Hollywood has a reputation for being fairly liberal, but even Tinseltown has its limits. When audience members at Monday's taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno heard comedian Bill Maher take some cheap shots at Christianity, they didn't take kindly to it. The incident was first reported by CNS News.
Maher, an outspoken liberal athiest, was bragging about his marijuana use with Leno, then joked that "I gave that s*** up when I got saved." Most audience members didn't laugh at the swipe, to Maher's surprise. When the subject turned to the legalization of marijuana and the reelection of President Barack Obama, Maher took the opportunity to deliver an obviously-planned joke.
“Obama - he’s the one that’s got to come around now on pot because he’s been dragging his heels on this," Maher said. "You know that Pat Robertson is to the left of Obama on pot? Yep. Pat Robertson came out for pot because Pat Robertson gets it. The Bible only makes sense if you’re really high."
The insult did not go over well, with only scattered laughter and plenty of groans. Maher was again surprised with the reaction. “Touchy group tonight,” he quipped, as a few audience members worked up some pity applause. Leno, clearly uncomfortable with the joke, quickly changed the subject.
Maher has made a living with his arrogant attacks on Christianity. His HBO show, "Real Time with Bil Maher," often takes one-sided shots at those who dare to practice their faith in public. His film Religulous attacked all religions, with a pointed attack on Christianity. In the film, Maher asked deep philisophical questions of faith to truck drivers holding a Sunday service at a truck stop, but none to any noted Christian scholars qualified to answer such questions.
The Leno episode only proves that Maher's condescending attitude and attacks on free thought don't sit well with most people, even those who may not share the Christian faith.
Victor Medina writes for Yahoo News and his political blog WhenLiberalsAttack.com. His other writing credits include The Dallas Morning News and SportsIllustrated.com. He has served as a Dallas County election judge and on the Board of Directors of The Sixth Floor Museum. You can follow him on his blog, VictorMedina.com or on Twitter at @mrvictormedina. He can be reached by email at vic@victormedina.com. To be notified of future stories by Victor Medina, click the SIGN UP or SUBSCRIBE button at the top of this page.
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