Real Time

I mentioned in my most recent post the turn of the events surrounding the lives of Brian Williams and Jon Stewart.  A process which, I think, is beginning to resemble Freaky Friday, in one wants to be the other.  Yet, unlike those that we hear about recently; Bill Maher has not been like that.  Indeed, for Bill Maher, it has always been him using comedy as a form of political activism and commentary that has been tapped by only a select few of the comedy greats. 

And yes, this does extend to Maher's pre-Politically Incorrect and Real Time days.  This also, indeed, extends to some of the more lower budget comedies Bill Maher starred in during that time frame.  Perhaps Cannibal Women In The Avacado Jungle Of Death was not that explicit, or even that good.  Yet I do remember being a young kid and seeing every so often on Comedy Central Maher's 1991 horror/political comedy Pizza Man.  It is not readily available to view now, save some clips on YouTube.  Yet, Maher's political leanings were always there.

What made me want to follow Bill Maher was his courage and gumption to say important ideas at a time when most media were censoring themselves in order to catapult the war propaganda.  In that same 2001-2005 period I mentioned when NBC News and Brian Williams were no different than the Cheney-Bush people, Jon Stewart was a bit timid at best to go against the grain.  Bill Maher was not like that.  Indeed, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, I can remember only two people in the television media that were aghast at the responses and jingoism that were afoot from an event which we all know was not what we were told.  Of course, Maher was the leading figure; the immediate result was the cancellation of Politically Incorrect.  The other I can remember was Rev. Fred McFeely Rogers; whom we all knew as Mr. Rogers.  You know, it has always been a quizzical coincidence to me that hostilities in Iraq by the US Military began After Mr. Rogers had died.  One wonders what would have been different had he been alive. 

Luckily for us, Bill Maher did not take the cancellation sitting down.  Indeed, in the 12 years it has been on, Real Time with Bill Maher has been immeasurably superior.  Personally, I prefer Real Time than The Daily Show due to a greater interest in interviewing iconoclasts and unique leaders.  For instance, you may not have ever seen Noam Chomsky, another hero of mine, on commercial television.  Yet Dr. Chomsky has been on Real Time.  There is also a sense of actually attempting to bring forth change in the political landscape with Maher's ideas, including expanding horizons by executive producing Vice. 

What also makes Real Time a more important show are the New Rules at the end.  They usually are quite funny, with some good uses of photo shop.  Maher usually ends the show with a New Rule extended commentary that is both funny and thoughtful on a medium that does not seem to do both.  In point of fact, just this past night, Maher's final New Rule says it all, I think, on the current Nightly News landscape.

In short, Bill Maher has been far more valuable in giving people the news along with even making the news.  There are often times when I am amazed that Maher has not become an overtly political candidate. 

Yet, this is where Bill Maher falls short.  They have not gone where Tom Dobbs went; seeking the office and winning the office of President.  For those who do not know, Tom Dobbs was a fictional television political commentator and humorist played by Robin Williams in the Barry Levinson film Man Of The Year.  Easily one of the better political satires in recent memory, alongside films like The Campaign, Man Of The Year does not get enough traction for its interesting plot and commentary.  Sadly, it was hardly mentioned at all after Robin Williams died. 

In a way, though, Robin Williams was more potent and politically influential than the three I mentioned.  More than half of Williams' stand up was social-political oriented.  Heck, go look at any of Robin Williams' stand-up and be amazed at the insight he had.   There is one point in his 2009 D.C. show that looks at the ten years prior as if someone was coming out of a drug haze.

A lot of truth in those nearly 4 minutes.  And perhaps a tough act and person to follow. 

So I look at it this way.  In speaking the truth, whichever it may be, and usually it is one's opinions and memories:

Brian Williams is a spokesperson and a guy just eager to get into the cool kids' club.
Jon Stewart is a humorist that would rather be a journalist.
Bill Maher is whom he has always been, and is one of the bravest people in the media.
Robin Williams was a brilliant man with a brilliant mind, and more of a leader than others think.

You see the differences?  Looking at Brian Williams alone, his suspension came during a week when New York Times media columnist David Carr died suddenly just a day after making his opinions known on the Brian Williams matter.  In that same time period, CBS News foreign and 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon died in a traffic accident .  Two newsmen and columnists that, foibles notwithstanding, remained newsmen and columnists.  And I know Stewart may fancy himself a newsman and columnist; quite the change from his non-essential MTV years (and yes I remember those years too!). 

So, knowing this sea of change, what will Brian Williams do next?  Would it be a surprise to anybody that he becomes someone who becomes the news for what he says than for what he does?  Would it be out of the ordinary for him to be involved in, say, the fake news division of the next Grand Theft Auto game?  I am not sure.  I do know that while news and entertainment can and do mix (infotainment); the need to be with the entertainment side can really hurt a person who is a newsman.  I do not blame Brian Williams for doing what he did.  Indeed, some of these stories could fit well in a book. 

Yet, just as Alison Williams has no desire to follow directly in her parents' footsteps in journalism; it does not mean Brian Williams could follow in a way the trajectory of Alison Williams.  Obviously what Alison does to entertain people is not what Brian does or would do to purportedly inform people; yet the allure is there.  Indeed, as Bill Maher mentioned, much of the news today described on a half hour program means little.  Is it any wonder people will look elsewhere for their news and information?  And is it not interesting that it takes a humorist like Maher or Robin Williams, or Jon Stewart, or going back some years George Carlin, Mort Sahl, Bill Hicks, Paul Mooney, Joy Behar or even Mark Russell to give people a more truthful interpretation of the news than most newsmen today? 

In the end, for me, when the news went full jingoistic in the months and years post-911, I lost my trust in the mainstream media.  That is collectively than on an individual basis.  Indeed, I happen to like Brian Williams at times.  Yet, somewhere along the way, he thought himself a celebrity only and not what his employment is; a newsman. 

In memoriam for two newsmen:  Bob Simon (1941-2015) and David Carr (1956-2015).  My thoughts and well wishes and prayers go out to their families and loved ones.

Well, that ends my spiel on the news today.  Though there are times when a news day is basically waking up, falling out of bed; dragging a comb across your head.

A final chord that can never be duplicated.

Catch up with you all soon,

Robert

PS.  Go see Kingsman: The Secret Service.  I will explain more later.