Very bad comment by Bill Maher about the Beach Boys/us

[Justin]

The only thing -- the *only* thing -- he's said, even jokingly, about Beach Boys fans there is that they/we are dying off quite quickly. The vast majority of Beach Boys fans are boomers. A lot of that generation *are* dying. We've had two threads in the last month alone on this board about well-known fans dying. It's awful, but it's happening.
He's chosen the Beach Boys, not out of some malice against the band or their fans, or because he has some hateful stereotype in mind, but because they're a band who are well-known enough that anyone (except, apparently, the people on this board) will get the joke, and who have an ageing fanbase. That's all

And it's not even like we can try to pretend that there weren't any boomers at any of the shows we saw last year.  Sweet Moses, have you seen the In Concert DVD that was just released??  Nearly every audience shot had a bunch of baby boomers doing the twist to every song.  Let's not pretend that they're not there.  The Beach Boys obviously have fans of all ages but they are not really represented that fairly at shows.  Maher obviously has had some first-hand knowledge of this and probably saw for himself just who exactly attends BB shows--otherwise he wouldn't have made the comment. 

And even if he had... really, so what? Are we, as a group, so oversensitive now that we can't take a joke?

Here, here!  Unfortunately, there's always this kind of oversensitivity among hardcore fans of any artist/group.  The original poster obviously has some inadequacies about the BBs in the public eye because his other thread was about a joke Kathy Griffin made on NYE about the song "Kokomo."   Chill, people. 

[KittyKat]

Bill has a misanthropic streak, and is the reason why I never cared for him. I suspect he laughs at the people who laugh at him, just like he jokes at the expense of Beach Boys' fans. I have to admit enjoying hearing what Wayne Brady had to say about Bill, after Wayne found out that Bill was accusing Obama of acting "too white" by comparing him to Wayne Brady.  Wayne's anti-Maher rant is on YouTube and not safe for work, but it's hilarious.

[Shady]

Let's take a look at this Bill Maher topic from another angle.

I just happened to be reading a news article in the Las Vegas Review Journal, when I saw a piece about Maher. So I clicked on it, and here was the main point of it, copied directly from the article:

By Doug Elfman
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Jan. 8, 2013 | 2:03 a.m.

The Palms has stolen HBO star Bill Maher away from The Orleans, giving him more performances in a bigger theater for 2013.

"I always loved The Orleans," Maher tells me. "My only complaint is that it was three weekends a year. I think we got a little more now," with four weekends a year in the Palms' Pearl.

The star of "Real Time with Bill Maher" regularly sold out tickets in the Orleans Showroom, which holds 850 seats. The Pearl can do seating configurations of 1,100 or 2,500, and it offers two huge video screens.

When I ask Maher how this move came about, he says, "I don't know. I mean, that's for agents to think about."


So Bill Maher regularly "sold out" a room that holds 850 seats, and is now getting bumped up to a larger room.

Fan-f***ing-tastic, good for him!

The object of his derision, the Beach Boys, had a Vegas show in 2012 at the Red Rock Casino Amphitheatre, where their fans which Maher made it a point to use as the punchline for one of his snide comments masked as a joke, filled up pretty well.

Without having the exact numbers, I think the seats filled for those old Beach Boys far exceeded Maher's 850 seat "sell out" crowds that bought tickets to his show. In fact I'd like to also see a tally of how many of Maher's seats were empty at those sellouts as a result of hotels buying up blocks of "comp" tickets for their guests and not having any takers to see the gig.

So I'd suggest Maher back off a bit on the Beach Boys and their fans, at least until he pays some more dues, gets some more fans, attains more popularity through his work, and becomes worthy of being booked in the kinds of Vegas rooms that The Beach Boys in their several incarnations can be booked and sell solid numbers of tickets on a regular basis.

I think the root of guys like Maher's anger is jealousy, as much as a lack of things to be happy about. In this case, his 850-seat capacity sell-outs which warranted newer bookings in lower-to-mid-size Vegas rooms *still* pales in comparison to the popularity and solid ticket sales for The Beach Boys which warrant rooms with five times the capacity of Maher's bookings.

Maher should reserve the snide remarks for that time when he can command the bigger rooms in Vegas...at least those which seat more than his current gigs, and those which the Beach Boys play when in Vegas...and I doubt that time will come anytime soon.  

So good luck, Mr. Maher, and be sure to tell your Vegas audience to tip the bartenders, be nice to the dealers at the tables, and enjoy the hotel's buffet. $5.99, all you can eat.

Is the author of that piece a member of this board 

[Rocky Raccoon]

I love Bill Maher. And it's just a joke. And face it there's a lot to make fun of with the Beach Boys. It doesn't diminish their amazing contributions to music guys....

I agree with this.

[Kurosawa]

People make these same kinds of jokes about the Stones all the time, and unlike the BB, they have always been "hip", whatever the hell that is.

[Chris Brown]

I love Bill Maher. And it's just a joke. And face it there's a lot to make fun of with the Beach Boys. It doesn't diminish their amazing contributions to music guys....

I agree with this.

As do I.  I'm a fan of his as well, but even putting that aside, neither this nor the Chris Rock joke are actually putting down the Boys.  Let's face it, the guys are old, and their fan base tends to skew older given that they've been around so damn long.  At the end of the day it's just a harmless little joke, meant to get a laugh, not maliciously attack musical legends.

[Jason]

Keep in mind, you're talking about a fan base that at least 90% of which I'm quite sure is comprised of people who listen to nothing BUT the Beach Boys.

[I. Spaceman]

Keep in mind, you're talking about a fan base that at least 90% of which I'm quite sure is comprised of people who listen to nothing BUT the Beach Boys.

Wut u talkin'?? I listen to The Flame at least once a year!

[SMiLE Brian]

Keep in mind, you're talking about a fan base that at least 90% of which I'm quite sure is comprised of people who listen to nothing BUT the Beach Boys.

Thank god I just bought the awesome moodies remasters.

[guitarfool2002]

Let's take a look at this Bill Maher topic from another angle.

I just happened to be reading a news article in the Las Vegas Review Journal, when I saw a piece about Maher. So I clicked on it, and here was the main point of it, copied directly from the article:

By Doug Elfman
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Jan. 8, 2013 | 2:03 a.m.

The Palms has stolen HBO star Bill Maher away from The Orleans, giving him more performances in a bigger theater for 2013.

"I always loved The Orleans," Maher tells me. "My only complaint is that it was three weekends a year. I think we got a little more now," with four weekends a year in the Palms' Pearl.

The star of "Real Time with Bill Maher" regularly sold out tickets in the Orleans Showroom, which holds 850 seats. The Pearl can do seating configurations of 1,100 or 2,500, and it offers two huge video screens.

When I ask Maher how this move came about, he says, "I don't know. I mean, that's for agents to think about."


So Bill Maher regularly "sold out" a room that holds 850 seats, and is now getting bumped up to a larger room.

Fan-f***ing-tastic, good for him!

The object of his derision, the Beach Boys, had a Vegas show in 2012 at the Red Rock Casino Amphitheatre, where their fans which Maher made it a point to use as the punchline for one of his snide comments masked as a joke, filled up pretty well.

Without having the exact numbers, I think the seats filled for those old Beach Boys far exceeded Maher's 850 seat "sell out" crowds that bought tickets to his show. In fact I'd like to also see a tally of how many of Maher's seats were empty at those sellouts as a result of hotels buying up blocks of "comp" tickets for their guests and not having any takers to see the gig.

So I'd suggest Maher back off a bit on the Beach Boys and their fans, at least until he pays some more dues, gets some more fans, attains more popularity through his work, and becomes worthy of being booked in the kinds of Vegas rooms that The Beach Boys in their several incarnations can be booked and sell solid numbers of tickets on a regular basis.

I think the root of guys like Maher's anger is jealousy, as much as a lack of things to be happy about. In this case, his 850-seat capacity sell-outs which warranted newer bookings in lower-to-mid-size Vegas rooms *still* pales in comparison to the popularity and solid ticket sales for The Beach Boys which warrant rooms with five times the capacity of Maher's bookings.

Maher should reserve the snide remarks for that time when he can command the bigger rooms in Vegas...at least those which seat more than his current gigs, and those which the Beach Boys play when in Vegas...and I doubt that time will come anytime soon.  

So good luck, Mr. Maher, and be sure to tell your Vegas audience to tip the bartenders, be nice to the dealers at the tables, and enjoy the hotel's buffet. $5.99, all you can eat.

Is the author of that piece a member of this board 

The newspaper piece in question is in bold print - I don't know if that writer for the Review Journal is a member of this board.

The author of the words not in bold is indeed a member of this board.  

[guitarfool2002]

Keep in mind, you're talking about a fan base that at least 90% of which I'm quite sure is comprised of people who listen to nothing BUT the Beach Boys.

I doubt that just from the conversations I've had. And most of the "what are you listening to now" thread is non-Beach Boys music.

Maybe 5%? I don't know. 90% is too high.

[EgoHanger1966]

Keep in mind, you're talking about a fan base that at least 90% of which I'm quite sure is comprised of people who listen to nothing BUT the Beach Boys.

Funnily exaggerated - but in reality, a more telling description of the fanbase is that we tend to have periods where we get hooked on only The Beach Boys (and related artists), and tend to analyse and theorize on their recorded output and history. Not very different of other fanbases, though...

[guitarfool2002]

This thread is embarrassing. As someone else said, i hope he makes fun of this thread in an episode of his show.

I agree, he should read this board, maybe go to a few more shows, and get to know more Beach Boys fans, then he might realize his stereotype of them is wrong. I'd expect a veteran comedian who would use a stereotype as the basis of a joke to at least make sure the stereotype is somewhat accurate before using the joke. 

*WHAT* stereotype?!!!
Dear God in heaven...
The only thing -- the *only* thing -- he's said, even jokingly, about Beach Boys fans there is that they/we are dying off quite quickly. The vast majority of Beach Boys fans are boomers. A lot of that generation *are* dying. We've had two threads in the last month alone on this board about well-known fans dying. It's awful, but it's happening.
He's chosen the Beach Boys, not out of some malice against the band or their fans, or because he has some hateful stereotype in mind, but because they're a band who are well-known enough that anyone (except, apparently, the people on this board) will get the joke, and who have an ageing fanbase. That's all.

You could even take the joke as a compliment to Beach Boys fans, in a twisted sort of way. If it's good that Republicans are 'dying faster than Beach Boys fans', then surely that means that it's good that Beach Boys fans aren't dying as fast as Republicans? (No comfort if you're a Republican as well as a Beach Boys fan, of course).

Now you can argue if the joke is funny (I don't think it is from what's written here, but that kind of thing can be contextual), you can argue about whether it's tasteless to make that sort of joke (and I'd agree -- although jokes from all sides about the death of one's political enemies are fairly common). But he didn't say *anything* bad about the Beach Boys, their music, their fans, or anything else to do with the band.

And even if he had... really, so what? Are we, as a group, so oversensitive now that we can't take a joke?

I enjoy a good joke, I really do. I like taking and giving jokes.  Just understand that making a joke about the benefits of a group of people dying off - no matter who they are - isn't particularly funny nor very welcome for some folks. And to drag the Beach Boys into it just seemed weird, and it seems Maher said a similar thing and used the Beach Boys name several months ago to state the same "joke".

Instead of Beach Boys he could have said Beatles or McCartney, Stones, Who, Springsteen, Jimmy Buffet, etc. and I'd still respond by saying the same thing: It's not funny. The fact that I don't care for Maher's schtick colors my reaction too, and I watched him pretty regularly when he hosted "Politically Incorrect" on ABC late night. I enjoyed that show until Maher's bitterness and anger started to overtake the panel discussion itself, at least in my opinion.

[FUN³]

beach boys fans have more sand in their vaginas than republicans.

[guitarfool2002]

Nah, I'd say Jimmy Buffet's fans would win that contest hands down.

[SMiLE Brian]

beach boys fans have more sand in their vaginas than republicans.

Alrighty...

[SMiLE Brian]

 

Nah, I'd say Jimmy Buffet's fans would win that contest hands down.

[Shady]

This thread has underlying political bias

[Jason]

This thread has underlying political bias

No bias here. We're right, they're wrong and THEY CAN'T MAKE A JOKE!

Get it?

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

Come on, Everyone!

Let's Be Friends
Let's Be Friends
Let's Be Friends

[Heywood]

If calling Bruce a has been means you're not a fan a lot of fans are in trouble!!
 
A few touchy Republicans ( or people with comprehension difficulties) here, I think!
Great read, though. 

[guitarfool2002]

Bill Maher starring as Pizza Man in the film "Pizza Man":



Bill Maher being cooked by cannibal women in a giant cauldron in the film "Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle Of Death":




Get the popcorn ready, it's a double feature. 

[bgas]

Bill Maher starring as Pizza Man in the film "Pizza Man":



Bill Maher being cooked by cannibal women in a giant cauldron in the film "Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle Of Death":




Get the popcorn ready, it's a double feature. 

Oh man!  Where do I get a copy of the Cannibal Women?

[Eric Aniversario]

Keep in mind, you're talking about a fan base that at least 90% of which I'm quite sure is comprised of people who listen to nothing BUT the Beach Boys.

Funnily exaggerated - but in reality, a more telling description of the fanbase is that we tend to have periods where we get hooked on only The Beach Boys (and related artists), and tend to analyse and theorize on their recorded output and history. Not very different of other fanbases, though...

I listen to other artists, but admittedly the Beach Boys and related artists probably comprise 75% of my listening.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Bill Maher starring as Pizza Man in the film "Pizza Man":



Bill Maher being cooked by cannibal women in a giant cauldron in the film "Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle Of Death":




Get the popcorn ready, it's a double feature. 

The best one though is the episode of Win, Lose or Draw where he accidentally gets his nose broken by an overly excited Erik Estrada, particularly when they immediately cut to a "Please Stand By" sign, in the style that The Simpsons were parodying around the same time. See for yourself - you would almost assume it to be a comedy bit, it's so perfectly timed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufGml7lRoMc