Bill Maher's awful take on Stan Lee's passing and Marvel Comics in general

[mugiwara]

Bill Maher should stick to talk about politics and religions.

[Username taken]

Bill Maher has been very, very abrasive in his views for a very, very long time. This sort of banality isn’t new to him at all.

From his using the N-word (in a stupid joke) to his constant attack on people that practice religion, he comes across as totally insensitive.

[BlackClaw]

Bill Maher is just jealous that people are gonna dance in the street when he dies.

[Castling]

Aside from the fact he was disrespectful toward someone's death (And that someone doesn't really deserve ire from anyone), don't really care. Maher's a blowhard who talks it up to get ratings, and half the time his opinions are off-base.

Plus, his viewpoint on comics is somewhat common in the US, especially with his demographic.

Maher was not disrespectful of Stan Lee. Hurt fanboys are trying to make it about Stan Lee, when the criticism is really about a dug-in, possessive fandom resistant to gender and demographic changes clinging to an artform desperately trying to grow and expand, particularly with a base that doesn't really care: kids (who are more female and racially diverse).
Granted, the childish response to Maher's opinion (from mostly grown men in their 30's and 40's) isn't making comic book fans look good.

[DragonsChi]

His primary message was "Who Cares if Stan Lee Died, Since Comic Books Are A Low Form Of Entertainment" how in the world is this not about Stan Lee? A man who dedicated the later years of his life to comics. A man whose very death spurred his comments in the first place.

With politics I don't choose sides. People get to caught up in the stupid me verse you mentality that they forget the purpose of it. I do my research and vote accordingly on what I think is best for my family and friends. So I hop back and forth when it comes time to vote.

So in saying that as an outsider looking in Maher is a hateful person. He might be covering it up with being funny/being a comedian but he is filled with hate. That is not someone to regard as trust worthy source, have high opinion of , or follow their example. Even if he may share the same views as you or talks about things you believe in. Simply because his hate blinds him and consuming to much of him will blind you too.

[Relugus]

Here is CS Lewis's view on this subject:

"Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."

[Lee Stone]

Here is CS Lewis's view on this subject:

"Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."

That's a great quote.
Thanks for sharing.

[JudicatorPrime]

Wonder if a boycott be mounted, or some sort of comeback to his remarks. Bottom line: Force him to apologize for what he said. I kind of like that.

Pointless. Politicos and demagogues tend to say what they want, when they want, wherever they want, because they have an audience that wants to hear it and craves even the most inane drivel because of the cult of personality that surrounds the orator. Personally, I don't think this thread was necessary. There are lots of ways to challenge Maher's viewpoints. CBR need not be the forum for that. Call/write HBO... or is it Showtime that sponsors his show? He also tends to tour the country, so you could just pop up at one of his shows and give him an earful. But expect an apology? Not gonna happen. Anyone who has either seen Bill's show, or heard of Religulous would know that he's not big on apologizing for what he opines, no matter how many are offended.

[Nick Miller]

Everyone pretty much summed this up perfectly.

There is a small percentage of people age 45-60, who have no interest in comics, sci-fi, or fantasy. They never saw Star Wars, never read a fantasy novel, or anything else. These are people who just have no interest in fantasy or make believe.

And so they don’t understand it.

[WebLurker]

The sports one doesn't get looked at funny because it's a SPORT and that is one place where a LOT of stuff gets free passes.

No set of comic book fans could destroy a place after Black Panther or Star War movie came out and see a LINE of excuses for it. Now let Kentucky or Eagle win a title and it's accepted.

Don't get it. I like going to the occasional baseball game (maybe basketball) and I still don't get it.

Comics get the bad rep because the antics of a FEW stereotype everybody. If you got folks who know comic book guys like Simpson's Comic book guy or others-what image do you think they will have about the hobby?

Could be the smallness of the audience coupled with the seemingly childish nature of the subject?

As we have seen since 2015 in comic book industry-when you preach what folks WANT to hear or say what they WON'T say in public-versus what they NEED to hear-stuff like that happens.
What needs to be said gets buried and solutions are lost.

Kinda makes it hard to lose the negative perception, doesn't it?

Also for Maher-he FAILS to understand this-you don't know WHO makes a difference in a person's life.

I was in college when Tupac died. You would have though Tupac was President of the USA with the way kids were upset. I saw this again with Michael Jackson, Dwayne McDuffie and Prince.

Agreed.

[Ichijinijisanji]

>adult

>still acts like an edgelord

lol

[LordUltimus]

Stan Lee’s Company Calls Bill Maher’s Remarks About Late Marvel Icon “Disgusting”
https://talkiesnetwork.com/2018/11/1...on-disgusting/

[Triniking1234]

Maher was not disrespectful of Stan Lee. Hurt fanboys are trying to make it about Stan Lee, when the criticism is really about a dug-in, possessive fandom resistant to gender and demographic changes clinging to an artform desperately trying to grow and expand, particularly with a base that doesn't really care: kids (who are more female and racially diverse).
Granted, the childish response to Maher's opinion (from mostly grown men in their 30's and 40's) isn't making comic book fans look good.

Obviously you didn't read Maher's statement. He said comics resulted in infantile-adults hereby creating the current political climate where Trump can become president and threw shade that Lee's work on making comics popular fueled that.

Of course he hurt a lot of people but you're saying that those people are just misogynists and racists. That's completely false. Locally there were people sad about the passing of Mr. Lee because they wouldn't have gotten into reading if it wasn't for Marvel comic and discussed how the presence of comics helped combat illiteracy but Maher wants to make it about American politics and himself.

You're just as out of touch as Maher as well. Roll safe.

[Red Robe Jaldari]

Bill Maher’s opinion is completely irrelevant and when he passes he will be irrelevant. He has no legacy that he will leave behind.

Anyone else filled the niche of UN PC left winger with a tv show? He will be somewhat remembered.

Demographic wise though he isn't wrong, the average comic book reader is aging white male and the average Trump supporters is an aging white male. This is the reason why the comic book community is so receptive to reactionary viewpoints.

It's a tiny market. Why would you assume that more young people buying would automatically mean less reactionary fans?

Everyone pretty much summed this up perfectly.

There is a small percentage of people age 45-60, who have no interest in comics, sci-fi, or fantasy. They never saw Star Wars, never read a fantasy novel, or anything else. These are people who just have no interest in fantasy or make believe.

And so they don’t understand it.

Or anything else?... These are people who never read fiction?

[Gaastra]

Comics are big in both japan in Europe. Go into many bookstores in japan in there will be tons of manga aimed for adults. Disney comics are big overseas as well. So are they all children in those countries? What about the walking dead? Are only kids reading it? Back in world war 2 comics OUTSOLD books! In the 50s adults were reading comics more then kids. Dell was making a killing with it's four color comics and carl barks Disney books. (Barks scrooge comics are better then many books today!)


Someone should shove a copy of mouz or Y the last man or saga or walking dead in his face and ask him if it's for kids only!