On his weekly show on Friday night, HBO host Bill Maher suggested that the content that appears on the Drudge Report obviously demonstrates “racism in America.”
In objecting to accusations of racism against Gwyneth Paltrow for a a June 1 tweet with the heading “Ni**as in paris for real,” Maher directed his audience to Matt Drudge as a foil for, in his mind, actual racism.
Maher’s evidence of Drudge’s alleged racism came in the form of six images of black men, which appeared on the webmaster’s website, the Drudge Report, during the month of April.
“The problem with racism is Matt Drudge,” Maher said. “I pick from Matt Drudge’s website — just this, over a month we monitored this. Just show some of the pictures that were on — there, Mike Tyson looking like he’s going to eat your head. Oh yes, Louis Farrakhan — because he’s so relevant now. Oh, and Marion Barry, he’s in the news also. Oh yes, Rev. Wright, because he matters to your life so much. This is who appears on the Drudge Report. Oh yes, and there’s Al Sharpton telling Eric Holder what he should do, and Michael Jordan angry, because that’s how we all remember him. This is racism in America.”
While Maher mocked the images, he neglected to provide context for the stories Drudge attached to the pictures — nor did Maher explain why he went all the way back to the month of April for his examples.
Additionally, the HBO host overplayed the images’ prominence, as shown from research based on the Drudge Report Archives:
- The Mike Tyson image accompanied an April 12 story in which the former boxer expressed disgust at the fact that George Zimmerman, the Florida man charged in the murder of Trayvon Martin, had not yet been shot.
- The Louis Farrakhan picture was attached to an April 17 story in which the black nationalist heaped praise on conservative commentator Pat Buchanan — calling him a “great Republican.”
- On April 5, a picture of Marion Barry was featured atop a story of the D.C. Council member and former D.C. mayor expressing anger at the District’s Asian-American community for opening businesses in the city, instead of African Americans. “We got to do something about these Asians coming in and opening up businesses and dirty shops,” Barry said. “They ought to go. I’m going to say that right now. But we need African-American businesspeople to be able to take their places, too.”
- The picture of MSNBC host Al Sharpton and Attorney General Eric Holder appeared on April 11, with a story about Holder praising the left-wing activist for his efforts — protesting and rallying — on behalf of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin.
- Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s picture was featured with an April 10 story about the president’s former pastor claiming that “white supremacy” is driving “world policy” and that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas worships “some other god.
- April 27’s Michael Jordan picture appeared with a story about how the Charlotte Bobcats’ basketball team owner presided over the “NBA’s worst team ever.”
