Bill Maher has been injecting his signature side-splitting wit into his politically-charged TV programs, movies, books, activism, and stand-up routines for years. We’re thrilled that he will be making a Madison stop on his comedy tour this weekend and can’t wait to hear what he has to say. If you’re just as amped as we are, read on to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to Maher’s August 1st stand-up performance at Overture Hall.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Jam Productions and True Endeavors Present:
BILL MAHER
Overture Hall – 8pm – all ages
Reserved seat tickets ($63.50, $53.50 and $43.50) available at the Overture Center Ticket Office at 201 State Street in Madison, charge by phone at 608-258-4141 or order online at overturecenter.com.
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BIOGRAPHY:
For the last seventeen years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television. First on “Politically Incorrect” (Comedy Central, ABC, 1993-2002), and for the last seven years on HBO’s “Real Time,” Maher’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him twenty-two Emmy nominations. In October of 2008, this same combination was on display in Maher’s uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, “Religulous,” directed by Larry Charles (“Borat”). The documentary has gone on to become the 7th Highest Grossing Documentary ever.
In addition to his television program – which has featured such regular visitors as John Edwards, Ben Affleck, Robin Williams, Arianna Huffington, Alec Baldwin and Michael Moore – Maher has written four bestsellers: “True Story,” “Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? Politically Incorrect’s Greatest Hits,” “When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden” and most recently, “New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer.”
Maher started his career as a stand-up comedian in 1979, and still performs at least fifty dates a year in Las Vegas and in sold out theaters all across the country. Two of his eight stand-up specials for HBO – 2007’s “The Decider” and 2005’s “I’m Swiss” – have been nominated for Emmy awards.
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WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS:
Post your favorite Bill Maher quote(s) in the comments section below. As any Maher fan knows, this guy has a lot of great ones to choose from!
A winner will be chosen and notified by Friday, July 30th, so post those comments ASAP! Good luck!
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Filed under: Comedy, Free Madison Concert Tickets & MP3 Downloads, Music Shows This Week in Madison Tagged: | Bill Maher, Free Tickets, Overture Hall, ticket contest, Ticket Giveaway, Win Tickets
“What Democratic congressmen do to their women staffers, Republican congressmen do to the country. “- Bill Maher
“Maybe every other American movie shouldn’t be based on a comic book. Other countries will think Americans live in an infantile fantasy land where reality is whatever we say it is and every problem can be solved with violence. “- Bill Maher
“Saddam Hussein is Hitler like Oasis was The Beatles.”
“If you have a few hundred followers and you let some of them molest children, they call you a cult leader. If you have a billion, they call you Pope.”
“A lot of good has come from drugs. I think ‘Penny Lane’ is worth 10 dead kids. Dark Side of the Moon is worth 100 dead kids. Because a lot of kids wouldn’t even be born if it weren’t for that album, so it evens out.”
“I have a high state of resentment for the conformity in this country. If you’re not married and having children, it’s like your life is empty or you’re a communist meanie.”
It seems like we have to tax something, why not rich dead people? Of all the things you could tax; they don’t have any need for the money, on account of that whole being dead thing.
“Men are only as loyal as their options.”
“If you think you have it tough, read history books.”
Bill Maher
“I think flying planes into a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder.”
I do think the patriotic thing to do is to critique my country. How else do you make a country better but by pointing out its flaws?
-Bill Maher
Kids. They’re not easy. But there has to be some penalty for sex.
-Bill Maher
To me a real patriot is like a real friend. Who’s your real friend? It’s the person who tells you the truth. That’s who my real friends are. So, you know, I think as far as our country goes, we need more people who will do that.
-Bill Maher
We are a nation that is unenlightened because of religion. I do believe that. I think religion stops people from thinking. I think it justified crazies.
-Bill Maher
Whenever the people are for gay marriage or medical marijuana or assisted suicide, suddenly the “will of the people” goes out the window.
Women cannot complain about men anymore until they start getting better taste in them.
Word.
“There is good news! BP today finally managed to almost completely stop the flow of information.”
Too many to choose from, but this stuck in my head from the last Real Time:
“Meg Whitman, the former head of, CEO of, eBay and Carly Fiorina, the former head of Hewlett Packard, both said it; they’d like to run the state like a business. Could we please retire this canard? Why should we run the state, first of all, it’s a different skill-set, but a business is there to serve and protect profits. A politician getting elected should be there to serve and protect people.”
“One of the complaints leveled against me is, “Oh, Bill, you’re such a meanie. Why do you have to go after religion? It gives people comfort; it doesn’t hurt anything.” Okay, well, other than most wars, the Crusades, the Inquisition, 9/11, arranged marriages to minors, blowing up girls’ schools, the suppression of women and homosexuals, fatwas, ethnic cleansing, honor rape, human sacrifice, burning witches, suicide bombings, condoning slavery, and the systematic fucking of children, there’s a few little things I have a problem with.”
I do think the patriotic thing to do is to critique my country. How else do you make a country better but by pointing out its flaws?
Bill Maher
I think flying planes into a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder.
Bill Maher
The country has become much more conservative, partly because it’s been taken over by the religious right.
Bill Maher
If you, the citizen, deliberately vote for someone who won’t give you health care over someone who will, you need to have your head examined. Except you can’t afford to have your head examined.
The quote that changed his career, and for the better as something more than just a “comedian”…
“…We have been the cowards. Lobbing cruise missiles from two thousand miles away. That’s cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building. Say what you want about it. Not cowardly.”
Making our country better ……
I do think the patriotic thing to do is to critique my country. How else do you make a country better but by pointing out its flaws?
Bill Maher
It’s been a blast reading these great Maher quotes. You guys didn’t make my job of choosing a winner easy! I suppose I can’t put it off any longer, though…
The tickets for the Maher show will go to J. Chris Mueller. Congratulations!
Thanks to everybody who participated. If you didn’t win this time, we hope you’ll try again by entering our weekly Monday giveaways.