Bill Maher took aim at fellow comedian Patton Oswalt on Monday, arguing that the liberal actor lives in a bubble and is out of touch with how far some progressive policies have gone.
According to Fox News, the conversation unfolded on Oswalt’s “Club Random” podcast, where Maher pressed him on issues ranging from education to gender politics.
Oswalt pushed back against the notion that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is too far left for mainstream America.
“This country is not as mature as it thinks it is,” he said. “We elected [Barack] Obama, and clearly the country freaked out. We’re still living in that freak-out. We are not as progressed and evolved, and intelligent as we think we are.”
Maher countered that the left often overreacts, too. “The left freaked out about a lot of bulls—,” he said, citing areas where Democrats, in his view, went too far.
Oswalt asked for specifics, and Maher responded by listing topics including gender, race, education, homelessness, crime, and the border.
“We stopped being a scientific people,” Maher argued, saying some policies stray from evidence-based approaches. Oswalt disagreed, insisting progressives still rely on facts. Maher shot back, pointing to what he called “gender bulls— that they went way too far with. That’s not scientific.”
The discussion then shifted to political behavior. Oswalt suggested that conservative agitation represents an “extinction burst,” a final outburst before a movement fades. Maher agreed that some of that concern is valid, but warned it reflects a larger unease in society.
He also criticized Oswalt for being insulated in what he called a liberal “Bluesky bubble,” oblivious to the broader consequences of policies both in the U.S. and abroad.
Maher referenced England, arguing that in the name of diversity and inclusion, authorities have allowed exploitation of women — an issue largely ignored by progressive media and politicians.
“But it concerns me that this didn’t get on your radar,” he said.
The exchange highlighted a recurring tension in liberal circles: the push for progressive ideals versus awareness of their real-world implications.
Maher pressed the point that enthusiasm for social change should be tempered with caution, while Oswalt maintained that outrage often reflects a deeper national immaturity rather than a misstep by the left.
