Did you watch “Real Time with Bill Maher” last night? If you did then you were given a glimpse of what can happen when you shoot a TV show in front of a live audience.
For those of you who missed it, political commentator Bill Maher revealed to audience members last night that he could possibly have a second career as a security guard. The comedian pulled double duty when a rowdy protester infiltrated his studio during his weekly HBO show while cameras were rolling.
The comedian was in the middle of a weekly panel discussion when someone from the audience stood up, waved a smuggled-in sign reading “9/11 is a cover up fraud,” and began shouting remarks to the same effect.
Obviously caught off guard, Maher tried to get the audience member to quiet down, but in the process only enraged the protestor more.
That’s when Maher lost it. He started yelling and cursing about a lack of security in the building, and then took matters into his own hands. The talk show host jumped out of his chair and ran to the area of the audience where the protestor was shouting. He then (with assistance from real security guards who finally showed up) Maher helped push the guy out the door all the while shouting, “Out! Out! Out!”
You’d think that would be the end of it, but as soon as the rowdy guy got the boot from Maher several other protesters stood up and began shouting as well.
“This isn’t the Iowa Caucus, OK, we’re not here to debate,” Maher shouted over the protestors. “This is the problem with live television.”
They didn’t show the part where the other instigators were ejected, but once they were things began to settle down and Maher’s regularly scheduled panelists weighed in on the incident. MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, Los Angeles Times columnist Joel Stein and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson got a good laugh when Maher joked that he and the protestors often huddle outside his studio to share 9/11 conspiracy theories and try to get into the show.
“It’s the only time I defend Bush,” he said.
Maher then added, “I’m thinking about firing my audience department.”
I don’t think he was joking about that.
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