Bill Maher called himself a “House Nigger”

Posted on June 3, 2017 by SouthernGirl2

Bill Maher just messed up.

On his HBO program Real Time Friday night, which tapes live, the comedian dropped the N-word during a sit-down interview with Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska), who has received praise for his #NeverTrump stance.

After some polite back and forth between Maher and the Republican senator, who both seemed to agree on the subject of the latter’s recent book—about how “spoiled and entitled” millennial kids are, obviously—the following exchange happened.

“Halloween used to be a kid thing,” Maher remarked.

“It’s not anymore?” said Sen. Sasse.

“Not out here,” explained Maher. “No, adults dress up for Halloween. They don’t do that in Nebraska?”

“It’s frowned upon. Yeah, we don’t do that quite as much,” he replied.

“I’ve gotta get to Nebraska more,” offered Maher.

“You’re welcome. We’d love to have you work in the fields with us,” joked Sen. Sasse.

Then it happened: “Work in the fields? Senator, I’m a house nigga.”

Maher’s terrible, off-color—and frankly, more than a little racist—joke received a mixture of groans and laughter from the audience. Sen. Sasse was pretty firmly in the laugh camp, red-faced and grinning (albeit nervously) from ear-to-ear. Why the senator chose to play along instead of correcting Maher or saying anything is anyone’s guess.
To the groaners in the crowd, Maher asserted, “It’s a joke.”

But that excuse isn’t nearly good enough. Twitter, understandably, came after the comedian for using the N-word—a term of racial subjugation and oppression that is never OK for white people to use, in any context.

About SouthernGirl2

A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
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40 Responses to Bill Maher called himself a “House Nigger”

  1. Ametia says:
    June 4, 2017 at 7:01 pm

    WE GOT YOUR HOUSE, NIGGA, BILL MAHER!

    Reply
    • majiir says:
      June 3, 2017 at 3:12 pm

      I’m not surprised that Maher used the word n!99er on national TV. In my more than 60 years living in the south, I’ve pretty much seen and heard it all when it comes to white people saying ugly, derogatory sh*t about Black Americans. The reason he felt so comfortable using the word is because, although he’ll never admit it, it’s what he thinks when he sees one of us. He can keep his excuse as far as I’m concerned because I know that when the rubber meets the road, a majority of Americans will most likely side with him against us because they see nothing wrong with calling us, or thinking of us, as n!99ers.

      Reply
    • Ametia says:
      June 4, 2017 at 7:57 am

      FUCK YOU, MAHER

      Reply
    • Ametia says:
      June 4, 2017 at 8:49 am

      CENTURIES of SLAVERY, RACISM, BIGOTRY, COP KILLING, JIM CROW, LYNCHINGS, AND WHITE SUPREMACY IS TIRING BILL MAHER

      SLEEP ON THAT, MOFO

      Please Tweet, SG2

      Reply
    • majiir says:
      June 3, 2017 at 3:15 pm

      He can keep his excuse, too. The time to condemn a racist comment is when it happens in your presence, NOT after one has allegedly “reflected” on one’s cowardice.

      Reply
  13. nedhamson says:
    June 3, 2017 at 8:52 am

    He has always been about profit for him – thinks he’s cool for disrespecting everyone as a joke… gives all racists room for slack – just joking – like Hitler, Stalin killing millions and then laughing!

    Reply
  14. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    June 3, 2017 at 7:06 am

    Horrible and upsetting!

    So his excuse is that it was a “joke?” In my mind, he dug himself in deeper with that one because I take that as his saying that he has the privilege of playing lightly with the suffering of others and somehow feels “entitled” to use the degrading “n word” as easily as the slave-holding plantation owners did. If this attitude accompanies him as he learns about Black history, then, I think, the lessons of the history have not moved his heart to push for societal changes and feel the requirement to repair the damage of the horrors of slavery and Jim Crow.

    For him to say what he did at a time when so many people are trying to turn the clock back on the Black community is horribly inexcusable. I ache as I hear and watch all that is happening today. Black lives need to start mattering today as much as our society values/has historically valued White lives.

    Reply
  15. sittinducks says:
    June 3, 2017 at 6:46 am

    Black people should get this upset about things such as the torture and murder of a completely naked Natasha McKenna in a Fairfax County jail.

    Reply
    • yahtzeebutterfly says:
      June 3, 2017 at 7:29 am

      Good morning Sittingducks,

      Actually, there was a huge response and protest against the killing of Natasha Mckenna.

      Take a look at the 3ChicPolitical page at this link:
      https://3chicspolitico.com/2015/09/11/the-brutal-treatment-and-heartless-murder-of-natashamckenna/#comments

      On that page you will be able to take a look at the video of the Fairfax County Ad Hoc Commission public comment session on September 14, 2015. where many people attending spoke out against the horrible in-custody death of Natasha McKenna.

      Here is my transcript of Erica Totten’s speech (Timestamp 55:48 to 1:00:50).
      -Erica Totten’s speech at the September 14, 2015 public meeting of the Fairfax County Ad Hoc Commission to Review Police Practices:

      So what I am bringing to you and to the attention of everybody: If you all have not read the Casual Killing Act of 1705 from Virginia, you need to read this because this is what we are experiencing today. And, it’s not just in Virginia, it is everywhere. And it reads:

      “And if any Slave resists, his master or owner or other person by his or her order, correcting such slave, and shall happen to be killed in such correction, it shall not be to be accounted felony, but the master, owner, and every such other person so giving correction shall be free and acquit of all punishment and accusation for the same as if such incident had never happened.”

      This is what we’re dealing with today. This Casual Killing Act of 1705 from this state is specifically showing up in this case for Natasha McKenna.

      Her death wasn’t ruled a murder. It was ruled an accident as “if it never happen.” That is a problem for me as a Black woman in this country because Natasha McKenna is me. She is all of us. And, to say that her death is an “accident” and is an “Oops” that you just learn from, I have a problem with that.

      And when I have a problem with something, especially when we are talking about systems of oppression, I dismantle that shit. And we all dismantle that

      So reports and tears are not enough. They have never been enough. Ray Morrough said he teared up when he watch this video, and yet did not file charges. That’s a problem for me. White tears are not enough. They don’t save us. They don’t.

      And, I want to ask everyone on this panel if you could raise you hand if you watched the video, what happened to Natasha McKenna. (majority raise their hands.)

      So this is the thing: If watching that, you have to look at that and know there’s no justice here. What they did to her is torture: They had a bag over her head; they tasered her 4 times. This woman was having a psychotic episode. She didn’t know what was happening to her. She had men in white suits groping at her naked body, and she wanted to leave. And, they kept saying, “We’re your friend.” Look at how sadistic that sounds! That is a problem.

      So when her mother saw her in a hospital bed with her eyes swollen shut and bruises all over her body, a missing finger, IT’s A PROBLEM!

      You have to be able to see that this is not enough. It’s not enough. It is not enough. So do something.

      The problem with these reports is that there is no justice.

      These reports are given the opportunities to aggressors, to the aggressors to share their version of events, often fabricating stories, blaming the victims for their deaths every time a display of the insidiousness of White Supremacy and systemic racism within the Sheriff’s Department and police departments across this country.

      In this reports these deputies referred to Natasha McKenna as an animal, and I quote “She growled.” “She looked demonically possessed.” And, “She showed super human strength.”
      So, it is condescending to imply that we don’t read. That is part of systemic oppression. That’s the idea that people have about Black people! We read these reports, so don’t try it! It’s condescending.

      (Moderator tries to tell her time is up. Audience, though wants her to continue.)

      What I have yet to hear is consequences for police that kill people. Attorney Morrough said that he teared up when he watched the video, and yet he failed to bring charges for murder. And, instead ruled it an accident and put out a 52 page report on why it was Natasha’s fault that they killed her. Or, in the minds of many who don’t see Black people as human why they had to put her down.

      She was shackled, a bag placed over her head. She was tasered 4 times at 50,000 volts. She was frightened, she was scared, and they had terrorized her for days. They terrorized her for days and THAT IS A PROBLEM.

      Besides people attending that public meeting, there were activists in the streets:
      https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COiyucYUAAUELmU.jpg

      Reply
  22. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 3, 2017 at 2:57 am

    Bill Maher comfortably used the words “house nigger” and the audience clapped and laughed it up. This sob. How dare him! Just because may he crawl his ugly ass on black women doesn’t give him a right to utter a racial slur. I’m damn tired of mofos slurring black people and then saying it was a joke. Fuck Bill Maher with a rusty pitchfork. Black people or anyone else excusing this behavior make others feel it’s ok. Just stop that damn ISH.

    Reply

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