LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In the wake of an unprecedented display of solidarity among the five major names in late-night TV, Bill Maher recently concluded his second episode of 'Real Time' since the WGA strikes were lifted.
The final 'New Rule' segment of the night focused on comedian and former 'Patriot Act' host Hasan Minhaj, highlighting the fabricated stories, both on stage and off, that were exposed in a recent New Yorker piece.
A few minutes into the show, Maher said, "Which brings me to Hasan Minhaj, the comedian who answers the question, "What if Jesse Smet did stand up?"
"If you missed it the New Yorker originally ran a comprehensive expose about how many of the stories Mr Minhaj tells in his act... To elicit sympathy for himself as a Muslim and a person of color are completely made up."
Bill Maher questions 'truth' behind Hasan Minhaj's claims of discrimination faced by Muslim Americans
Bill Maher suggested that the revelation surrounding Hasan Minhaj might indicate that Muslim Americans face less discrimination than some progressives assert.
Maher emphasized, "If you want to speak truth to power, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you have to include the truth part."
The 'Real Time' host got personal in his criticism, stating, "Because he’s done this before with me," continuing, "Accusing me of saying Muslims should be put in internment camps—something I’ve never come close to thinking, let alone saying."
Maher extended his criticism by drawing a comparison between Minhaj and Donald Trump, questioning the difference between the two when it comes to spreading falsehoods.
Minhaj, a correspondent on 'The Daily Show', once shared that Ben Affleck and Bill Maher's on-air disagreement about Islam played a role in getting him hired on the Comedy Central late-night show.
In SiriusXM’s 'Dean Obeidallah Show' interview, he explained that it was the Affleck-Maher exchange that caught the attention of then-host Jon Stewart and influenced his hiring on 'The Daily Show'.
Internet shows support for Bill Maher's criticism of Hasan Minhaj
Ever since Bill Maher's monologue was uploaded on the Internet, people haven't kept calm on the matter.
One commented, "The big problem is that victimhood is now seen as a virtue and it's a problem on the left and right. It obfuscates real suffering. When everyone is a victim of something, no one is."
Another said, "Yes, Bill, yes!!! Lying and victimhood go hand in hand and we need for both sides to get out of their victim-villain bubbles and start treating people and truth as real and important."
""..Man if ppl don't like you now, it's not because of your skin color, it's because you're shady" Mic drop!" stated another.
A reply read, "Minhaj could just say "yes, I made stuff up. The intention was good, but I should not have fabricated stories about being oppressed. I apologise" ... and leave it at that. Most people would be like "ok dude, you're a talented guy. don't do this s**t again" ... and move on."
They continued, "It's when you dig in your heels and say "nah man, my truth is my truth" ... that's wrong."
