The background for the Tyson conversation was the editor-in-chief of the once prestigious Scientific American resigning after calling Donald Trump voters “fucking fascists.” Maher claimed he wasn’t interested in canceling anyone, “But here's what I think is the scandal. This is in Scientific American, less than a year ago. ‘Inequity between male and female athletes is a result of not inherent biological differences between the sexes but of biases and how they are treated in sports.’”
He then told Tyson, “That's nuts, and it sure ain't scientific, and it's in Scientific American, and that's why the Democrats lost the election. It's true.”
Tyson replied, “Bill, every 20 minutes on your platform you come up with another reason why the Democrats lost, you already have the answer, they lost the election. So, anything you say—”
An unhappy Maher shot back, “That’s not true. First of all, you don't watch this show, so you don't know, I know you don't, and it’s okay, but you talk as if you don't and you fucking don't, and that's okay, just don't bullshit, that's one thing people can't ever do on this show is bullshit me, and that’s fine, but I don't say that I have very good reasons—engage with the idea here. What I'm asking is Scientific American is saying, basically, the reason why a WNBA team can't beat the Lakers is because of societal biases.”
Tyson, who is the typical liberal atheist who can’t shut up about how much he loves science, then dodged the question in ways that even the shiftiest of politicians would find impressive, “What you're saying is not Scientific American says that, an editor for Scientific American said that no longer has a job, so don't indict a 170-year-old magazine because somebody—”
That is wrong. Laura Helmuth is the one who resigned, but the article Maher quoted from was written by Cara Ocobock and Sarah Lacy. Maher also pointed out that the article still appeared in the magazine, “Okay, this is called Scientific American and they’re printing something.”
Continuing with his deliberate obtuseness, Tyson again interrupted to talk about Helmuth’s social media musings, “Because someone enters the cesspool that is social media and then participates in that exchange. So, let’s talk about science.”
Maher wondered, “Why can’t you just say this is not scientific and Scientific American should do better?”
Tyson continued in his wrongness, “Well, does she still have her job? ‘Cause that was like a year ago. Was it, which one was a year ago?”
Maher ridiculed him for that, “Not because of this, the scandal is not her tweet. The scandal is— I think a year ago, women still couldn’t beat men in basketball or any other sport and it wasn’t because of society.”
It is nice that Maher can call out the science-loving science deniers on the left. Unfortunately, he is a bit of an election denier himself. Later during the Overtime segment, he declared, “Hillary won the popular vote. So, we actually have elected a woman. It's just that our stupid system, the way we play the game, she didn't get elected, but we can't say that the country and also the votes are now finally all in for this election. Kamala Harris lost by your mustache hair that, like this much. It’s so close.”
“Hillary Hillary won the popular vote. So we actually have elected a woman. It’s just that our stupid system, the way we play the game...And also the votes are now finally all in for this election. Kamala Harris lost by your mustache hair...It’s so close” – @BillMaher #RTOvertime pic.twitter.com/7UwAwNCjSG
— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) November 23, 2024
Hillary Clinton was not elected just as it is not true that male and female differences are due to societal biases. Maher is so close to getting it, yet so far.
Here is a transcript for the November 22 show:
HBO Real Time with Bill Maher
11/22/2024
10:14 PM ET
BILL MAHER: But here's what I think is the scandal. This is in Scientific American—NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: Yeah.
MAHER: — less than a year ago. "Inequity between male and female athletes is a result of not inherent biological differences between the sexes but of biases and how they are treated in sports."
That's nuts, and it sure ain't scientific, and it's in Scientific American and that's why the Democrats lost the election. It's true.
TYSON: Bill, every 20 minutes on your platform you come up with another reason why the Democrats lost, you already have the answer, they lost the election. So, anything you say—
MAHER: That’s not true. First of all, you don't watch this show, so you don't know, I know you don’t, and it’s okay, but you talk as if you don't and you fucking don't, and that's okay, just don't bullshit, that's one thing people can't ever do on this show is bullshit me, and that’s fine, but I don't say that I have very good reasons — engage with the idea here. What I'm asking is Scientific American is saying, basically, the reason why a WNBA team can't beat the Lakers is because of societal biases.
TYSON: What you're saying is not Scientific American says that, an editor for Scientific American said that no longer has a job, so don't indict a 170-year-old magazine because somebody—
MAHER: Okay, this is called Scientific American and they’re printing something –
TYSON: Because someone enters the cesspool that is social media and then participates in that exchange. So, let’s talk about science.
MAHER: Why can’t you just say this is not scientific and Scientific American should do better?
TYSON: Well, does she still have her job?
MAHER: Not because of this, the scandal is not her tweet. The scandal is—
TYSON: ‘Cause that was like a year ago. Was it, which one was a year ago?
MAHER: I think a year ago, women still couldn’t beat men in basketball or any other sport and it wasn’t because of society.
…
Real Time Overtime
11:06 PM ET
MAHER: Hillary won the popular vote. So, we actually have elected a woman. It's just that our stupid system, the way we play the game—
DONNA BRAZILE: Well, that’s another conversation.
MAHER: — she didn't get elected, but we can't say that the country and also the votes are now finally all in for this election. Kamala Harris lost by your mustache hair that, like this much. It’s so close.
