Fact Check: Bill Maher Demands Whoopi Goldberg Leave His Show for 'Anti-Israel Rant'?
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Claim:
Bill Maher told Whoopi Goldberg to leave his show after she "broke out into an anti-Israel rant."
Rating:
Rumors surrounding Bill Maher and Whoopi Goldberg, two public voices whose opinions are often diametrically opposed, have resulted in internet users believing that Goldberg was not only a guest on Maher's show, "Real Time with Bill Maher," but that she was asked to leave after she gave an 'anti-Israel' rant.
In November 2023, the Dunning-Kruger Times published an article positing that Bill Maher had tossed Whoopi Goldberg off his show within five minutes. The site claims Maher said that said show will "never see the light of day" because "it’s too disgusting," and "my fans don’t need to see that."
The claim made its way to X (formerly Twitter), with one post gaining more than a million views, 2,900 retweets, and 10,000 likes, at the time of this writing.
(Image via Twitter account @dotsthoughts)
The article began:
Bill Maher Tosses Whoopi Goldberg Off Of His Show: “You Need Professional Help”
Whoopi Goldberg made her first appearance on Bill Maher’s show in more than 15 years, and it did NOT go well. According to producers, Goldberg broke out into an anti-Israel rant that infuriated the host and got her tossed in under five minutes flat.
“You need professional help,” said Maher, “You’re unhinged and shouldn’t have a public presence. You’re dangerous and I’d like you to leave my show.”
This never happened. Goldberg has not been on Maher's show since 2005. Toward the end of the article, the author, "Flagg Eagleton," writes:
Anyway, since the story likely never happened, that leaves an entire paragraph and a half to talk about nothing. The Eagletons are getting a new puppy. We’re thinking of naming her Melania.
Thanks for standing up for what’s right, fictional Bill Maher. God Bless America.
The Dunning-Kruger Times also describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:
Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie and it is not fake news because it is not real. If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined. Any similarities between this site’s pure fantasy and actual people, places, and events are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and satirical. See above if you’re still having an issue with that satire thing.
Maher has spoken publicly about Goldberg, whose politics and opinions shared on "The View" often clash with Maher's. On Feb. 4, 2022, Maher said on his show: "Whoopi attacks me on a regular basis, she says stupid sh*t on a regular basis, it just happened to coincide."
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.
Sources:
‘About Us’. Dunning-Kruger-Times.Com, https://dunning-kruger-times.com/about-us/. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
‘Bill Maher - Official Site’. Bill Maher - Official Site, https://www.billmaher.com/. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
Bill Maher Responds to Whoopi Goldberg | Real Time (HBO). www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnTJ7EbcMuQ. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
‘Bill Maher’. Wikipedia, 27 Nov. 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Maher&oldid=1187083450.
‘Episode #3.6’. Real Time with Bill Maher, 1 Apr. 2005.
‘Fact Check: Claim Whoopi Goldberg “Tossed” from Bill Maher’s Show Stems from Satire’. Reuters, 28 Nov. 2023. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/claim-whoopi-goldberg-tossed-bill-mahers-show-stems-satire-2023-11-28/.
‘Https://Twitter.Com/DorothyStangle/Status/1728771266587566126’. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/DorothyStangle/status/1728771266587566126. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
Patriot, Flagg Eagleton-. ‘Bill Maher Tosses Whoopi Goldberg Off Of His Show: “You Need Professional Help”’. Dunning-Kruger-Times.Com, 15 Nov. 2023, https://dunning-kruger-times.com/bill-maher-tosses-whoopi-goldberg-off-of-his-show-you-need-professional-help/.
