After a two-week hiatus due to testing positive for COVID-19, Bill Maher returned to HBO‘s Real Time yesterday evening and laced into celebrity political candidates such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Caitlyn Jenner, Randy Quaid and Matthew McConaughey for thinking they “have what it takes” to run the country.
Maher referred to celebrities running for high political office as a “recurring nightmare that we just can’t shake” during the “New Rule” segment of his show.
While wrapping up this week’s show, which included sports broadcaster Bob Costas, human rights journalist and New York Times political commentator Nicholas Kristof as well as political consultant and strategist James Carville, Maher poked fun at Johnson, Jenner, McConaughey and Quaid.
Each have expressed varying levels of interest in running for political office, with Jenner on the ballot and Quaid considering a run for governor of California, McConaughey mulling a Texas governor run and The Rock alluding to a potential run for POTUS. Maher claimed all believe they have “what it takes” to run the country and they do — “malignant narcissism.”
“Did we all not just witness the cautionary tale known as Donald Trump?” the host asked rhetorically. “The last four years was a warning, not an inspiration. You were supposed to see that and think, ‘I guess high-level political jobs ought to go to people who’ve trained for it and know what they’re doing.’”
Maher had no qualms with the individuals themselves, generalizing that they were all likely “good” people. He threw in a few extra jabs at Quaid, who resembles “Guy Rooting Through Your Recycling Bin.” Jenner, he joked, has a tight resume which includes “a background character in a reality show not about her.”
“When did governing become the safety school for when the guest spots on ‘Chicago Fire’ dry up?” Maher wondered. “We treat government like the lowest rung of celebrity.”
“Perhaps you’ve noticed that things have been a little different in America these last five months,” he noted. “That’s because we have people back in charge who spent their formative years not on a soundstage but studying the stuff you need to know to be effective on the world stage.”
Maher made sure to point out that his issue is not with Johnson, Jenner, McConaughey and Quaid being actors, “it’s that they’re not [political] professionals.”
“This guy,” he added, as a photo of Barack Obama appeared on screen, “was a rock star because he was good in his field, government. That’s not you.
You can’t learn it on the fly — you can’t fix it in post. Putin’s not on a green screen and he doesn’t give a sh*t about your million-dollar smile.”
He then proceeded to name high-level government topics such as “the three legs of our nuclear triad” that he was doubtful The Rock or any of the others would know the answers to.
“No one has to tell Joe Biden what’s in the Constitution,” Maher wisecracked. “he was in the room when it was written.”
The Rock has claimed that he believes he could unite the country as president, which the host quickly dismissed, quoting a line from Saturday Night Live made popular by his friend, Al Franken, “Let me put it bluntly to you and all the other showbiz candidates. You’re not good enough, you’re not smart enough, and doggone it, it completely doesn’t matter that people like you. They like you now because you’re an entertainer and, thus, largely uncontroversial. Governing is the opposite.”
Check out the full clip above and catch new episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday nights at 10 p.m. EST.
Michael is a music and television junkie keen on most things that are not a complete and total bore. You can follow him on Twitter — @Tweetskoor
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May 29, 2021 at 08:34PM
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Bill Maher Is Back On 'Real Time' And Had A Few Words For Celebrity Political Candidates - Decider
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