Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) - 4/14/23

[Rhiannon12866]

Last edited Sat Apr 15, 2023, 05:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Monologue: The Intel Incel

Bill reacts to the top stories of the week, including the arrest of a suspect behind a major U.S. intelligence breach.




Ben McKenzie: Crypto is a Ponzi Scheme

Actor, activist and "Easy Money" author Ben McKenzie joins Bill to discuss crypto "currency" and NFTs.




Abortion Access

Rep. Katie Porter and Piers Morgan join Bill to discuss the recent rulings around access to the abortion pill mifepristone.




New Rule: Affairs of State

Democrats are repeating history by trying to take down Trump with a sex scandal, instead of over the real crimes he committed.




Overtime: Piers Morgan, Rep. Katie Porter, Ben McKenzie

Bill Maher and his guests continue their conversation after the show.




Here's a "bootleg" version of the show which includes the entire interview with actor/author Ben McKenzie (6:17), entire panel discussion with Rep. Katie Porter and Piers Morgan, (18:12), Bill's "funny bit" (31:36), and includes the opening part of New Rules (46:53). It won't last long, as usual:

[Warpy]

1. Decent show, good interview with McKenzie

His reaction to NFTs was exactly the same as mine wad. I think crypto will go the way of all financial crazes, that guy in Texas spending more in energy usage than he's getting in Bitcoin. Decent enough panel discussion but I'd like to have heard more from Porter, Maher kept cutting her off.

Thanks for posting, especially the bootleg version.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I thought it was an especially good show too, amicable discussion.

I learned all I needed to know about Bitcoin, LOL. And I agree that I wanted to hear more from Katie Porter, too. And the one big news item that they didn't touch on was the Nashville shooting and expulsion and reinstatement of the two State Reps, though they did bring it up in Overtime which I remembered to catch. I don't understand why they now wait to upload it, it's not like it's going to be repeated and it's just a few minutes long.

And if the "bootleg" version disappears, I'll replace it like I did last week and I'll add Overtime when it's available.

[Warpy]

7. I remember Bitcoin evangelists here on DU

and all I could think were "scam!: and "Ponzi scheme!" both of which are true, especially for people like that idiot in Texas using more energy than Argentina trying to extract millionths of Bitcoins per day.

I learned all I really needed to know about NFTs and SPACs from Wolf Richter over at Wolf Street Report.

When too much money at the top starts to chase too few investment opportunities, we start seeing some really crazy shit.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. I've never been the least bit interested and never had the interest to learn

But this presentation was interesting and he told me all I needed to know!

BTW, I added Overtime if you missed it, they discussed the news that they neglected earlier, the Nashville shooting.

[Duppers]

3. His show was very good tonight.

First time I've watched in a long while and was pleasantly surprised.

Yay for Katie Porter!

[Rhiannon12866]

4. I felt the same way, no offensive guests (Russell Brand was hard to take) and a decent discussion.

I was particularly looking forward to Katie Porter so I wish we'd heard more from her, but I liked the show overall and New Rules was pretty interesting.

[Auggie]

5. Thank you for posting

A decent enough show, though I thought Maher's New Rules commentary overlooked the seriousness of Trump's 34 felony indictments.

Ben McKenzie was great.

[Rhiannon12866]

11. You're right and they didn't discuss all the trouble TFG is now in, which I would have expected.

And I agree that Ben McKenzie was clear and interesting on a subject that I would normally skip over. He did a good job.

I would have liked to hear more from Katie Porter, but nothing that Piers Morgan had to say put me off which I was half expecting. They also neglected to address this week's biggest news story, the shooting in Nashville, but finally got to it in Overtime - which I added in case you missed it.

[LessAspin]

6. Ponzi

Thank you, Ben McKenzie .. even Elon Musk is beginning to pivot away from his crypto scam back into AI ..

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Katie Porter is great as usual too ..

Link to tweet

[Rhiannon12866]

12. Wow! Thanks so much for the additional information!

I knew next to nothing about what Ben McKenzie was there to discuss, but he made it interesting, so I really appreciate the background that you posted!

And I sure agree with what you said about the Nashville shooting, it irritated me that they focused on the use of megaphones within the chamber instead of the real reason that the two young black men were expelled, that bigotry is alive and well in Tennessee. BTW, I just added the Overtime segment where that discussion took place.

[Behind the Aegis]

8. Not a bad show at all. Brought up some good points.

When I saw your initial post about the guests, I didn't "know" who Ben McKenzie was, because I only knew of an actor by that name. WOW! They were one and the same! I knew he was a hottie (loved him on "Gotham" ), I had no idea he was a smartie too! He actually explained a complicated thing in a digestible way to those of us kinda stupid in that area. I know a little about a variety of things, in some areas, I am very well-educated, but when it comes to math and economics, put me in the corner with my dunce cap because that shit don't make no sense to me!

For the first years here, I used to ask for help understanding economics, and almost without fail, I was shot down or attacked for just asking! Many, I am guessing, may have thought I was just being contrary, but even in posts where I made it VERY obvious I was asking so I could learn, well, the results were often the same, so I stopped asking.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. I didn't know who he was, either, but it was pointed out to me that he was a well known actor

Who started out as an economist, so his subject last night made sense. And I knew nothing about the subject, nor have I ever been interested, but he was certainly likable and made it interesting, he added a lot to the show. And I have to admit that math was the one subject I struggled with throughout school.

And I added Overtime if you missed it. I still have no idea why they now show it on CNN for people who likely didn't watch the rest of the show, nor why they now wait to upload it, but they did address news that they missed earlier, specifically the Nashville shooting and the expulsion of the two members involved in the protest.

[ificandream]

13. I love seeing Katie Porter on C-SPAN or anywhere.

She's so awesome. I'm supporting her for Senate. I hope she wins.

[Rhiannon12866]

14. I agree that she's just excellent, is always prepared and has the right answers.

And I envy you if she's your Rep. My only disappointment was that she didn't bring her whiteboard.

[Abolishinist]

15. I watched this episode last night,

found it to be quite good. I wouldn't mind buying Ben McKenzie's book (release date 7/18), execept that it would probably end up being stacked with the four others I have yet to read. At least it looks like his book, Easy Money, might be skimmable.

Do you know if he will be on this Friday?

[Rhiannon12866]

16. If you mean will Real Time be on, yes, it'll be on at the usual time on Friday

They had just taken a week off the previous week. As for the guests, they won't announce them until late Wednesday or most likely Thursday.

As for the books, tell me about it, I have a pile, too. They ones I get to, like Mary Trump's 2 books, are those on audio since I can listen to them in my car.