What’s the Matter with Bill Maher?

The HBO comedian's brand of funny reeks of classist snobbery.

By Chris Pepus

When Newt Gingrich sneered at New York City "elites" who "ride the subway," Bill Maher took the GOP presidential candidate to task. On the February 10 edition of his HBO show, Real Time, Maher said, "When it comes to dividing America, it's Republicans who in recent [RETURN TO ARTICLE]

  • Reader Comments

    “Rednecks” started as a slur against white farmers and laborers with sunburns on the backs of their necks from long days working outside. When Garofalo used “redneck” as a synonym for “racist,” she both disparaged country people…”

    “Redneck” a slur? Maybe to a racist. Please see pages 107 to 108 of “How Race Survived U.S. History” by Professor David Roediger. They could probably be called racists, and at one time the term could be considered a synonym for the word racist.

    As Roediger states, “When freedpeople entered the fields after slavery, some white farmers worriedly responded by seeking to accentuate their continued difference from the region’s new citizen-workers through a curious fashion choice. Shedding wide-brimmed straw hats of the traditional sort worn by ex-slaves, they opted for brimless wool hats in the scorching Southern sun…This choice of headwear created “rednecks” by virtue of the sunburn.”

    It would appear these white farmers wanted to distant themselves from the newly freed slaves. In essence, embracing their “whiteness.” They would probably see “redneck” as a badge of honor, or at the least a compliment. Just trying to make us all better historians. :)

    Posted by cyberella2002 on Jun 9, 2012 at 6:46 AM

    Cyberella - despite the claims of the learned professor Roediger, the term “redneck” is actually a class slur invented by rich Whites to insult poor White farmers and farm workers:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redneck

    Posted by Gregory A. Butler on Jun 9, 2012 at 2:34 PM