Bill Maher is being branded as a scab over his decision to return to work with his HBO talk show, Real Time with Bill Maher, while the Writers Strike remains unresolved. The WGA has called out his move which would potentially be in violation of the strike rules and neither are the Writers Union members happy about the comedian possibly engaging in writing services himself.
Drew Barrymore going forward with the recording of her talk show’s season 4 may have resulted in a trickle-down effect in Hollywood. Bill Maher has also joined the list of celebs opting to scab to bring their show back on air without any WGA writers on board.
UPDATE: Maher has decided to delay the launch of Real Time talk show, sighting the recent development between AMPTP & WGA to engage in negotiating.
Bill Maher announced that Real Time “is coming back” in a lengthy post on X while acknowledging “the writers have important issues that I sympathize with”. Nonetheless, he appears to indicate the decision to return amidst the Writers Strike by attributing it would help the struggling below-the-line workers “Despite some assistance from me, much of the staff is struggling mightily.”
Maher, for his part, revealed he will not be engaging in performing a monologue, desk piece, New Rules, or editorial to “honor the spirit of the strike.” However, the Guild pushed back to state they “will be picketing this show.” The Writers Union members have already offered their support to the guild while some reminded Maher would be “crossing his own union’s picket line” indicating there would be consequences.
Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing. It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people…
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) September 14, 2023
Bill Maher is a scab. Pass it on. pic.twitter.com/Te89N6WXn6
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) September 14, 2023
Bill Maher is a scab? Wow this totally changes my previously high opinion of that smug Islamophobic racist transphobic misogynistic attention-whore.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) September 14, 2023
Bill Maher has been a staple for coastal wealthy Liberals who love pretending to exist on a moral/intellectual high ground in spite of them being abjectly vile and out of touch, so it’s really no surprise that he’d willingly fuck over working class people — it’s just who he is. https://t.co/zp7dAVZcL1
— James Ray ☭ (@GoodVibePolitik) September 14, 2023
Bill Maher is about to end this whole strike by showing Hollywood how much they need writers. These jokes are going to be DREADFUL! I wouldn't be surprised if the AMPTP surrenders before the end of the monologue. pic.twitter.com/mCdQC8DbvV
— Nando (@NandovMovies) September 14, 2023
Bill Maher, who loves to remind us he's one of the writers of his show, will obviously be thinking up questions to ask his panel of guests.
This is writing.
Bill Maher is a scab.
The only surprise is that it took him this long.
New Rule: Never let this scab live this down. https://t.co/mlLXE3i7Aa
— Guy Endore-Kaiser (@GuyEndoreKaiser) September 14, 2023
I don't follow Bill Maher closely enough to know every reason to hold him in contempt. This is enough: He is a scab. When the strike is settled & honorable people return to work, he will still be a scab. Because scabbing reflects someone's character, & character is a constant. https://t.co/GDpAP47NVf
— David Kusnet (@DavidKusnet) September 14, 2023
Bill Maher is a scab https://t.co/4fg8Jz9Mv2
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) September 14, 2023
Hollywood’s biggest prick Bill Maher has decided to be a scab and bring back his talk show ‘REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER’ despite the writers still being on strike. pic.twitter.com/sDDyHGy8Ev
— One Take News (@OneTakeNews) September 14, 2023
it will not surprise you to learn:
Bill Maher is a scab https://t.co/Zu03su6cMG
— SDL (@SocDoneLeft) September 14, 2023
Yes, call Bill Maher the scab he is.
But this is also gonna be a fantastic opportunity for Bill Maher to demonstrate how much of an out of touch, unfunny old regressive Bill Maher is without the writers who tempered his smug into something watchable. https://t.co/PDRGdnnBY8
— Trump Derangement Treatment Center (@ljmontello) September 14, 2023
Bill Maher is scab trash and has zero respect for his writers and their families. https://t.co/8JzrEFFY7l pic.twitter.com/LmoGl8JAXz
— Post-Left Watch (@PostLeftWatch) September 14, 2023
Who could have guessed that Bill Maher is a scab except for everyone https://t.co/L4dZXOtOaI
— Tzippy Shmilovitz (@Tzipshmil) September 14, 2023
The former late-night talk show host of Politically Incorrect has faced backlash from social media on several occasions, even for his controversial take on the Barbie movie. But his most hurtful comment was recently directed at the Writers Guild, “They kind of believe that you’re owed a living as a writer—and you’re not.”
It remains to be seen what repercussions Maher and other celebs would face for breaking the Strike Rules. According to the 2023 Writers Guild contract – members will be granted a right to a hearing before the trial committee. The disciplinary actions range from fines to the worst being expulsion from the Writers Guild of America altogether.
Meanwhile, the WGA & SAG-AFTRA picket lines have only observed stronger participation with names well-known faces like Margot Robbie showing their support as well. The AMPTP has yet to return to the negotiating table (as of this writing) after their proposal was rejected on 23 August.
Bill Maher’s decision to go back on the air while his Guild is on strike is disappointing. If he goes forward with his plan, he needs to honor more than “the spirit of the strike.” #WGAstrike 1/3
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) September 14, 2023
As a WGA member, @BillMaher is obligated to follow the strike rules and not perform any writing services. 2/3
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) September 14, 2023
It is difficult to imagine how @RealTimers can go forward without a violation of WGA strike rules taking place. WGA will be picketing this show. #WGAstrike #WGAstrong #1u 3/3
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) September 14, 2023
Margot Robbie has joined the SAG/WGA picket lines pic.twitter.com/izw8JiCRaB
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 13, 2023
Bill Maher is scab scum.
— Trekkie Bill (@trekkiebill) September 14, 2023
Bill Maher is bringing his show back without writers. That makes sense bc he has the personality of a Scab anyway.
— Yatesy (@yatesytime) September 14, 2023
The world could've gone without Bill Maher ever coming back on, scab or not. https://t.co/tBpa8IWMqN
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) September 14, 2023
If I had a bingo card, Bill Maher being a scab would have been on it. https://t.co/kCzPUwbuqp
— Ric Caric (@riccaric) September 14, 2023
Bill Maher is a scab (surprise!). I hope Scabby the Rat storms the Real Time set. 🐀 🐀 🐀 https://t.co/EqUSkzwL11
— LeftOfTheDial (@EricShapiro3) September 14, 2023
Real Time with Bill Maher was renewed by Warners in September 2021 for an additional two seasons that is expected to run through 2024. Maher is also an executive producer of the series with Chris Kelly serving as a co-producer and Paul Casey was set to direct.
