Bill Maher Responds To Backlash Over His Comments On Marvel’s Stan Lee

During an interview on Larry King Now, Bill Maher responded to the backlash over his controversial post about the passing of Stan Lee and comic book culture.

Last week, comedian Bill Maher wrote a post on his official blog in which the Real Time host criticized fans who were mourning the death of Stan Lee and regarded comics book as important works of art and literature. The ensuing backlash and subsequent response from Stan Lee’s company Pow! Entertainment was unknown to Bill Maher until the issue was raised by Larry King, prompting the political commentator to clarify that he was not trying to disparage the Marvel Comics legend:

“[…] Talk about making my point for me. Yeah, you’re right. I mean, I don’t know very much about Stan Lee and it certainly wasn’t a swipe at Stan Lee.”

However, Maher doubled down on his stance that comic books and comic book films can’t possibly be important or “profound” works:

“Yeah, of course. Fine. I’m agnostic on Stan Lee. I don’t read comic books. I didn’t even read them when I was a child. What I was saying is, a culture that thinks that comic books and comic book movies are profound meditations on the human condition is a dumb fucking culture. And for people to, like, get mad at that just proves my point.”

What do you think of Bill Maher’s defense? Personally, it doesn’t feel worth giving any attention to someone who precedes his argument that comic books can’t be “profound” by stating that he has never read any, especially considering his position on the matter is his least objectionable opinion.

In 1961, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby launched Marvel as it is known today with The Fantastic Four and went on to create some of the most beloved heroes and villains in comic book history, including Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Black Panther, The Incredible Hulk, and The Avengers. Today, Lee’s Marvel characters are the subjects of some of the most successful and acclaimed comic books films, most of which feature cameo appearances by the legend himself.

Stan Lee was laid to rest in a private funeral. He is survived by his daughter J.C.

Source: Larry King Now