Keith Olbermann Slams Bill Maher’s Decision To Bring Back ‘Real Time’ Amid Ongoing WGA Strike: “F—k You, You Selfish And Unfunny Scumbag”

Bill Maher is getting chewed out on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, for deciding to bring back his late night talk show amid the ongoing writers strike.

Political commentator Keith Olbermann did not mince words when he responded to Maher’s controversial decision to bring back Real Time With Bill Maher later this month.

“Without writers, the new weekly SCAB edition of Real Time With @billmaher will be 83 seconds long,” Olbermann tweeted. “As somebody who’s known you since 1978: Fuck you, Bill, you selfish and unfunny scumbag.”

Real Time is set to return with new episodes on Friday, Sept. 22, “sans writers or writing,” meaning many regular segments will be missing from the weekly broadcast. According to Maher’s statement, the new episodes will only be the panel discussion between Maher and his guests.

The WGA called his decision “disappointing” and vowed to picket the show when it returns.

“Bill Maher is obligated as a WGA member to follow the strike rules and not perform any writing services. It is difficult to imagine how Real Time with Bill Maher can go forward without a violation of WGA strike rules taking place. WGA will be picketing this show,” the guild said in a statement.

Without writers, the new weekly SCAB edition of "Real Time With @billmaher" will be 83 seconds long https://t.co/EkMqgeHGYL

As somebody who's known you since 1978: Fuck you, Bill, you selfish and unfunny scumbag

— Keith Olbermann⌚️ (@KeithOlbermann) September 14, 2023

His decision makes him the first late night host to return to air since the WGA strike began in May. He will be joining the ranks of daytime programs The Drew Barrymore Show, The View, Sherri, and others, who have all returned with new episodes or are preparing to do so.

While Maher is starting on another season of his show, his fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Stephen Colbert have instead joined forces on a new podcast to raise money for their crews.

“Bill Maher could pay his staff from his own pocket for years and remain fabulously wealthy. Claiming he’s scabbing out of sympathy for the workers who’s under-paid labor he exploits is wild…,” one X user tweeted after news broke of Real Time‘s return.

Another user pointed out that Maher is crossing the picket line by continuing with the show, considering he is also a writer on it.

“Coming up with an idea off the top of your head is still writing. If it’s not, then pitching an alt on set isn’t writing. Breaking story isn’t writing. Bill Maher is a WGA writer on his show. He’s scabbing,” they wrote.

Real Time With Bill Maher is set to return to HBO on Sept. 22 at 10 pm ET.