Maher report
: I like it when Andrew Sullivan appears on Bill Maher’s show, for the two of them play a great game of TV tennis.
Maher has been finding evidence — credible evidence, I say — that the religious look crazy (“magic underwear?”), while Sullivan has been giving a good defense to the moderately religious (I’m on his side). This week, when the topic came up, Sullivan said, and Lord knows I agree with this, that it’s time for the moderate to take back religion from the fringe. But Maher said, come on, Andrew, these people are the ones who would get you on your knees and may you pray until you like pussy. That silenced Andrew for a few beats and then he recovered: “It’d take a lot more than Pat Robertson to get me to like pussy.”
Later, they talked about the pope and Sullivan said that the molestation scandal reaches right up to Benedict XVI, who covered up the scandal. Maher said, “And this is my point to you about religion. Religion empowers men with infallibility.” Sullivan said the church is imperfect but it “is the only thing we’ve got.” Maher says, no, it isn’t, “why not have just your spirituality.” Sullivan says that without the institutions, the faith would not have been kept alive.
It ain’t Sunday morning TV and that’s why I like it.
: Maher also had on Bernie Sanders, now the independent candidate for Senate in Vermont, who went on a fine rant against the indecent indecency bill in Congress. Go give Bernie some traffic.
: In his new rules, Maher said that Jenifer Wilbanks isn’t insane for running away. She’d be insane if she’d agree to spend the rest of her life servicing — cue picture of her fiance — “this goober.”
He offers her a bus ticket to L.A. “You’re crazy and you don’t care about anyone’s feelings but you’re own. You belong in Hollywood… You’re a reality show waiting to happen…”
