Keith Olbermann Curses Bill Maher ‘Scoundrel’ For Bringing Show Back As Writers Hit: ‘Fk you’

television

By Fox News

Left-wing commentator Keith Olbermann cursed comedian Bill Maher after the HBO host said he would bring back his show amid the writers’ strike.

Olbermann took to social media platform

Maher made the announcement on Wednesday on the platform, saying: “Real Time is returning, unfortunately, without a book or script. It’s been five months, and it’s time to get people back to work.

He added: “The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and I hope that they will be addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only ones who have issues, problems, and concerns. Despite some help from me, many employees are suffering greatly.

The writers’ list of demands include higher wages, a guaranteed number of writers per room, better payouts, and guarantees on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the writing process.

Olbermann criticized the announcement shortly after its release, targeting Maher personally in office. While sharing a Variety article about the news, the former MSNBC commentator commented, “Without the writers, SCAB’s new weekly edition of Real Time With @billmaher would be 83 seconds long.”

He added: “As someone who has known you since 1978: Damn you, Bill, you selfish, unfunny bastard.”

Maher added in his original announcement: “And I will say this to the audience: The show I would give without my book would not be as good as our regular show, period.”

But he noted, “The core of the show is an informal panel discussion aimed at going beyond the bullshit and expected partisanship, and that will continue. The show will not disappoint.”

Drew Barrymore received similar outrage for announcing the return of her show amid the ongoing strike.

“To be clear, our talk show actually ended on April 20, so we never had to shut down the show,” the host of “The Drew Barrymore Show” on X posted this week.

“However, I am also choosing to return for the first time this strike for our show, which may have my name on it but this is bigger than just me.”

“I own that choice… Our show was created for sensitive times and only works through what the real world is going through in real time,” she added.

However, social media users criticized Barrymore’s decision. One wrote: “Writers made you your career. They gave you lines. You wouldn’t have gotten where you are without them. I’ve always thought of you as someone with great empathy. Not anymore. Not if you do this.”

Warner Bros. said: Discovery said it had nothing to add to Maher’s statement, but reiterated that the offer would comply with the WGA strike.

“In compliance with the WGA strike, the series will return without writers and therefore will not feature any written pieces including a monologue, desk piece, new rules or editorial,” a Fox News Digital spokesperson said.

Maher did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.