Bill Maher - Be More Cynical

Starring:Bill Maher
Director: Keith Truesdell
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
The wit and wisdom of Bill Maher are on display in this hour-long performance, recorded in San Francisco in 2000. Of course, just how witty and wise Maher appears will depend on one's socio-political stance. Outspoken if not outrageously controversial (this gig preceded his infamous remark on his Politically Incorrect show that the 9/11 hijackers were "not cowardly"), Maher espouses views on sex, the war on drugs, religion, and other popular (and, let's face it, easy) targets that are unlikely to endear him to, say, residents of most "red states." Still, there is one opinion that this self-proclaimed Libertarian and his conservative counterparts might well share--namely, that big government is decidedly not a beautiful thing. Indeed, Maher's point is that we need to "be more cynical" not for its own sake, but so that we might avoid being duped by the real cynics out there, like those in Congress who sue Big Tobacco even as they line their own pockets with campaign contributions from those same companies. Elsewhere, although Maher doesn't specialize in one-liners, he does have some good lines: Princess Diana was "a lovely housewife who did some charity work"; when it comes to being faithful in a relationship, "men are only as loyal as their options"; those who claim to comprehend God's will really only "understand God as your dog understands you." The main problem with some of this material is that it's dated; taking shots at George W. Bush before he was elected for the first time isn't exactly fresh years after the fact. --Sam Graham
Description
Bill Maher, creator of the immensely popular late-night talk show Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher and host of the HBO hit series Real Time with Bill Maher, displays his celebrated, biting wit in the HBO Comedy Special, Bill Maher: Be More Cynical. Doing what he loves most, stand-up comedy, Maher rips through a horde of contemporary topics, from the evils of big government to the bewildering power women have over men, and delivers a landmark performance that re-affirms why he is one of today's brightest and most revered comedians.

Bill Maher - Be More Cynical
Average customer rating:

definitely not recommended for sheep

Old News (ie. 2000)

Excellent souvenir of a Bill Maher show!

Bill Maher - Be More Cynical
Starring: Bill Maher
Director: Keith Truesdell
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007G89GY
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Amazon.com

The wit and wisdom of Bill Maher are on display in this hour-long performance, recorded in San Francisco in 2000. Of course, just how witty and wise Maher appears will depend on one's socio-political stance. Outspoken if not outrageously controversial (this gig preceded his infamous remark on his Politically Incorrect show that the 9/11 hijackers were "not cowardly"), Maher espouses views on sex, the war on drugs, religion, and other popular (and, let's face it, easy) targets that are unlikely to endear him to, say, residents of most "red states." Still, there is one opinion that this self-proclaimed Libertarian and his conservative counterparts might well share--namely, that big government is decidedly not a beautiful thing. Indeed, Maher's point is that we need to "be more cynical" not for its own sake, but so that we might avoid being duped by the real cynics out there, like those in Congress who sue Big Tobacco even as they line their own pockets with campaign contributions from those same companies. Elsewhere, although Maher doesn't specialize in one-liners, he does have some good lines: Princess Diana was "a lovely housewife who did some charity work"; when it comes to being faithful in a relationship, "men are only as loyal as their options"; those who claim to comprehend God's will really only "understand God as your dog understands you." The main problem with some of this material is that it's dated; taking shots at George W. Bush before he was elected for the first time isn't exactly fresh years after the fact. --Sam Graham

Description

Bill Maher, creator of the immensely popular late-night talk show Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher and host of the HBO hit series Real Time with Bill Maher, displays his celebrated, biting wit in the HBO Comedy Special, Bill Maher: Be More Cynical. Doing what he loves most, stand-up comedy, Maher rips through a horde of contemporary topics, from the evils of big government to the bewildering power women have over men, and delivers a landmark performance that re-affirms why he is one of today's brightest and most revered comedians.

Customer Reviews:

definitely not recommended for sheep.......2006-01-13

this is one of the best stand-ups of all-time. how can anyone who isn't a sheep argue with this? yes this was made before bush jr. was put into office,but it's just as important today as it was than,definitely not dated.saying that would be like saying that lenny bruce is dated.and i mention the innovator because maher reminds me of him in that he has very large cojones to be able to say the things that he says,without resisting to government paid money,ala dennis miller.bill maher is one of those rare gems like bill hicks and george carlin who know what they are talking about,especially when it comes to the truths.ok maybe i don't agree with absolutley everything that maher says but i don't have to and still be able to appreciate the irony of it all.i recommend checking out everything that this and the other names mentioned out.not only do they dare you to think,god forbid,but they also make you laugh without really trying.can't recommend it enough.

Old News (ie. 2000).......2005-11-28

Note: though released in 2005, this performance is from 2000! The DVD package itself does NOT indicate this. I feel duped!

I'm a big Bill Maher fan. He's intellectually stimulating while simultaneously laugh-out-loud hilarious. However, the pre-2000-election Clinton, Gore and Bush jokes on this DVD are stale. I'm sure they were funny at the time.

I'd recommend Maher's "I'm Swiss" DVD, which is eons more current than this.

Excellent souvenir of a Bill Maher show!.......2005-05-04

I finally got to see Bill Maher on tour last year and it was two hours of very profound statements with a funny delivery. Him, along with Henry Rollins, are the masters of the spoken word. I can listen to both rant for hours on end about the state of our country. They are dead on accurate, with biting humor to boot!

This DVD is from a show in San Francisco sometime in the summer of 2000. Although it doesn't give a date on the DVD, you know from Bill Maher that his comments are current, so if you're expecting to hear him speak about the war in Iraq or Abu Ghraib...those were things he discussed on his tour last year (which I hope will be released on DVD). On this DVD, he talks about his usual favorite subjects...drugs, the annoyance of children, complaints about women's dishonesty, defense of Clinton's affair with an intern, the idiocy of Bush and the Republican party, and his skewering of religious ideology. I particularly loved that this DVD included a reaction when some unseen audience member in the balcony yelled out to Bill that "Jesus saves!" His reaction and irreverent comments are downright funny and right on target! I loved how he compared unbelievable Bible stories that people believe literally happened with equivalent fairy tales that no one believes happened (he compared the apple from the forbidden tree in Genesis to the poison apple of "Snow White" and other similiar comparisons). To hear him say that does point out the obvious...why believe one but not the other? And what does believing in one but not the other have anything to do with how you treat people?

Bill does claim to believe in God on this DVD, though I always had the impression that he was an atheist. He defends Jesus from the people who claim to be the most devout followers...Bill simply is a man who's too smart for his own good. I'm a Bill Maher fan...as his show "Politically Incorrect" was part of my TV diet during my college years. I don't agree with him on every topic (such as drugs), but I do think he's a smart man who does his homework and probably knows a lot more about the world than our current president. Bill Maher is someone who should be running our country right now! This DVD is for his fans out there. Watch it and laugh.

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