By now, I imagine the average comic book fan is getting pretty tired of Bill Maher. I mean, it’s one thing to just say you don’t like the medium, but it’s another altogether to use Stan Lee’s death as a platform to blast the culture as a whole – and then continue doing so weeks after everything dies down.
As you may have heard, the controversial TV personality is at again, this time using his HBO show, Real Time, as a vehicle for reigniting the fire. And in the process, Maher even named filmmaker and proud geek Kevin Smith in his diatribe, saying the following:
“Director Kevin Smith accused me of ‘taking a shot when no shots are f**kin’ necessary,’ except again my shot wasn’t at Stan Lee. It was at, you know, grown men who still dress like kids.”
Well, Smith himself didn’t waste much time in responding, posting this on Twitter:
“Yes, @billmaher took a shot at me during his show last night, in the midst of his latest rant about @TheRealStanLee and adults who like comic books. No, I’m not mad at all. Bill may talk tough but he’s a stoner like me and a real pussy cat when confronted.”
Let it also be known that Smith linked a YouTube video showing an appearance of his on Real Time when he said he’d like to smack Maher with his dick. Now, Bill did kind of shake it off because he was on live TV, but there were no fisticuffs or Danza Slaps exchanged between the two. Still, I imagine Maher is no Brock Lesnar when it’s time to throw down.
Personally, I’d like to see these disgusting attacks on comic book culture cease. There’s a good reason why Maher lost 40,000 followers on Twitter (his claim), and that’s because superheroes are cherished by so many people. I really do get the feeling that the talk show host simply doesn’t understand the subculture. After all, how can you judge us if you’ve only watched a few movies, haven’t read comics since the Silver Age, and shot confused looks at anyone wearing a Superman shirt?
To put it succinctly, people the world over not only enjoy the adventures these characters feature in, but also the message they get across. And when it comes to a so-called lack of maturity, I defy anyone on Bill Maher‘s side of the aisle to read Batman: The Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen. Furthermore, sit down with a copy of something from the Sin City series and then tell me the material should be loved by toddlers exclusively. Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern are regarded as mature, sophisticated storytelling because they are.
Really, what’s wrong with surrounding yourself with things that make you happy? Some of the nicest, most genuine people I’ve met in recent years have been at conventions – and they come from all different ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. It’s not just a few millennials complaining about “adulting.”