Arts & Entertainment
Bill Maher under fire for homophobic humor, again
Talk show host Bill Maher is once again facing criticism for using homophobic humor, this time for a feature he did on the most recent episode of his HBO TV show, “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
In the segment, which was making fun of Senator Lindsey Graham, the comedian included several jokes based on outdated gay stereotypes.
Though the focus of Maher’s rant was what he called Senator Graham’s “hypocrisy on steroids,” he read selections from a list titled “24 Things You Don’t Know About Lindsey Graham.” which included several one-liners referencing once-familiar clichés about gay people.
The full list:
- My name is Lindsey and my pronouns are He and Y’all.
- My spirit animal is a jellyfish.
- I burn calories by skipping to work.
- I’m the only Senator whose office has a bidet and a fainting couch.
- For three weeks in 1992 I was married to Liza Minnelli.
- In a fire, the first things I’d save are my bridal magazines.
- When I was in school, the kids would tease me by calling me “Lindsey.”
- I was the first person to push a dog around in a stroller.
- The greatest advice my mother gave me was to stop waving my hands when I run.
- My quote in the high school yearbook was “a lady is allowed to changed her mind.”
- My greatest legislative accomplishment is naming a post office after Nathan Lane.
- If Trump and I were a celebrity couple, I’d want the tabloids to call us “Donsey.”
- I once kissed Trump’s ass so hard I could taste Hannity.
- John McCain’s last words to me were “Let go of my hand.”
- People who say I’m anti-immigrant haven’t heard me talk about Siegfried and Roy.
- When people call me a “hawk” I just want to bomb the sh*t out of them.
- My favorite James Bond movie is Octo-yucky.
- I’m one of only three people in Washington allowed to trim President Trump’s nose hairs.
- I employ over a dozen pool boys even though I don’t own a pool.
- Irony alert! Thanks to a food allergy, I avoid fruit.
- For Halloween, I went as the Lindsey Graham from the Clinton impeachment.
- If you saw just five seconds of the videotape Trump has of me, everything would suddenly make sense.
- My nickname in the Air Force was “JAG-off.”
- If it was socially acceptable, I would wear nothing but scarves.
Graham has long been the butt of jokes around rumors of his homosexuality (rumors that he consistently denies), but some of Maher’s comedic digs within the list are based on negative tropes which are now largely considered demeaning and harmful.
Maher has been accused before of perpetuating homophobic stereotypes in his political comedy, such as when he joked earlier this year about the Trump-Putin relationship by saying, “Forget collusion, I want to know if there’s penetration.”
He’s not the only one, either. Comedian Chelsea Handler fell under fire over her homophobic jokes about Graham being gay, being a bottom, and having a “d*ck-sucking video.”
More recently, Broadway icon Patti LuPone was criticized for joking on Twitter that Graham was a “disgrace” who should “just bite the bullet and come out.”
Impulse Group DC held “10’s Across the Board: A Celebration of 10 Years” at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 14. Impulse Group DC is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) and affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated “to engaging, supporting, and connecting gay men” through culturally relevant health and advocacy work.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Rob Reiner, most known for directing untouchable classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” and “Stand by Me,” died Dec. 14 alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles residence. While investigations are actively underway, sources have told PEOPLE Magazine that the pair’s son, Nick Reiner, killed his parents and has been taken into custody.
Reiner was a master of every genre, from the romantic comedy to the psychological thriller to the coming-of-age buddy movie. But in addition to his renowned work that made him a household name, Reiner is also remembered as a true advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2009, Reiner and his wife co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, helping fight against California’s Prop 8 same-sex marriage ban. They were honored at the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas Gala.
In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson said: “The entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend — his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in — including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land — and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele — may they rest in power.”
Reiner’s frequent collaborators have also spoken out as the industry is in mourning, including figures like Ron Howard and John Cusack.
A joint statement from Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (who starred in Reiner’s “This is Spinal Tap”) reads: “Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage, and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
While attending the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner, Reiner spoke out about the need for equality: “We have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we’re all human beings. We’re all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It’s no more complicated than that.”
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington perform “The Holiday Show” at Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). Visit gmcw.org for tickets and showtimes.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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