“New Rules. Polite Musings from a Timid Observer”

Bill Maher first came to national attention as the host of the hit Comedy Central and ABC-TV program Politically Incorrect, where he offered a combustible mixture of irreverence and acerbic humor that helped him to garner a loyal following, as well as a reputation for being a hilarious provocateur.

Now, his popular new HBO television show, Real Time with Bill Maher, has put him more front and centre than ever. In particular, one of the show’s segments entitled “New Rules” has struck a chord with viewers. It’s within his rules that Maher takes serious aim, bringing all his incisiveness, wit, and his signature exasperation to bear on topics ranging from cell phones (“I don’t need my cell phone to take pictures or access the Internet. I just need to make a phone call. From everywhere! Not just the places it likes!”) to fast food (“New Rule: No more McDonald’s in hospitals. I’m not kidding!”) to the conservative agenda (“Stop claiming it’s an agenda. It’s not an agenda. It’s a random collection of laws that your corporate donors paid you to pass.”), Maher brings these brilliantly conceived riffs to audio for the first time, along with some singularly Maher-ian “editorials”, editorials nothing like the standard fare found on the pages of the local newspaper!