Maher: Balance Brings a Better Talk Show

[lindsayg]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050511/ap_en_tv/tv_bill_maher

LOS ANGELES - It's an unlikely suspicion, but a kinder, gentler Bill Maher seems to be emerging on television. On a recent episode of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," he made sure conservatives were as well-represented in the audience as on the panel.

These days, Maher also prides himself on hosting a talk show as opposed to a shouting show, a dominant TV genre that he admits included his old ABC program "Politically Incorrect."

Asked if he's softening even as so many others in a polarized America become more brittle and intractable, Maher offers a quick reply: No.

Fairness and good television, he said, are why he seeks a political balance in the audience when his panel includes such guests as Republican politicians Christie Whitman and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

"For a guest to come out and have to expect that everything he says is automatically going to be dismissed before he even gets to the end of a sentence, that's not fair.

"It's a way to reach out to guests, be a good host and, I think, it makes for a better show," said Maher, whose program (11 p.m. EDT Friday) wraps up its current season this week.

As for the series' relatively civil tone, Maher said that reflects his evolution as a host. On "Politically Incorrect," "we would purposely try to pit a snake against a mongoose" by letting people of different ideologies go at it.

"But not this show. ... I want it to be like three people who may not agree on everything but are sitting down as if you were at dinner or a cocktail party.

"Even people who disagree rarely start screaming at each other — they only do that when they're on camera," Maher told The Associated Press.

[blondeatlast]

1. He's got a good point, but until he stops licking Ann the Whatever-

it-is's toes...

ZERO credibility with me.

[Nightjock]

2. I have no problem with balance on his show.

I DO have a problem with him ignoring election fraud. I used to think he was one of the brightest people in the media.
He is either ignorant or a coward.
I stopped watching him. I never thought I would do that.

[Mojambo]

3. I like that he lets regressives try and express their viewpoint

They often do an hilariously inept job at it. It benefits our side greatly.

[tishaLA]

4. He's wrong. Strong point of view makes good TV

the whole idea of balance is an implicitly way of fellating FAUX. There is no reason, as Christianne Amanpour has said, of treating "both sides" of an argument as equally valid. Sometimes one side is so idiotic that you can allow it to be heard if only to be squelched. That's what needs to happen to the neocon nutjobs.

[cornermouse]

5. I wouldn't know. I won't be there.

[RAF]

6. Give me a break. His new found "fairness and good television" is

nothing more then bending over back wards to save his show. I guess everyone suddenly forgets HBO's threat of canceling his show this year. It came all at once with accusations of an affair he had. I forget all the details but basically HBO said something to the effect of, they weren't sure his show would be renewed.

I remember reading discussions here when it happened. How many thought it seemed strange, it came out of left field. It was speculated then that the rightwing cooks were trying to put the screws to him. How does someone like Mahr ( and Michael Moore)go from getting on their knees begging Nader not to run for presidency then to praising Bush for his democratizing the Mideast?

They got to him.

[Initech]

7. I still like his show.

Even if he is trying to make it fair and balanced, it still is a lot better than those assholes like O'Reilly and Hannity.

I especially love the new rules.

[incapsulated]

8. Three Words:

Dennis Miller, canceled.

Wise up.

[mitchum]

9. Maher's a craven hack who will do ANYTHING to keep a show...

on the air