In His Statement, Maher Acknowledged The Legitimate Concerns Of The Striking Writers But Emphasized That There Are Other Individuals In The Industry.
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00:00 Comedian and political commentator Bill Maher has made a bold decision to continue his popular
00:05 show Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, even in the midst of the ongoing Hollywood strike.
00:11 Bill took to his ex-account previously known as Twitter to share his stance on the matter,
00:17 expressing his commitment to the show despite the absence of his writers.
00:22 In his statement, Bill acknowledged the legitimate concerns of the striking writers but emphasized
00:28 that there are more individuals in the industry with their own issues and challenges.
00:34 He stated, "It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work.
00:38 The writers have important issues that I sympathize with and hope they are addressed to their
00:44 satisfaction.
00:45 But they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns."
00:50 Bill had initially hoped that the strike would be resolved by Labor Day, but he lamented
00:55 that there still seems to be no resolution in sight.
00:58 He voiced his concern for the below-the-line workers who have been significantly impacted
01:04 by the strike and expressed his unwillingness to see an entire year go to waste.
01:09 To honor the spirit of the strike, Bill announced that he will refrain from delivering his usual
01:15 monologue, text pieces, new rules, or editorials, which are typically written by his team of
01:21 writers.
01:22 However, he assured his audience that the heart of the show, the unscripted panel discussions
01:28 that aim to cut through partisan divides, will continue.
01:32 Bill admitted that the show without his writers may not be as polished but promised that the
01:37 core essence of real-time would remain intact.
01:41 He affirmed, "But the heart of the show is an off-the-cuff panel discussion that aims
01:46 to cut through the bulge and predictable partnership, and that will continue.
01:51 The show will not disappoint."
01:52 The strike, initiated by members of the 11,000-strong Writers Guild of America, began in May following
01:59 failed contract negotiations with the studio chiefs of the Alliance of Motion Pictures
02:05 and Television Producers.
02:07 [music]
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