You Choose …
When I heard Bill Maher’s Christmas Eve Tweet about Tim Tebow, I tucked it away as post-fodder for Thursday. What could be better for one last curmudgeonly rant for 2011 than an evangelical dumb jock who seems to think he’s being guided by Jesus on the football field versus a snide, pro-atheism comedian looking for some publicity? But here it is Thursday and my Inner Curmudgeon is yawning, which means you get to hear from me. The me Muri likes best.
In case you were on another planet for the last week, after Tebow’s Denver Broncos were annihilated by the New England Patriots last week, Maher Tweeted: Wow, Jesus just f—- TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler, “Hey, Buffalo’s killing them” This set off a firestorm of commentary, ranging from counter-Tweets, like FOX News’ Eric Bowling’s, Bill Maher is disgusting vile trash. I can’t even repeat what he just tweeted about Tebow . . . on Christmas Eve, to calls for a boycott of HBO, the network that airs Real Time with Bill Maher. To Tebow’s credit, he ignored Maher, Tweeting only, Tough game today but what’s most important is being able to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas everyone GB² (according to Tebow’s website GB²=God Bless+Go Broncos). Naturally, along with the calls for Maher’s head, there have been Tweets supporting both his edgy comedy and his right to say what he thinks.
The thing I like … and hate … about Twitter is that it gives us a glimpse directly into the heads of celebrities without filtering by writers, public relations weenies and agents. We get to see exactly what they are thinking in the words they choose which can be both enlightening and scary. That’s not to say some celebrities aren’t more calculating than others. As Andy Levy said on FOX News, Bill Maher tweeted this for one reason and one reason only: to get a rise out of people. Why give him the satisfaction? He’s a comedian. People need to stop being outraged by what comedians say. Part of their job is to say things that are outrageous.
So, do me a favor. Take a look at Tebow’s and Maher’s Tweets side-by-side, then answer a few questions. If you want, hop over to Wikipedia** and read a little bit about the two, Maher here and Tebow here.
Who sounds smarter to you, the dumb jock or the know-it-all comedian?
Who sounds happier to you?
Who sounds more at peace with himself to you?
Now, The $64,000 Question: If forced to choose, would you be Bill Maher or Tim Tebow? Although I have no desire to be either, if forced to choose, the answer would be easy for me.
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Tags: comedy, curmudgeonly rants, entertainment, perspectives, postaday2011, religion, spirituality, sports
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Older Eyes 
December 29, 2011 at 10:03 am
I think I know what your answer to this question is. I have to agree, if you believe Tim Tebow is the happier person. In many ways, I envy a simple true faith. I wouldn’t be him either, but I would like to have a much less complicated belief system. I do get tired of cynics, especially mean spirited ones. I congratulate Tebow for just getting on with things. BTW, I hate Twitter too. I had an account for a few months and never figured out what all the buzz is about.
December 30, 2011 at 8:56 pm
I don’t use Twitter myself but I do follow what’s going on because it says a lot about our society. Thirty years ago, I would have been the cynic wrt Tebow but age has made me more receptive to other’s faith.
December 29, 2011 at 10:15 am
1-In all probability, Jesus was not born on December 25. The celebration of his birth was grafted onto a pagan festival day.
2- It sure was fun watching Buffalo run those interceptions back for touchdowns.
3- There is no good choice here. In both cases, you have the option of turning the TV off, or switching away from twitter. If you are in enforced contact ( a work or family situation) with someone who will not shut up, who repeats his obnoxious opinions with disregard for his neighbor, then you do not have this option.
4- When Satan was through talking to Hitler, Jesus spoke up. He said, please leave me out of this.
December 30, 2011 at 8:59 pm
As it turns out, I think, the accuracy of historical details have little meaning when it comes to faith. Virtually every religion begins with a story that is beyond reason, which is why faith is about belief not knowledge. I actually enjoy watching Tebow defy the critics, I just skip his interviews, as I do any show involving Maher.
December 29, 2011 at 10:48 am
Sure Bill Maher has a right to free speech and I have a right to not like it when he speaks like that. And Tim Tebow Has a right to kneel and figure jester toward heaven if he so chooses. And I have a right to like it (or not).
Motivation for either is called into question and only the originators of the words or deeds can answer to the final arbiter whose decision is incontrovertible.
December 30, 2011 at 9:00 pm
I agree completely.
December 29, 2011 at 10:50 am
Fulfilling your favor request:
Who sounds smarter to you, the dumb jock or the know-it-all comedian? Neither, I see these tweets as a condition of the heart, not the mind.
Who sounds happier to you? To be true to the word, happy, I would have to pick Bill. Unfortunately, it is at the expense of someone else.
Who sounds more at peace with himself to you? Tim
Now, The $64,000 Question: If forced to choose, would you be Bill Maher or Tim Tebow? Forced being the key word because I learned long ago to never want to be someone else, I would choose Tim. Not simply because I share his faith, but because I would never want to be like someone who spends their time so focused on what other people do in order to ridicule them. To me, that seems like an utter waste of time. Also, arrogance is not something I aspire to.
Now that I have acquiesced, may I say, the great thing about Twitter is I only see what I wish to “follow”, so until the media decided to assist Bill and spread the vile far and wide, I didn’t even know he spewing. I do not follow those who use that format or any other to tear other people down or criticize, beliefs or otherwise. Living in Colorado and a Bronco fan, I happen to like Tim Tebow and what he brings to football (the team is fun to watch again) and the Broncos organization as an honorable young man.
Well, that’s my 2 cents pitched in the pot. 😉
December 30, 2011 at 9:04 pm
I have to admit, I did some reading about the two men before I wrote “You Choose …” which influenced my opinion as to who was smarter and happier. The kind of happy I was thinking about is related to having a purpose in life (other than making fun of others beliefs). And I’m inclined to think that cynics are unhappy with themselves, which is why they denigrate others.
December 29, 2011 at 11:42 am
[…] blogger named Older eyes put up a post about Tim Tebow and Bill Maher, who recently had a twitterspat. It went like this. […]
December 29, 2011 at 5:53 pm
1. Tebow
2. Tebow
3. Tebow
4. Tebow. Although not a football fanatic, I’ve heard plenty about him and how he repeatedly thanks the Lord for his success on the field. I have to admit, it rubs me the wrong way that he thinks God is spending time making sure Tim Tebow wins football games while more serious matters need His attention. However, another part of me admires his faith and his refusal to back off because some people scoff at him. He knows what he believes and he’s not ashamed of it. And he doesn’t have to bring other people down in order to make his words seem important. I would be that person any day as opposed to the one who has to draw attention to himself by making fun of others.
December 30, 2011 at 9:06 pm
I think it drives atheists crazy that having a purpose in life makes religious people happy,
December 30, 2011 at 8:09 am
I don’t know why, but I’m such a contrarian to you lately. Forgive me? If I answer your questions, it would go like this:
1. To me, neither sounds less smart than the other. They’re just different. (I usually find “public” swearing to be a sign of ignorance, but comedians get a pass from me; I think it takes intelligence to make clever jokes, even if they’re offensive.)
2. Based just on what they’ve said, Bill Maher is clearly laughing, and Tim Tebow is clearly upset about losing. So to me, Bill sounds happier.
3. I don’t think either sounds less at peace with himself than the other.
4. I can’t answer that. I don’t know either of them.
I’m a stinker, I know. With your indulgence, I’ll ask if these questions are really even relevant to the two people at hand, or if they’re actually more relevant to the people who are bothered by Bill Maher and what he said. I used to like Maher – I think he’s very clever and very, very smart. Unfortunately he often uses those powers for a$$holery. That’s a shame, and sometimes he bugs me, but he doesn’t care that he bugs me and nothing he says can change what I think about anything. Everyone who follows his Twitter feed should expect something like that out of him, and no one who doesn’t would have known what he said if Fox and others (I presume) hadn’t broadcast it. That said: God does not care who wins a football game, so Tebow’s faith is very admirable but his demonstration is definitely often for show, which I don’t usually admire – even if the purpose is to draw more followers to Jesus, which is fine with me. He’s not the first athlete to talk a lot about God and Jesus and point to the sky whenever he’s successful on a play. I’m not sure why he gets all the attention he gets, either. I am pretty sure, though, that if someone gave that same amount of deference and credit to Allah or Yahweh, they wouldn’t be nearly as admired.
December 30, 2011 at 9:16 pm
I have to admit, my dislike of snide comedians influenced my answers. I tend to dislike people who think they are smarter than they actually are, people who always seem to be talking down to most of us. There was certainly nothing clever about Maher’s Tweet … it was, in fact, sophomoric. With respect to who was happier, I was thinking more in terms of “happy in life.” I tend to think that people who make fun of others are fundamentally miserable. For me, being happy means having a purpose and I think Maher’s anti-religious vitriol reflect how crazy it makes him that religious people are happier than he is. Anyway, that’s my take … which is very different that it would have been when I was your age. Whatever that is.
December 30, 2011 at 11:33 pm
I used to like Bill Maher’s comedy a good while back but the past so many years, though many consider him to have become more “edgy” with his humor, I’ve found it just downright insulting much of the time. I rarely pay him any attention at all these days. I don’t pay any real attention to Tim Tebow either mainly because I don’t follow pro-football the way I used to do either. (I still like it but just rarely watch it that often.) I don’t look at Tebow’s prayer things as his belief that God always supports his efforts and therefore, makes him and his team always the winners but rather perhaps that he is just giving his own thanks for the opportunity to play what hopefully for him, his best game each time he takes the field. I don’t particularly care for overt displays of religious aspects like this mainly because part of the teachings -if I recall correctly admonishes us to not put our beliefs out this publically and on display, but rather to try to maintain a more low-key, humble status about our worship. Just my interpretation there and if he chooses to show praise in this manner, that’s is his choice just as it is also Maher’s choice to make statements that are meant to create a bit of havoc with the public too. Frankly, I do think as far as which is Happy, I’d choose Tebow as I can’t see how being mean-spirited makes anyone happy.
December 30, 2015 at 11:13 am
[…] State University Library”. Tim Tebow’s fifteen minutes are over. A blogger named Older eyes put up a post about Tim Tebow and Bill Maher, who recently had a twitterspat. It went like this. […]
December 28, 2019 at 7:37 am
[…] minutes are over. Colin Kaepernick’s fifteen minutes refuses to end. A blogger named Older eyes put up a post about Tim Tebow and Bill Maher, who recently had a twitterspat. It went like this. […]