Bill Maher is taking on people who plan to still wear masks and socially distance in California after June 15.
The host of HBO’s Real Time, who was forced to cancel a couple of shows after testing positive for Covid last month, said, “California, we’re back baby, June 15, maybe we can stop this silly distancing and masking bullshit. Tuesday, California lifts its restrictions. A lot of people out here and a lot of people everywhere, I don’t understand these people, they say they’re going to continue to wear masks even after [the government] sounds the all clear.”
“It’s like having sex with a condom and then saying I think I’ll just leave it on for the rest of the night. Look, you’re never going to have 100% Covid-free atmosphere, viruses always stay. I can’t guarantee everything, we just have to live again,” he added.
Maher was asked by filmmaker and activist Rob Reiner, who was his panel guest alongside political scientist and co-founder of Strike PAC, Rachel Bitecofer when they can get back to a closer panel setup. “For me, it would be yesterday,” he said. “Soon.”
The comedian ended his opening monologue with a swipe at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. “Let’s end tonight with important news: a new royal baby is in the world. There’s a duchess of Santa Barbara now, her name is Lilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor and she will join her toddler brother Archie, Harry and Meghan in their mansion in SB. Just what that household needs, more pissing and whining.”
He also had some fun at the expense of Democrat Senator Joe Manchin, who has been causing President Joe Biden some problems. “For a Democrat, he is the most powerful Republican in the Senate. I tell you this guy, he has blocked every big thing that the Democrats want to do — the voting rights legislation, the January 6th commission, even infrastructure,” he said. “The talks broke down. They said because of, I love this, irreconcilable differences. Which sounds to me like a marriage. Or a divorce. Which is appropriate considering next year, they may get the House.”
Maher also had a testy conversation with Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History, host of the podcast StarTalk, and author of Cosmic Queries. Maher asked deGrasse Tyson what’s the deal with UFOs – coming shortly after the U.S government couldn’t rule out the existence of aliens after reports from navy pilots.
deGrasse Tyson said the universe is full of mysteries. But he added that he thinks it could be glitches from imaging systems. “If we are in fact being visited by intelligent aliens from another planets, why would they only show themselves to navy pilots?,” he said.
The scientist also joked that when searching online for information about the big bang, the first thing that comes up is CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory. “That’s bad,” the pair agreed.