Last night, Bill Maher had a controversial New Rule that won't go over well with some people here, talking about the return of political correctness, and the drawback of attacking those who don't see things your way.
And finally, New Rule: Don't make me go back to my old title.
Anybody here remember the '90s? The '90s, people? OK, it was a crazy time, and I had a show called "Politically Incorrect". Because (audience cheering) — thank you — because back then, political correctness had gotten so out of hand. I mean, blacks became African-Americans. Mexicans became Latinos. And Indians became casino owners. (audience laughter) Broken homes became dysfunctional families. Bums became the homeless. Crazy people became Fox News reporters. (audience laughter and applause)
Oh, and it was a tough time for comics. One young comedian even got into big trouble for saying the word "chink".
SARAH SILVERMAN: That was me! There was a context, needless to say.
Now I bring all this up in 2014 because unfortunately, political correctness is making a comeback, and now with the Internet, it's easier than ever. In the '90s, you had to at least get off your ass to be in a fake group with hurt feelings. (audience laughter) You need signs, you needed petitions. You had to feed Al Sharpton. (audience laughter) Back then, getting worked up over nothing was a lot of work.
But now it seems like all the Internet exists to do is point at the latest person who said the wrong thing, so the rest of us can feel morally superior. And that's not what the Internet is for. That's what college is for. (audience laughter) Now social media is all about gotcha. A homophobic businessman, or a sexist cartoonist, or a college president who fat-shamed his dog by naming it Waddles. (audience laughter)
Last week, when the first gay football player got chosen in the NFL Draft, a player named Don Jones tweeted, "OMG horrible". As is his right under the Asshole Clause of the Constitution. But the Dolphins fined him and threw him off the team until he underwent sensitivity training, which is where they calmly sit you down and then pin your eyes open like in A Clockwork Orange, and make you watch the Bravo network for 24 hours straight. (audience laughter) I mean, 24 hours gay. (audience laughter)
I mean, when you hear the Duck Dynasty guy going off on homosexuality like he did again this week, why even listen? What did you think he was going to say? "The Tonys are nothing without Neil Patrick Harris!" (audience laughter and applause)
Folks, we had a televised, celebrated interracial gay kiss during the NFL Draft! The culture war is over, and we won! (wild audience cheering and applause)
I predict in five years, the NFL will be completely gay! (audience laughter) Which is why it was so unnecessary for so many to type what a jerk Don Jones was. Take that, Freedom Riders and abolitionists, I'm the real hero! I'm hitting "Send"! Oh, give this kid a minute to get enlightened. He's 24. Think how stupid you were when you were 24. OK, now add football. (audience laughter)
A few weeks ago, the CEO of Mozilla was forced to resign because it was revealed that in 2008, he supported Prop. 8, California's ban on gay marriage. A bad law, yes, but 52% of Californians voted for it. Do they all have to resign? Obama was against gay marriage in 2008! Does he have to resign? Hillary came around just last year. Can she be President?
You can't purge everybody who doesn't evolve exactly on the timetable you did. It reminds me of the immigrant who's been in America all of a year, and looks at someone who came over last week, like, "Boat people, am I right?" (audience laughter and applause)
Or take the case of the Benham brothers.
They had a home rehab show scheduled on HGTV, but it got canned after websites dug up quotes of them saying, get this, that gays are possessed by demons. Yes, these two nitwits actually told Glenn Beck that Satan uses gay people to promote a demonic agenda to silence the message of Jesus. I disagree with that. (audience laughter)
I do. That opinion is different than mine. On virtually every assertion in that sentence. But if you're a Christian, you may condemn their homophobia, but they got it out of the same dumb book which you also revere. So there's a little bit of a mixed message going on. So maybe it would've worked better to not hound them from their home improvement show, and then just let them try to find an interior decorator who will work with them! (audience laughter and applause)