In theory, the Super Bowl and recent developments in online technology might look like the very definition of contrasts. This week’s episode of Real Time With Bill Maher made the case that the two might have more in common than you’d expect. This line of debate picked up steam in the episode’s first segment, when MSNBC’s Chris Hayes took to the stage to discuss his new book The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource.
Hayes pointed to the image of tech CEOs sitting in the front row of Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration. He described it as “all the people who are extracting attention at scale for power in one frame.” And from there, he expanded on the way online platforms are set up to maximize our attention — something he compared to the primal appeal of sugar and salt in food.
Maher brought up what seems to be a growing divide in running times — some highly-viewed clips on TikTok are mere seconds in length, but some highly-viewed podcasts can go on for hours. Maher brought up his own experience hosting a podcast here, which made for an interesting glimpse behind the proverbial curtain.
Hayes had a few memorable comparisons to make when it came to social media, from invoking “the slot machine model” to describing how these platforms are “engineered to drive towards that lowest common denominator.”
Maher then brought up the fact that Hayes was there promoting his book to take on a more existential question. Citing part of Nate Bargatze’s SNL monologue from 2023, Maher asked Hayes, “How much longer do books have, really?” Hayes seemed relatively confident about books’ staying power, arguing that if there’s an appetite for hours-long podcasts, there’s also likely to be continuing demand for books. But the two men also discussed the ways that political debate in this country is becoming “increasingly post-literate,” which made for a more unsettling conversation.
Florida Representative Byron Donalds and Puck’s Tara Palmeri joined Maher for a wide-ranging discussion of the early days of Trump’s second term, which included Maher grilling Donalds about some of the more extreme and controversial actions taken by the new administration. Maher also asked Donalds about the troubling comments made in the past by new State Department undersecretary Darren Beattie. Donalds stressed that “it’s not my job to make that hire” — but, when pressed, said that he didn’t think Beattie should have been appointed.
With the Super Bowl taking place this weekend, it was inevitable that conversation would eventually touch on it. Maher brought up the removal of the “End Racism” signage from the end zones. “Why?” Palmeri asked. “It just seems silly.”
Maher took a more contrarian position. “It was stupid to begin with,” he said. Palmeri argued that the sentiment was worthwhile, while Maher pushed back, stating that an on-field message wouldn’t actually do anything to affect racism.
The Super Bowl came up again in the final segment of the night, as Maher speculated that the Super Bowl would likely end up on a streaming network before long. This, he argued, was a bad thing: “Streaming is ruining football, and that’s Taylor Swift’s job.”
Maher had a few objections, from the practical (toggling between two games is a lot easier on broadcast networks) to the more wide-ranging (the cost of streaming subscriptions could prevent some fans from watching). He also made the case for generational solidarity, noting that “kids of all ages hate this shit.”
As Maher often does, he took in the bigger picture, in this case revisiting the concept of “reverse improvement” that he’d first invoked a few years ago. Essentially, Maher argued, we’re living through a sea of technological changes that no one really wants. (Readers familiar with Cory Doctorow’s concept of enshittification may be nodding their heads right about now.)
Maher didn’t stop at streaming, though. He took in a whole host of design choices, including one glaring automotive option. “No one ever looked at a car and said, ‘If only the doors didn’t have handles,’” he said.
“Our tech overlords do stuff because they can, not because we need it or it’s good for us,” Maher added. “And they don’t care about the consequences.” It was a sobering conclusion to a sobering episode.
A Bob Dylan National Anthem? Bill Maher Thinks So.
This week’s “Real Time” also featured thoughts on the makings of a gentlemanOther notable moments from this week’s episode:
- Maher on the current political climate: “We seem to be back in this era where there’s a year of news in a week.”
- Maher on Kanye West’s recent posts: “Either he’s trolling or he’s angling for a Cabinet appointment.”
- During his conversation with Maher, Hayes made both an emphatic case for pluralism and a defense of the rights of trans kids.
- Did Maher riff on Spirit Airlines’ new dress code? He did indeed.
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