Bill Maher is catching lots of attention for his use of a racial slur on his Real Time With Bill Maher show on HBO. Amid the outcry and calls for Maher’s firing, Chance The Rapper also raised his voice by asking the network to take the show off the air.
“Please @HBO Do Not Air Another Episode Of Real Time With Bill Maher,” Chance tweeted Saturday morning (June 3). The tweet has been retweeted over 9,000 times with several sub-comments in the tweet thread trying to defend Maher’s use of the slur as an ill-timed joke.
Please @HBO Do Not Air Another Episode Of Real Time With Bill Maher.
— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) June 3, 2017
Other debates have kicked off on Twitter regarding Maher’s past line-stepping while also noting his close ties to the Black and Hip Hop communities.
Chance wasn’t the only high-profile name to blast Maher — filmmaker Matthew A. Cherry, Killer Mike, actor Jeffrey Wright, and others have chimed in on the controversy in their respective fashions. Killer Mike, who has been a guest on Real Time, tried to use his platform to warn others away from the outrage over Maher’s use of the “n-word.”
That's Pretty Fucking Funny coming from a comedian white or black. I just wish others will stop using that lame ass mom "N Word" as a sub. https://t.co/nTtvRkXKkF
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) June 3, 2017
The word is Nigger and it's a powerful word for bad and it's offspring Nigga has been a power filled word used by those once oppressed https://t.co/nTtvRkXKkF
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) June 3, 2017
black have BIGGER things than NIGGER to concern our selves with: Black Banks, Gentrification, Economics & Trade Education. Love, My Nigga. https://t.co/nTtvRkXKkF
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) June 3, 2017
My end goal is true freedom and not exhausting my life mad at white people when I can love my life loving black people. https://t.co/ifEob4Of7K
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) June 3, 2017
Maher apologized Saturday afternoon for calling himself a “house nigger” on Real Time With Bill Maher during an interview with Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska.
“I regret the word I used in the banter of a live moment,” he said in a statement. “The word was offensive, and I regret saying it and am very sorry.”
But the outry continues.
We’ve collected some of the tweets over Bill Maher and the n-word utterance below.
What if I told you could be concerned about Black Banks, Gentrification, Economics & Trade Edu & still be upset Bill Maher used the N-Word. https://t.co/EQxItcy4Ba
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) June 3, 2017
Bill Maher and Kathy Griffin reviewing their edgy humor calculus. pic.twitter.com/BFYXLoUBUb
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) June 3, 2017
4 years ago Wayne Brady told us about Bill Maher pic.twitter.com/QkhYXIL1cM
— Crystal Johnson (@Crystal1Johnson) June 3, 2017
Bill maher been calling muslims the nword for months now if we're being real deal Holyfield.
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) June 3, 2017
On occasion @billmaher has been a real truth teller. His “house n—–” remark wasn’t just politically incorrect. 1/2
— Tavis Smiley (@tavissmiley) June 3, 2017
It was haughty, hubristic and humiliating. He went too far. Period. @billmaher 2/2
— Tavis Smiley (@tavissmiley) June 3, 2017
"Bill Maher donated millions of dollars to Obama" and need you to understand that's not enough for him to get to say nigger.
— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) June 3, 2017
Today is the day Bill Maher became president.
— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) June 3, 2017