Bill Maher doubles down on Stan Lee comments: Reaction 'proves my point'

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Bill Maher clarified — yet also doubled down — on his controversial comments about the late Marvel legend Stan Lee.

The HBO Real Time host told Larry King in an interview posted Wednesday that he didn’t intend any offense to Lee’s memory, but that comic book fandom culture’s explosive reaction to his diss “proves my point.”

“Talk about making my point for me,” Maher said. “Yeah, I don’t know very much about Stan Lee and it certainly wasn’t a swipe at Stan Lee…I am agnostic on Stan Lee. I don’t read comic books. I didn’t even read them when I was a child. What I was saying is: A culture that thinks that comic books and comic book movies are profound meditations on the human condition is a dumb f—ing culture. And for people to, like, get mad at that just proves my point.”

The talk show host claimed he didn’t even realize people were mad because he doesn’t “follow social media like that, every stupid thing people lose their s— about.”

Originally, Maher wrote on his Real Time blog, “The guy who created Spider-Man and the Hulk has died, and America is in mourning. Deep, deep mourning for a man who inspired millions to, I don’t know, watch a movie, I guess,” he wrote in the post, which he titled “Adulting. “Someone on Reddit posted, ‘I’m so incredibly grateful I lived in a world that included Stan Lee.’ Personally, I’m grateful I lived in a world that included oxygen and trees, but to each his own.

“Now, I have nothing against comic books — I read them now and then when I was a kid and I was all out of Hardy Boys,” he explained. “But the assumption everyone had back then, both the adults and the kids, was that comics were for kids, and when you grew up you moved on to big-boy books without the pictures.”

Maher went on to write how, in the past 20 years, “adults decided they didn’t have to give up kid stuff” and “pretended comic books were actually sophisticated literature,” while “some dumb people got to be professors by writing theses with titles like Otherness and Heterodoxy in the Silver Surfer.

“And now,” he continued, “when adults are forced to do grown-up things like buy auto insurance, they call it ‘adulting’ and act like it’s some giant struggle.”

Maher concluded his blog post by claiming our culture hasn’t “necessarily gotten stupider,” we’re just “using our smarts on stupid stuff.” He added, “I don’t think it’s a huge stretch to suggest that Donald Trump could only get elected in a country that thinks comic books are important.”

Lee’s team previously slammed the comments in an open letter as “frankly disgusting” and replied, “countless people can attest to how Stan inspired them to read, taught them that the world is not made up of absolutes, that heroes can have flaws and even villains can show humanity within their souls … Our shock at your comments makes us want to say ‘ ’Nuff said, Bill,’ but instead we will rely on another of Stan’s lessons to remind you that you have a powerful platform, so please remember: ‘With great power there must also come — great responsibility!'”


Source: https://ew.com/movies/2018/11/21/bill-maher-stan-lee-comments-reaction/

Bill Maher a funny thing, and I agreed with points on his show when it comes to the political climate. While he was always vocal against comic books films, this was an unnecessary jab to Stan Lee. Furthermore, the idea that comic books is simply kids stuff further adds to the notation that adults cannot enjoy things.

Here's a good quote:


“Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” - CS Lewis
 
His comments about comic books being "childish" and "adults deciding to go back to childish things" demonstrates a greatly outdated understanding of entertainment in the modern day. I'll try to keep it brief, but in short: "Superman: All Star" was considered for being taught in schools, at least according to my English teacher back in high school, the webshow "Comictropes" made an argument that the Spider-Man 6 parter "Kraven's Last Hunt" is deserving of being recognized for literary merit (it was an old 6 parter), Batman: The Animated Series won several tv show awards for being based off a comic and was recognized as a great story telling show. As for adults going back to childish things, yes it's a thing, but frankly I enjoy living in a world where there's more "We Are Number One" remixes than there are days on the calendar.

His statements are interesting in how they're completely insulting. He's far too ignorant of the how comics work and the profound effect Stan Lee had in terms of the medium which includes an increase in diversity and literacy to intentionally insult Stan Lee. Which is rather unusual, all considered.

I believe he's suffering from having his foot stuck in the door. By acting as an adult and living as one, when it was socially unacceptable to break down in tears over stress or such, he refuses to accept the idea that others find adult life something incredibly difficult, which a notion becoming more and more popular. A joke review for a non-existent video game had this at the ending. "The gameplay was consisted mostly of holding down a job and trying not to cry" in reference to real life.
 
Grey Star said:
His comments about comic books being "childish" and "adults deciding to go back to childish things" demonstrates a greatly outdated understanding of entertainment in the modern day. I'll try to keep it brief, but in short: "Superman: All Star" was considered for being taught in schools, at least according to my English teacher back in high school, the webshow "Comictropes" made an argument that the Spider-Man 6 parter "Kraven's Last Hunt" is deserving of being recognized for literary merit (it was an old 6 parter), Batman: The Animated Series won several tv show awards for being based off a comic and was recognized as a great story telling show. As for adults going back to childish things, yes it's a thing, but frankly I enjoy living in a world where there's more "We Are Number One" remixes than there are days on the calendar.

His statements are interesting in how they're completely insulting. He's far too ignorant of the how comics work and the profound effect Stan Lee had in terms of the medium which includes an increase in diversity and literacy to intentionally insult Stan Lee. Which is rather unusual, all considered.

I believe he's suffering from having his foot stuck in the door. By acting as an adult and living as one, when it was socially unacceptable to break down in tears over stress or such, he refuses to accept the idea that others find adult life something incredibly difficult, which a notion becoming more and more popular. A joke review for a non-existent video game had this at the ending. "The gameplay was consisted mostly of holding down a job and trying not to cry" in reference to real life.


In my opinion, I think the poor man is just simply triggered by a phenomenon that essentially is not to blame for the problems he personally seems to have with society. It's like the parents who claim violent video games cause violence directly: he seems to feel a similar vein to how comic books are affecting people by assuming that it's "wasting smarts on a dumb thing". Not going to really get into the hypocrisy of it, considering what he's endorsed in the past such as other venues of artistic expression and story telling that basically hold similar impacts as comics.

I do rather enjoy how he tries to clarify that he is "agnostic" on Stan Lee (as if it matters) and how he's detached from caring about it all, when he went out of his way to attack the fans mourning his passing with those highly ignorant and clearly antagonizing comments. I mean, yes, you didn't trash on the man himself, but you went out of your way to attack fans trying to honor his memory. Like a Westboro Church protestor protesting a military funeral, but saying they have no problems with the actual person who died.

Sure, it may be accurate to say you did nothing wrong to the individual directly*, but no one gives a damn about that because Maher is still shitting on people for honoring Stan Lee's memory. If he doesn't see how that is offensive to Stan Lee or just basically anyone with mature manners, then he's just as stupid as the people he claims are causing problems.

Way to go, Bill, you just proved you got more in common with Trump than you realize ;)
 
He is very much insulting Stan Lee, but he's either too stupid or too ignorant to even begin to comprehend his mistake. Based on my lack of evidence, as I didn't know this guy existed until Shine posted this thread, I am forced to conclude too ignorant.
 
I find his sentiments on comic books and similar media being insignificant ignorant at best (and stupidly bizarro at worst). It's kind of funny considering children don't read comics as widely as they used to, it's become more of an adult's consumption. The few times I'm in a section that has comics, I find adults at the shelves more than kids.

Bill was also a literal who to me until I saw him on Twitter's news tab. He can have his opinion (as subjectively ignorant it is), but it wasn't an accident. The fact he doubled down makes it more obvious how much he doesn't give a shit who he pisses off regardless of what you have to say on the matter. Kind of like the contrarians at school who patted themselves on the back for not liking things everyone else did... 

There is actually academic research going on regarding why we as a society continue to enjoy fiction like movies and comic books well past adolescence. If it was just a meaningless fad, why are scholars interested in this aspect of our society? Comic books would have died out long ago if this were the case. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to close all my online accounts down and read up on the stock market while working until I'm 65 or die from doing a shitty 9-5 job 7 days a week, investing in a 401k as capitalists leech off of my labor and remind me how replaceable I am since that's what real adults do.
 
Grey Star said:
His comments about comic books being "childish" and "adults deciding to go back to childish things" demonstrates a greatly outdated understanding of entertainment in the modern day. I'll try to keep it brief, but in short: "Superman: All Star" was considered for being taught in schools, at least according to my English teacher back in high school, the webshow "Comictropes" made an argument that the Spider-Man 6 parter "Kraven's Last Hunt" is deserving of being recognized for literary merit (it was an old 6 parter), Batman: The Animated Series won several tv show awards for being based off a comic and was recognized as a great story telling show. As for adults going back to childish things, yes it's a thing, but frankly I enjoy living in a world where there's more "We Are Number One" remixes than there are days on the calendar.

His statements are interesting in how they're completely insulting. He's far too ignorant of the how comics work and the profound effect Stan Lee had in terms of the medium which includes an increase in diversity and literacy to intentionally insult Stan Lee. Which is rather unusual, all considered.

I believe he's suffering from having his foot stuck in the door. By acting as an adult and living as one, when it was socially unacceptable to break down in tears over stress or such, he refuses to accept the idea that others find adult life something incredibly difficult, which a notion becoming more and more popular. A joke review for a non-existent video game had this at the ending. "The gameplay was consisted mostly of holding down a job and trying not to cry" in reference to real life.

I mean here, there was a whole aspect of Superman defeating the KKK I mean here, there was a whole aspect of Superman defeating the KKK was a critical point of Superman's history; to claim "people are wasting smarts on comics" is a laughably ignorant stance to take on. I mean, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Dragon Ball and plentiful of comics across the world. You are ignoring the aspects of why comics, just like any medium, have a positive impact on society (A Silent Voicespread awareness of bullying and deafness)—and can influence people on the personal level. It is odd considering that he praises up and down about other medium of similar artistic avenues…

Bill’s a smart guy, but this is a clear case of “foot in mouth” (more like ass in mouth); he didn’t know what he was talking about and when people shat him for it, he continues to double down on his position by saying “see? This proves my point”.

If he wanted to say that comics is for kids and adults shouldn’t like them, that is a total fine position (even if it’s completely ridiculous); but he did it right after Stan Lee because he knew people would reasonably get piss about this kind of thing because at the end of the day, Lee literally had nothing to do with his point, at all.
 
ShineCero said:
If he wanted to say that comics is for kids and adults shouldn’t like them, that is a total fine position (even if it’s completely ridiculous); but he did it right after Stan Lee because he knew people would reasonably get piss about this kind of thing because at the end of the day, Lee literally had nothing to do with his point, at all.

Well, I don't think people really do find his beliefs to be annoying. It's really about the fact that he intentionally shit on people for mourning Stan Lee, then tried to spin it in a manner where, "I'm trying to make a logical point here, not demean a guy and be disrespectful to him."

If he came out and just said, "Comics are meant for kids, not adults" as a talking point, that's different. But the guy went in on people mourning Stan Lee and mocked the comments on him: there was no intention of making a point or actually producing something of intelligence. It was just him being a trigger happy idiot with his desire to spout whatever nonsense that came to mind as a means to vent his own personal anger at the displays.

Literally the same exact idiocy as Trump: legit be a disrespectful prick and actually start attacking people, then deflect as if your stretch of a rationale has anything to do with justifying your disrespectful behavior. People don't give a shit about Maher thinking that comics are meant for kids: they're mad cause he went in and attacked them while paying respect to Stan Lee, plain and simple.

It's funny, after all the bashing he does of Trump, he's using the same exact tactics and antics as him here.

SAD

xd
 
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