Bill Maher has the rare ability to anger both conservatives and lefties with equal alacrity through his sociopolitical commentary, whether on his TV shows (Politically Incorrect and Real Time with Bill Maher) or in his documentary Religulous. Maybe that’s the key to his success—outrage everybody and you’ll gain substantial mindshare in the attention economy. Whether you agree or disagree with Maher, you have to admit he’s great at skewering hypocrisy—our grossest national product—and is never dull. And if you enjoy hearing comics flay the traitor squatting in the White House, you’ll likely guffaw to Maher’s withering put-downs (“He doesn’t want to alienate his base by reading”). That may be low-hanging fruit, but it’s exceptionally juicy. by Dave Segal