Al Franken Backs Out of Bill Maher Show in Wake of N-Word Backlash

11. Maher interviews alt-right darling Milo Yiannopoulos
After Milo’s speech at Berkeley University was canceled because of protests that included a few small fires and thrown objects, Maher brought the alt-right idol in for an interview. Though Milo’s anti-feminism, anti-transgender and anti-Muslim positions are well known -- as is his role in the harassment-focused online movement known as GamerGate -- Maher offered almost no pushback against Milo. Read more here.

10. Maher jokes about Tila Tequila being assaulted
In 2009, news broke that Tila Tequila claimed she’d been assaulted by then-boyfriend and San Diego Charger Shawne Merriman. Maher responded with a joke many found sexist: “New rule: Stop acting surprised someone choked Tila Tequila! The surprise is that someone hasn’t choked this bitch sooner.”

9. Maher claims Hillary Clinton cried for political gain
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Maher tore into Clinton. In what many read as a sexist remark, Maher said women use crying to win arguments and accused Clinton of crying on the campaign trail for the same reason. Watch the clip here.

8. Maher says millions of Muslims supported the “Charlie Hebdo” attacks
Maher has a long history of being highly critical of religion and, in recent years, of Islam in particular. In the wake of the 2015 “Charlie Hebdo” attack in France, Maher said “hundreds of millions” of Muslims supported the violence, in which 12 people were killed and 11 more were injured. Watch the clip.

7. He gets into an Islamophobia argument with Ben Affleck
On a panel with actor Ben Affleck and author Sam Harris, Maher defended Harris’ assertions about Islam, including when Harris said “Islam at this moment is the mother lode of bad ideas.” The discussion turned into a shouting match, as Affleck quickly challenged the stance and bigotry related to discussions of Islam. Watch the clip here.

6. Maher compares One Direction’s Zayn Malik to Boston Marathon bomber
Singer Zayn Malik quit the band One Direction, prompting a few jokes from Maher during an episode. But people were angered when Maher asked, “Where were you during the Boston Marathon,” placing an image of Malik beside one of bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Many saw the joke as one mocking both Malik’s appearance and his Muslim faith. Watch the clip.

5. He defends Bill O’Reilly’s joke about Maxine Waters
After former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly said Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ hair looked like a “James Brown wig,” Maher came to his defense on “Real Time.” Maher’s point: liberals can’t take a joke. Many criticized O’Reilly’s joke to be racist, and he later apologized. Watch the clip here.

4. Maher says dogs are like children with mental disabilities
In the middle of making some point about how he’s not lauded enough for raising dogs, Maher said dogs are “like retarded children.” Guests floundered both to address Maher’s use of the offensive word and the much more offensive comparison of children with disabilities to animals. Watch the clip.

3. ...And makes fun of Sarah Palin’s son Trig
Maher pushed that button again when he referred to Trig as “it” and said he “looks a lot like John Edwards.” Watch the clip here.

2. Maher says 9/11 terrorists weren’t cowardly
Maher's ABC show “Politically Incorrect" was canceled in June 2002 after what he later explained was his attempt to level criticism against the American military. Less than a week after Sept. 11, 2001, Maher said the terrorists who stayed aboard planes were “warriors,” adding that the U.S. had been cowardly for firing cruise missiles at enemies “from 2,000 miles away.” The comment caused a row, as advertisers pulled out of the show. Watch the clip.

1. Maher says “I’m a house n---a”
In his latest bout of outrage-driving commentary, Maher offhandedly dropped the n-word in the middle of an interview. HBO has since said the comment was “inexcusable” and is removing it from reruns of the show and Maher has apologized.