Every Friday that he’s on, I record Real Time With Bill Maher on HBO then watch it when I wake up the next morning.

He believes (or doesn’t!) in some things that are very different from my own beliefs.  He has tempered a bit (or been enlightened) but used to be (at least arguably) misogynistic on a regular basis.

But, he’s also funny, smart, and often surprisingly on target about a lot of things that matter.

What’s the problem for a lot of people?  He’s moved from libertarian to liberal, and he’s caustic.

I don’t deny it.  He’s caustic.

But, I do think it’s important to have entertainers who push the envelope, which is a traditional role for comedians like Maher.

It’s only by challenging the boundaries of taste that we find out where the lines exist.  Maher treads on the line a lot and sometimes crosses it.

What confuses people, I think, is a comedian who uses politics as his primary material through such a pubic forum and who is well-informed and sophisticated about his analysis at the same time he pushes the envelope.

It is precisely that – they way he really mixes it up with intelligence and humor – that appeals to me.  I don’t always agree with Bill Maher, but I’m always curious about what he has to say and the guests he chooses to bring into the conversation.