Bill Maher Said the N-Word on TV and Twitter Responded

"Why did the audience think it was okay to laugh?"

(Image credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank)

On an episode of his show Real Time With Bill Maher on Friday, the host used a serious expletive on air, which has shocked audiences everywhere. While interviewing Nebraska senator Ben Sasse, Maher used the N-word as part of a joke. Stunned, Sasse didn't respond in the way he wanted to, and has since posted his real feelings about the incident on Twitter.

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But it isn't just Sasse tweeting about the inappropriate and offensive line, that the show's audience all appeared to laugh at. Black Lives Matter activist Deray Mckesson posted several tweets questioning the host's behavior.

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Several viewers are calling for Maher's show to be suspended altogether.

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And members of the live audience have even tweeted, questioning why Maher would think it was appropriate to use the word on TV.

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HBO, which aired the show, has called Maher's actions, "inexcusable and tasteless", although it's unclear if any further disciplinary action is being taken. But, thanks to the internet, audiences everywhere are making it clear that Maher's language was unacceptable and won't be tolerated.

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Amy Mackelden
Editor

Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness, and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.