Bill Maher Criticizes Gen Z for Emulating ‘White Lotus’ in Recent Critique Against Wokeness

Bill Maher concluded the most recent episode of Real Time with another passionate monologue, this time focusing on Gen Z, woke politics, and what he perceives as the liberal left’s excessive embrace of youthful idealism.

During Friday night’s HBO show, the comedian shifted from his typical criticisms of political correctness to more controversial topics, alleging that some younger Americans are showing empathy towards terrorism. He also made a reference to HBO’s The White Lotus to stay relevant.

Maher urged parents to communicate with their children and remind them of the impracticality of aspiring to live like their heroes in groups like Hamas. He emphasized that many everyday items and privileges enjoyed by young Americans are products of American culture. Maher challenged the younger generation by saying, “Please! You wouldn’t last a week living in a conflict-zone. Your lifestyle is far removed from the realities of those situations.”

The reference pointed to Sarah Catherine Hook’s character Piper Ratliff, a spiritually curious traveler who appears in Season 3 of the Mike White-created series.

Elsewhere in the same segment, Maher revisited familiar themes, taking aim at the rise of diversity in television ads and leveraging a statistic about LGBTQ home ownership to make one of his go-to comparisons. “Yes, in America, gays buy buildings. In other places, they get thrown off them,” he quipped.

Continuing his critique of progressive parenting and what he views as its political consequences, Maher declared: “Liberals are weak and woke, especially the white ones. And they indulge all sorts of nonsense from their kids, a problem that then continues on in the Democratic party.” He concluded with a call to action for left-leaning Americans: “Liberals need to push back on the dumb ideas that come from their children.”

Earlier in the show, Maher welcomed Gen Z activist and DNC vice chair David Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, for a more measured exchange about youth in politics. Hogg advocated for generational change within the Democratic Party but cautioned against generalizations.

“It’s not just a matter of age, to be clear,” said Hogg. “As you know, Bill, there are young people who suck, just as much as there are old people who suck. It’s not that simple to just say if you’re above a certain age, you shouldn’t be there.”

During his “New Rule” segment, Maher focused on the perceived issues of the Democratic party, insisting that they need to “retake the flag!” He cited some polling numbers which show that “less than one in four Democrats under 30 say they’re proud to be an American.” The HBO host feels this lack of patriotism is hurting the party. You can watch that segment below.