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The best of Real Time with Bill Maher season 16, part one

By Matt Moore

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 11: Comedian Bill Maher speaks onstage at the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute to Barbra Streisand held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 11, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 11: Comedian Bill Maher speaks onstage at the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute to Barbra Streisand held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 11, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) /
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Ben Shapiro: Civil Discourse, June 29

On the surface, Ben Shapiro and Bill Maher appear to be polar opposites. Shapiro is a right-wing editor of Daily Wire known for stirring things up on Twitter. But Shapiro has been critical of Trump albeit not to the extent of Maher. Both, however, have careers based on the discourse and rhetoric they use.

The two likely did little to convince the other to change viewpoints. Who won this “debate” depends on what side you were already on. Maher’s fans were quick to point out Shapiro’s inconsistencies and false comparisons. Shapiro’s supporters dominate the comment section of the video claiming that Maher was out of his league in going toe-to-toe with Shapiro.

Regardless of what side you’re on, it was entertaining to see the two go back and forth over what is considered incivility and the threats of it to our democracy. Maher never backs down from confrontation and in Shapiro he had a guest with a similar disposition.

Their conversation highlighted something that has become common in political discourse: the “yeah, but what about” strategy. It is a lot of finger pointing and going around in circles. If you say “Republicans do XYZ” then the response is that “Well, Democrats do ABC.” It’s not a particularly productive method but Maher and Shapiro manage not to get to caught up in it.

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