When I bought my copy of Bill Maher’s New Rules, the clerk who rang me up assured me that the subject matter was “hysterical, yet poignant.”
The clerk’s words proved surprisingly sound, provided that the reader agrees completely with everything Mr. Maher says. Maher makes fun of everything and everyone passing through the media in the last four years, and he is certainly not timid about it.
This has one of two effects: you realize that what’s written on the page is either exactly what you’ve been thinking, or you find it disgustingly enraging. It seems that the only way to completely enjoy this book is to be a middle-aged, liberal, white Jew with your own show on HBO.
All of these “new rules,” little more than Mr. Maher’s political and social opinions, have no factual basis (with a few rare exceptions). They are generally pet peeves along the lines of “don’t talk to me while I’m taking a leak.”
Perhaps the biggest issue with New Rules is that it prioritizes humor over poignancy. Maher occasionally makes a valid political or social observation, but the sarcastic comment that follows reminds us that he is primarily a comedian.
Aside from a few short essays in which Maher rants about politics, New Rules is consistently funny, if occasionally offensive. It can be both enjoyable and validating if approached with a broad mind (and a liberal tilt). Just don’t expect it to bring about any kind of social change.
New Rule: Be a comedian or be a politician, but not both. Political views are hard enough to take seriously as it is.
