Bill Maher Puts Celebrity Apologies on a Stick — They're 'Why 'People Hate Democrats'

These days, it’s all about the apology.

Each week, it seems someone of note responds to online attacks with a confessional laced with humility the likes of which you may never have encountered in real life.

In many cases, the same words are employed — as if the statement was cut from other people’s Forgive-Mes to ensure the newly-stitched one is beyond reproach.

That’s not to say no one’s sincere; but either way, Bill Maher’s sick of it.

On Real-Time Friday night, he made that clear.

If you’re unaware, playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda recently found himself embroiled: His new film The Heights features racial groups galore.

However, apparently, he missed one.

Bill explained:

“He’s got a new musical, The Heights, which is about Washington Heights. … And he wrote the music and lyrics.”

Lin-Manuel’s of Hispanic heritage:

“His parents are Puerto Rican — came to this country from Puerto Rico. The book is by someone who’s half-Puerto Rican. It got 96% Rotten Tomatoes. People loved it. Great reviews, for which he has apologized profusely.”

So, what did the brains behind a hit musical and film do wrong?

Bill referenced a scathing review:

“[T]here is Latinx performers, one black lead, but no Afro-Latinx.”

He continued:

“The committee that makes note of everyone’s skin tone discovered this. And then Lin-Manuel Miranda had to say, ‘I’m truly sorry, I’m learning from the feedback. I thank you for raising it. And I’m listening. I promise to do better in my future projects.’”

The host is unimpressed:

“This is what I was talking about… Please stop the apologizing.”

Toward Lin-Manuel, Bill directed, “You’re the guy who made the Founding Fathers black and Hispanic (in Hamilton). I don’t think you have to apologize to Twitter, for [Pete’s] sake.”

[LANGUAGE WARNING FOR THE VIDEO]

“This is why people hate Democrats. It’s cringey” – @BillMaher re leftists denouncing @Lin_Manuel Miranda for lack of “Afro-LatinX” in his new film, #InTheHeightsMovie. #RealTime pic.twitter.com/0OI8sIQ9xg

— Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) June 19, 2021

The same controversy was recently raised on The View — the show’s YouTube account indicates Lin-Manuel apologized for “colorism.”

Co-host Ana Navarro said she understands the uproar — people want to feel “heard” and “seen”:

“[I] understand it — Latinos feel unheard, and we feel unseen. We are almost 20% of the population, we are less than 5% of the roles in Hollywood. And that’s particularly true for Afro-Latinos. So I understand the pent-up emotion and frustration.”

But:

“We shouldn’t burden Lin-Manuel with the responsibility of representing every Latino — every shade and every ethnicity and every creed — in a two-hour musical. … It’s not a Benetton ad.”

Lin-Manuel’s certainly no stranger to the hot seat. Or the apology.

Last May, he admitted “moral failure” after being slammed for not voicing support for Black Lives Matter:

“We spoke out on the day of the Pulse (nightclub) shooting. We spoke out when Vice President Mike Pence came to our show 10 days after the election. That we have not yet firmly spoken the inarguable truth that Black Lives Matter and denounced systematic racism and white supremacy from our official Hamilton channels is a moral failure on our part. As the writer of the show, I take responsibility and apologize for my part in this moral failure.”

We stand on the side of justice. Black Lives Matter. Take action now in the links below. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/Y6T1tDNABF

— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) May 31, 2020

Concerning his “I’m sorry” for The Heights, it didn’t come close to reaching former Bachelor host Chris Harrison…heights — as I’ve written before, that guy bakes an apology like a cake.

Still, Bill Maher had a pointed way of summing up Mr. Miranda’s mea culpa: