New Rules

I find Bill Maher a tad smarmy and annoying, but I agree with most of what he says. In fact, he seems to be the only high-profile figure who goes on the same tirades as I do and is equally incredulous as to why others aren’t chiming in. We all seem to validate his outbursts with a “hindsight is 20/20” resignation from the back of our minds. This book is a collection of the mostly political asides from the “New Rule” segment on his HBO show. In the tradition of a true “moderate” (which he claims to be), he defends as well as lambastes President Bush and the Republican Party, but begrudgingly. His real target is society’s ignorance and hypocrisy and the media that betrayed him when he lost his Politically Incorrect network show, as a casualty of terrorism (as he interprets it). These “philo-bites” are like potato chips in that you read impulsively. The absurdist humor and photos are the salt to the starchy observations. Maher points out that our fascination with Paris Hilton and “Brangelina” are extensions of America’s high school mentality. In high school, it’s not the class president, the valedictorian, the star quarterback, cheerleader or prom queen, but the “smartass” who is the chronicler and cornerstone.