Bill Maher's Controversial Take on the Strike Sparks Major Internet Reaction

Tatiana Tenreyro
·5 min read
66

Bill Maher enjoys pushing buttons with controversial remarks, but many believe he's gone too far with his latest comments about the WGA strike.

In a conversation with comedian Jim Gaffigan for his podcast Club Random, the Real Time host shared that he doesn't 100 percent stand with writers, who are demanding better working conditions amid the 2023 strike.

"They're asking for a lot of things that are, like, kooky," he told Gaffigan. "What I find objectionable about the philosophy of the strike, it seems to be, they have really morphed a long way from 2007's strike, where they kind of believe that you're owed a living as a writer, and you're not. This is show business. This is the make-or-miss league."

He acknowledged that his HBO show depends on a writing staff and attempted to clarify his stance, noting, "I feel for my writers. I love my writers. I'm one of my writers. But there's a big other side to it."

He added, "And a lot of people are being hurt besides them—a lot of people who don’t make as much money as them in this bipartisan world we have where you're just in one camp or the other, there's no in between. You're either for the strike like they're f--king Che Guevara out there, you know, like, this is Cesar Chavez's lettuce picking strike—or you're with [Donald] Trump. There’s no difference—there's only two camps. And it's much more complicated than that."

On social media, many Twitter users disagreed that the situation is as nuanced as Maher claims it is, pointing out that writers deserve to make a livable wage, just like everyone else.

Here are some of the biggest reactions:

The WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike began on May 2, 2023 and is still going. The decision was made after ongoing disputes between the guild and  Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

Next: 'Arrowverse' Cast and Fans Slam Stephen Amell After He Declares He 'Does Not Support Striking'