‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ host bringing his politically charged stand-up to Akron

By John Benson Correspondent@News-Herald.com

HBO

Bill Maher

Just as an accountant is swamped every winter and spring, political comedian Bill Mahers busy season is the lead-up to Election Day.

Add in a presidential race where the narrative seemingly shifts daily, and Maher is in a fertile time with material galore. For the last 20 years, the New Jersey native and outspoken comic has combined funny and politics first on Politically Incorrect and then for the last nine years on HBOs Real Time With Bill Maher.

When Maher isnt featuring Real Time guests such as John Edwards, Ben Affleck, Robin Williams, Arianna Huffington, Alec Baldwin and Michael Moore, hes busy making documentaries (Religulous) or writing bestsellers (his most recent The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody but Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass).

Maher also stays busy touring, performing more than 50 dates a year around the country. This includes his return to Northeast Ohio Nov. 11 at E.J. Thomas Hall. Prior to the election, the News-Herald talked to Maher about his political comedy, the recent election and the future of the country.

The News-Herald: As a working comedian for more than 30 years, has your act always been dominated by politics?

Bill Maher: I was always interested in politics. The problem is that when youre in your 20s, the audience doesnt look at you like someone who has the authority to be talking about that subject. And very often theyre right. You kind of have to grow into it as you get older. But I grew up in a news family. My father was a radio news guy, and it was always what interested me. I was never interested in doing dog-and-cat material and small-observations-of-life kind of stuff. Thats what most of the comics were trying to do because they all wanted to be Jerry Seinfeld. They thought that was the quickest way to get on TV. Thats not what interested me. So I always talked about religion and politics and the stuff that gets people pissed off same as today.

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‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ host bringing his politically charged stand-up to Akron