Even though the political chat show is in contract through 2026, Bill Maher has just half-jokingly rambled that he has done all the Trump stuff he could possibly do and can’t see four more years of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER with the incoming President as the hot topic.
The revelation came via a discussion with actress/activist Jane Fonda during his other program, the Club Random podcast. Early on in the exchange came this comment, –
“I may quit because I don’t want to do another. I did Trump. I did all the Trump stuff before anybody I called him a con man before anybody. I did. He’s a mafia boss. I was the one who said he wasn’t going to concede the election. I’ve done it.”
When Fonda suggested he find other topics to discuss Maher said –
“ the show is the politics. There’s no other thing, and he’s going to dominate the news like he always does.”
Thus, it seems Maher just doesn’t want to beat that drum again & again. Let’s analyze that just a bit here, because stringing his phrases, like I did above, is sort of out of context. How did he deliver those words, and in what tone? There are a few ways you can take this, as the bullet points address:
If he is taken as dead serious then he gets out of his contract with HBO. If he does it quickly, before Season 23 returns in January of next year, then he is done and abruptly so. I don’t think he will be that drastic about it though. He could at some point in early 2025, perhaps after Trump’s Inauguration, bow out, but not before explaining in his own snarky way to his loyal fan base and HBO.
If he is only creating a mild joke, one certainly born out of frustration and disappointment, over-discussing the new administration for four more years, then the joke didn’t land quite the way he intended I think. It happens to comedians all the time. In which, he will never mention it again and carry on in his Friday night slot. He will have the option not to re-up his contract in 2026.
Or, if he is cleverly generating a sound bite/headline to get everyone’s attention, while the HBO show is between seasons, then he hit the mark. Many outlets note his controversial rhetoric from time to time and this moment is just another one of his strategic plays. This one is to make his fan base and the media wonder if he will stay or go. Or, I’m giving him too much credit?
Let’s see if it is a continued grumble or not. What do you think? Yeah, what do you think? I have attached that Club Random session below. It is over an hour long but the quitting quips are in the first ten minutes, once you suffer through his sponsorship ads. Is he serious, joking, or just keeping himself & his HBO show relevant? Well, I think since he doesn’t say any of it whole-heartedly nor brings it back up again the entire session that he isn’t out to quit REAL TIME soon, but if he truly tires of talking about the guy who dances like he is jerking off two guys at once, then he could certainly serve notice.
