Comedian Bill Maher on Friday slammed “social justice warriors” as a “cancer on progressivism” during a panel discussion segment on his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
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“I talk about it here a lot, that there is a, I would say, a cancer on progressivism with some of the, I guess they call themselves social justice warriors,” Maher said. “I don’t think they are interested in justice. I don’t think they are interested in truth. I think they are interested in cliques. I think they’re interested in things that make people clique. And when I read them, it makes me glad I didn’t have kids who would see this.”
The HBO host noted the “smattering of applause” that occurred after his comments.
Commentary editor Noah Rothman called it “a noble idea” that has become “antipathy towards notions like meritocracy.” (RELATED: Social Justice Warriors Are A Big Problem For Theology)
The panel then discussed “cultural appropriation.” Maher considered it a “made up” concept that doesn’t hurt anyone.
Former GOP chair Michael Steele said the key is “how you use it,” before seeming to bring up the case of Rachel Dolezal: “When a white woman goes around the country and says she’s black and her white parents say ‘no, she ain’t,’ and she keeps insisting that she’s black, that’s just bull and we don’t like that kind of cultural appropriation.”
Rothman told the story of women who were “hounded out of business” after using a recipe they obtained in Mexico for their restaurant.
“These people just want to bitch,” Maher said.