made my toes curl....

Maher was/is a faux intellectual who used the method of cutting other people down to make himself seem taller. He blathered on about the decline of America/Americans (culture, attention spans, literacy) while his show was little more than easy soundbites strung together. I may agree with his premise, but the show was "moderated" by a prime example of the problem.

Four disparate guests are given a topic from left field (apparently), each given about 5 seconds to make a comment, then Maher would rattle on for a minute, give them each another few seconds, and then on to the commercial and the next topic. Two minutes "debating" such topics as the decline of reading and its affect on the culture.

Sure.

Reaaallll deep.

Probably appealed to the same crowd that thought Dennis Miller on MNF was a great idea and ran to their encyclopedia when he busted out Thomas a Becket references.

Intellectuals don't have to wear their "brilliance" on their sleeve like Maher did/does (and, no, I don't necessarily consider myself an intellectual, fairly well read, and I have crossed the magical bridge that the more I "know", the less I trust what I think I know to be right).

And many of the guests were just as excruciating, brimming with affectations and mannerisms with little content to the noise they were making.

I'd like to take Franken, Miller, and Maher and put them all in a paper bag with a couple of rocks and toss them in the lake.....

ick......





Some people are afraid of the unknown. I don't know why, and it scares me.