Bill Maher Quits Stand-Up: "I Could Get Shot by the Left or the Right"

"I don't want to be out there in this country, in this political atmosphere. I could get shot by the left or the right."

"I'm also tired of being twice as funny as people who were selling twice as many tickets as me,"

"Not that I didn't sell a lot of tickets and do great theaters - but I didn't sell arenas. And some people did, who, frankly, are not that great. But, you, know, when the audience is 35 to 45, they don't wanna see somebody 70... I just did my 13th HBO special. I feel like that's a good body of work... I felt they all, they basically got better as it went along. I feel like the last one was the best one, which is a good way to get off."

Bill Maher announced a pause from stand-up, citing concerns about personal safety amid an era of political violence and saying he could be targeted by either side. The record of recent political violence includes murders, successful and attempted assassinations of lawmakers, incoherent attackers, attempted assassinations of Donald Trump, a firebombing aimed at Governor Josh Shapiro's residence, shootings at Democratic lawmakers' houses, Paul Pelosi's near-murder, and the January 6th attack. Maher also cited career and audience factors, expressing frustration at selling fewer arena shows, noting aging audience demographics, and describing his 13th HBO special as a fitting capstone.

Read at Consequence