Bill Maher drops N-word to Larry King; nobody notices [poll]

Bill Maher dropped the N-word during an interview Larry King's show Tuesday, the same day he picked up his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

No, we didn't notice either.

The "Real Time With Bill Maher" host, who'd thanked George W. Bush, Sarah Palin and the pope for his star earlier in the day, said he couldn't wait to see the GOP debates before the 2012 presidential election.

"How are they going to out fire-breathe each other? I mean where this rhetoric has gone to at this point? It's only 2010. And we're having Newt Gingrich, as we were talking about before, calling [the president] an anti-colonial Luo tribesman. Luo tribesman," Maher said.

"That's the new Kenyan, Larry. And Kenyan, of course, was code for [the N-word]. But that's where they are. They can't say it out loud. But that's where this whole campaign is going to be."

According to the CNN transcript, King did not react specifically to Maher's choice of words.

Dr. Laura, are you listening?

-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Bill Maher, left, with Larry King in Hollywood on Tuesday. Credit: Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images

Related dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip:

Bill Maher gets a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, doesn't thank God

Dr. Laura tells audience what's hurt her the most [poll]

Comments

[Terrils]

He used it knowingly and correctly in reference to the conservative right. That's PRECISELY what the conservative right thing of all black people, and Maher is well aware of that fact. They don't think of black people as human, but as N--s. To have used any other more respectful word would have been misrepresenting the conservative right's racist ignorance.

[Streets]

The world is a circus, and the media is the ring master. Trying to make something out of nothing. The N-Word becomes derogatory only when used to hurt an African American. When you use the word to describe most Racist practices, it's only expression.

[hotscopkins]

You can yell Fire while in your bathtub but it is different if you yell fire in a crowded movie theater. People who compare this to Dr Laura's personal rant probably eat at McDonalds, they have no regard for degrees of difference. Maher used the n-word not for himself, but to suggest that Republicans were going to become more racist. If you don't get it, then Maher's show is probably over your head, sorry.

[Keenan]

Context, context, context. This is completely different from the Dr. Laura incident. Maher was not trying to shove the word in someones face 11 times and claim it wasn't offensive because black comics said it. He was trying to call out people like Gingrich for using code words that racists take to mean "the n word" in their ridiculous and disgusting effort to discredit the president in any way possible. The Republican's strategy is to get voters offended and afraid by making sure the message of "this president isn't like us white people" stays just below the surface of anything they say.

Maher's views are sometimes ridiculous, but I agree with what he said here and DO NOT find it offensive. Context, context, context.

[rob]

will something else i can now pee on in LA, CANT WAIT

[Rike]

This is a slow news day story. There is a big difference between Dr. Laura's use and Bill Maher's. He was referring to how something is being used used instead of the n word...which we should all agree is a just a word, and my feeling is that until all people stop using it, I have no intention. Certain people do not get to own words. Now I love Mo'Nique, but without the N word, she got no funny career. People should get over the so-called horrible, heinous, evil use of one word.

[Lemonic]

there's no furor, so it must be acceptable.

[Irving Schweitzer]

Why are Americans in such an uproar over the muslims building two blocks from the WTC ?? How many of these "patriots" drive German or Japanese vehicles ??
3,000 lost their lives on 9/11. How many were killed by the Germans and Japanese, yet we do not hold their entire nation guilty. But mention 9/11 and the hypocrits foam at the mouth with their hypocritical behavior.

Hooray to Obama and Bloomberg for upholding the rights of the Muslims(and others) to build where they wish so long as they are obeying laws.

[RealTalk2011]

Really, people? We can't differentiate between someone using the n-word as an invective, and someone exposing the use of codewords as the n-word in disguise? Because the latter is precisely what Gingrich has been doing. Maher is speaking truth to power once again.

[Doug]

Because black people say it that makes it alright? So if an American becomes a jihadist against other Americans, then that validates non-American jihadists?

[disbelief]

Context? Bull. It's a disgusting word no matter who says it. Dr. Laura's way of saying it was for race-baiting. Bill Maher's way is to promote race-based victimhood.

I suspect that most of you praising Maher's comment as some witty response to "right-wing racism" are big proponents of that victimhood as well.

[olthadi]

Since no one watches Larry King, no one heard it .

[IonaTrailer]

Bill Maher is my 'n-word' !

[LDA]

First you outlaw words, then the books they appear in. What's next? Developing a new technology to censor personal thoughts? Context is everything in these discussions, and that's what's lacking in the vast majority of them. Bill Maher tends to say what he thinks, and anyone who's listened to him knows that one thing he ISN'T is racist. Many people like what he has to say and those that don't don't tune in. Television is all about money, and big ratings equals big money. The fact that Maher's remained on the air for so long suggests that a great many people tend to like and agree with what he has to say. He simply wouldn't be on the air otherwise.

[IonaTrailer]

"Bill Mahler can use the "N" word because he has the left on his side." said Rafael A. Chavez.

Well, DUH! Maybe that's because it's only right-wing, racist crackers who dress up in white sheets and set fire to crosses on people's lawns.

You don't see Bill Ayers or Jane Fonda doing that stuff.

[IonaTrailer]

"Get with the program. Liberals are allowed to use any language they choose. Conservatives are only allowed to use language that doesn't offend liberals.'

I repeat, maybe that's because you don't see Bill Ayres or Jane Fonda burning crosses on folks lawns.

[sinned]

Who sits around wondering: "What else can I piss on in LA?" Put your junk back in your sweatpants, turn off the porn on your PC, and read a book.

The distinction here is unambiguous to all with their eyes open. It's interesting that those challenging Bill's comments choose to focus on the alleged inappropriateness of his use of the "N" word instead of the substance of his statement. Feeble diversion tactics in a pathetic effort to avoid confronting the fact that Newt is reminding conservatives that Obama is black in an obvious attempt to pander to bigotry.

[ingrasam]

I love Maher. He slays religious nonsense better than almost anyone. THAT is his greatest trait.

[JR]

Bill Maher got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Aren't you supposed to have some talent for that honor?

[Itoro Ebong]

I watched the interview by Larry King and he ( Bill) was referring to what he referred to as the racist words spoken by Newt Gingrich. He pointed out that what Newt said (Kenyan) was the code word for the N- word which I agree with Bill 100%. I am an African and I watched the interview with my American friend who is white. He heard it but noticed that I didn't react to what Bill said because we both agreed with his explanation even though we didn't discuss it. If anyone should be blame, it is definitely Newt Gingrich and not Bill Maher. Moreover you can't compare his statement to that of Dr. Laura. Go and watch what she said and you will see for yourself. I watched both interviews.

[PGelsman]

Much ado about nothing. Blacks say it all the time. Whites can't. Discrimination anyone?

[PGelsman]

Dennis- BTW..........Pulp fiction Great movie. I watched it too :)

[LATReader]

Maher was exactly right about the roundabout way that Gingrich, Palin, Malkin, Limbaugh, et al. are going about trashing Obama. They can't pick at specific policies because they know that there is something that most working class people would agree with. So instead, they talk about the deficit, as if it's all been incurred in the last year and a half. They talk about the Administration diverting from "fundamental principles" of the Constitution, which is simply code for, "he doesn't respect the White men who wrote it and he wants to change it to benefit Black people." And they call him "Barack Hussein" consciously to implant the thought that the sitting President is Muslim, and the insinuation is obviously targeted at lizard brains who 1) Aren't aware that Obama is Christian and 2) prejudiced against the muslim religion.

It's sick, and I am glad Maher brought it out. Yes, by all means GOP, step up your game and use the N-word like Dr. Laura, and so many "TEA Patriots" are muttering under their breath. You didn't think the Birther movement was actually about a birth certificate, did you?

[Douglas]

You people from LA are too much. In the mid-west, the "n" is fully vocalized.
It's a word. It's power is only in how you use it. If you wish to discriminate and put a group of people down, it's hateful. If you use it to paint a picture of people whose default actions put a group of people down in a defacto manner, than it is a descriptive word illustrating an irony.

Really, you do have schools in LA to teach such things?

Oh, I forgot to lookup the people committing on this site like we can teachers and evaluate their effectiveness using the LA Times Website.

[Anne]

who cares.