Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) - 7/31/20

[Rhiannon12866]

Last edited Sun Aug 2, 2020, 01:21 AM - Edit history (1)

Monologue:

Link to tweet

Kerry Washington on the ACLU

Emmy-nominated actor and producer Kerry Washington joins Bill to discuss her work on the ACLU documentary, "The Fight."




Thomas Chatterton Williams and Bari Weiss

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Jim Carrey on Memoirs and Misinformation

Actor, comedian and NYT bestselling author Jim Carrey joins Bill to discuss his new novel, "Memoirs and Misinformation."




New Rule: The Quarantine 15

Bill implores Americans do to their part in the fight against COVID-19 by confronting the country's obesity epidemic.

[Warpy]

1. It's really easy to say "lose weight,: but not easy to do it.

I taught diet changes for years to heart patients, but always knew they'd be tripped up by family, friends, and their culture. Eating and sharing food is a large part of who we are, and we're not always in control of the menu.

People who were already looking at a shortened lifespan largely due to diet and lifestyle things like smoking knew they needed to change and they knew why they needed to change, they just couldn't manage doing it and we'd start to see them as revolving door patients, bouncing back and forth between home and hospital, a little sicker every time.

We really do need to do a better job of this sort of thing, probably starting in the schools with adult education in the evenings teaching basic cooking so that people can take control away from food processors and their high fat, heavily salted and sugared products and move them back toward the things people ate 100 years ago that didn't plaster their arteries with trans fats or overtax their kidneys with salt and preservatives.

I don't know what else the answer could be, but just telling people why they need to change isn't going to do it for them. They pretty much already know that. They just can't manage figuring out how to do it. Being guilted by guys like Maher just make them reach for another beer and that bag of chips so they can feel better for a few minutes.

(I couldn't lose an ounce the whole 24 years I was on Prednisone. I've lost over 50 pounds since I went off it. Fat is not always our fault)

[SleeplessinSoCal]

4. 100% concur.

I don't think he is interested in changing himself though.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. I think he was mainly talking about healthier diets

We previously had Michelle Obama leading the country in promoting healthier diets and now we have a fast food junkie who even offers cold fast food to championship sports teams when he has access to the best the country has to offer, the White House kitchens and chefs. I take Bill's point that we can do better, but we need national leadership like we had from Michelle Obama, especially now that so many lives depend on it during this pandemic. But Trump has failed in national leadership on all levels, especially in protecting and preserving the health of Americans.

[Warpy]

12. That's also easy to say and hard to do

when people are rushed off their feet all day at work and were never really taught their way around a kitchen.

You're right that national leadership is vital and I don't mean by the First Lady. Michelle Obama did her best, but she didn't have clout and funding to do the job that needs to be done.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

2. Bill ought not judge, rather encourage. Pride is in his way.

Bill doesn't realize how much his own disciplined way of eating is not easy in a commercially promoted, fast food culture like ours.

But as I'm a proud gardener, allow me to share pics of our bounty.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. Wow, what a beautiful garden!

It's tough in many places to find fresh and healthy food - and especially during this pandemic. We regularly have seasonal farm stands in my neck-of-the woods, but I haven't noticed any at all this year - until the last time I went out and plan to visit it the next time I venture out...

[TexasBushwhacker]

13. Bill is disciplined about eating, but not about weed

If he suddenly had a health problem that was associated with his cannabis use, I bet he'd have a hell of a time giving it up.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

14. maybe the weed helps him stay disciplined?

Although I always thought weed went together with the munchies..

His judgementalism is not contained to food. He think we should think as he does. I too dislike the cancel culture. Cancelling "Cops" was long overdo as it was basically misinforming the viewer by their own censorship.

He needs a co-host with less narrowmindedness.

[TexasBushwhacker]

15. I think a cohost is a great idea

But I don't see him giving up any power. The only person I could see him accepting is Arriana Huffington.

He's definitely a "My way or the highway" kind of guy, and I find that unappealing for a host, even if I agree with him sometimes.

I can only imagine what he's like in a relationship. He gets older and his girlfriends get progressively younger. My guess is that as soon as they have some expectations of him, he bolts. How pathetic. I guess he'll always have companionship, because he's rich, but he won't have love.

[betsuni]

7. One of the problems with obesity is people who don't know what healthy eating is.

They think fast food, junk food is normal, it's food, that's what they've always eaten.

I saw a documentary a few years ago about childhood obesity. The parents were overweight but not obese, the children were. A chef came to their house and taught them how to cook. Everyone lost weight and felt much better. At the end of the film it was depressing to find out that almost all the children had gone back to their old habits and obesity. It's an addiction.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. I agree, fast food has become normalized in this country.

And, unlike Michelle Obama and her wonderful White House garden, we now have leadership that promotes it. And now when cooking at home - while we are mandated to stay home - fast food drive thrus have become even more popular than ever. On my weekly runs to the store, I see the lines at McDonald's, Wendy's and Taco Bell, the lines are longer than usual, reach right out to the road. Cooking has become something that your grandmother did and people have gotten used to and prefer fast food.

[nuxvomica]

10. There is a type of fast food that can be healthy: Chinese

I've found many of the selections at Chinese takeouts to be superior in nutrition to the burgers and fries we usually think of. I myself always order the Hunan chicken -- a highly addictive dish -- which has lean chicken, broccoli, peppers, water chestnuts, baby corn, etc. It is usually cooked in peanut oil, which is better than the ubiquitous, highly refined canola, cottonseed, soy and sunflower varieties. MSG? Most places have either stopped using it or offer MSG-free as an option. Even the rice and noodles are not so bad when the dish is largely made with a preponderance of fresh vegetables. Sadly, many Chinese restaurants saw falling sales early on in the pandemic, before the lockdowns, because people feared getting the "Chinese virus." And what do the burger joints offer for healthy, plant-based food? Those incredibly overprocessed fake burgers or salads topped with dressings made with the highly refined oils I mentioned.

[NCDem47]

9. I was a big Bill fan and blew off some of his wilder musings.

But I'm done for awhile.

The show SUCKS without an audience. I mean, boooooooooring without in-studio panel and audience interaction.

Also, his righteousness just reeks now. He can spew, but I'll turn it off.

[Paladin]

11. See Marlow Stern's savage takedown of this show, thedailybeast.com.

This weight-loss bullshit isn't even mentioned.

[smirkymonkey]

16. He can get really self-righteous about the food thing.

I am all for a healthy diet and I agree that many Americans eat very unhealthfully, but his shaming rant is not going to convert anybody. He is just so condescending.

The interesting thing is that I saw a show with him a while ago with his mother and sister and his sister is obese. I wonder how she feels about his rants against obesity and if he has ever tried to help her or if he just shames her as well. I just don't like his approach. He's so judgmental.

[Rhiannon12866]

17. Well, this has been one of his issues for a pretty long time and I see his point during the pandemic

Since chances of survival if someone contracts the virus are much better if they're in good health, it makes sense that health issues should be a national priority, but we're not getting any leadership from this on a national level the way we did when Michelle Obama planted her garden.

And we already know what "gourmet" food is at the White House these days, despite access to a kitchen that can prepare some of the best food in the world to serve international guests, when champion athletes came to the White House, Trump offered them cold McDonald's.

Since only take-out drive thru places have been open until recently, I can't help noticing the long lines at the places I see - McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC and Taco Bell seem to be doing a booming business. And there are lots of cars at the pizza places, too. The last time I tried to pick up pizza at my favorite place when I was out, I was told that the wait would be an hour and a half for either pick up or delivery.

So I do see Bill's point, though not everyone has the resources he does. Feeding the nation now during these food-insecure times should be a national priority.

[Rhiannon12866]

18. Added part of the panel discussion which was not available on YouTube this week

It's not the entire segment, but conveys the gist of the discussion and was the one guest segment not available previously.