Bill Maher is a comedian known for thumbing his nose at political correctness, and never biting his tongue when voicing his thoughts on his HBO weekly show Real Time With Bill Maher.
However, there is a fine line between political correctness and offensive. Maher has always danced with that line; some would say that he has crossed it his fair share of times, but rarely has the public backlash been as swift to condemn the comedian than after his comments made on Friday evening.
While conducting an interview with Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska about his new book "The Vanishing American Adult," an exchange occurred as the two discussed their thoughts on teenage maturity. The conversation deviated to adults dressing up for Halloween when Maher asked if adults dress up for the holiday in Nebraska,
"It's frowned upon. We don't do that quite as much," Sasse said.
"I've got to get to Nebraska more." Maher responded.
"You're welcome. We'd love to have you work in the fields with us," Sasse said. Maher then responded with,
"Work in the fields? Senator, I'm a house n***a," Maher said.
The response from the crowd was even more cringe-worthy, while some audience members rightfully groaned, others laughed. Sasse didn't seem taken aback by the comment, but sat uncomfortably before Maher broke the tension by dismissing the statement, "No, it's a joke," which was also met by some applause.
Social media was in a fury, with many saying the comedian had went to far. When a person with such a large platform blurs the boundaries of decency under the guise of breaking PC culture, these things will continue to happen and continue to offend if left unchecked.
