Absolutely, unequivocally, emphatically “NO!” Should he be suspended for using the “N” word? Probably, if that what it takes to satisfy his critics.
The joke he made (about being a house nigger you can see it for yourself here was in poor taste, and no doubt was offensive. But it should be taken in the context of who made the joke. Was it some racist redneck or alt-right KKK type? No, it was Bill Maher, who has been a champion for liberal causes for decades.
In addition to being one of the strongest voices taking it to Donald Trump mercilessly, Maher is one of the few white TV hosts that routinely feature articulate blacks on his show. Those on the right that are calling for his head on a platter would just love to see him booted off the air simply because he treats minorities so fairly.
The bigger concern for me was Senator Ben Sasse and the audience reaction to the remark. He laughed along with the racist comment and there was no opprobrium or outrage from the hundreds of folks in the studio. In fact, they laughed. That hurts more than the tasteless remark.
From CoolCleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author at http://NeighborhoodSolutionsInc.com.
One Response to “MANSFIELD: Should Bill Maher Be Fired?”
Pat Ballasch
I’m not a fan of “One strike & your out”. I just finished watching “Birth of a nation” and the “N” word was all over it. A guy like Maher needs to get a pass since he does so much of the heavy lifting supporting human rights. Sometime comedy isn’t pretty but real bigotry is much worse. Bills show is comedy NASCAR. It’s fast and live. People watch it for the occasional wreck. If you can’t take it, stick with scripted crap done in 3 takes, edited & and sweetened with a laugh track.