What This Comedian Said Will Shock You

Bill Maher examines the issues fueling America’s gun violence crisis. He points to a culture that values competition over community, leaving many, particularly young men, isolated and unsupported when they fail to meet societal expectations. This loneliness crisis is made worse by social media, which creates an illusion that everyone else is living a better, more fulfilling life, further deepening feelings of inadequacy and resentment.

Maher connects these feelings of alienation to the motivations of mass shooters, who are often lonely, angry, and consumed by rejection. Media and online platforms like 8chan amplify this toxicity, becoming spaces for alienated individuals to share grievances. He draws a line between these behaviors and the way violence is glamorized in entertainment, criticizing Hollywood for promoting revenge fantasies while claiming to champion social responsibility. These stories, often about heroes avenging personal wrongs, feed into a culture that justifies violence as a response to being wronged.

Maher critiques the tendency to judge historical figures and events by modern standards, a phenomenon he calls “presentism.” He argues that this perspective oversimplifies history, ignoring the context of past eras and the human capacity for growth. He challenges the idea that moral superiority lies in criticizing the past, pointing out that humanity has always evolved and will continue to do so.