Equal Opportunity Hater

In these days of hypersensitivity and partisan polarization, media personalities face a difficult conundrum: How do they deliver their own opinions without pissing off the masses? That may be a problem if you're a network exec trying to keep your advertisers happy, but Bill Maher gets off on it. His weapon of choice in the war against political correctness is a 12-gauge shotgun of social satire that spares no one — from the easiest, fattest targets (politicians, of course) to his own personal favorite, organized religion.

As the host of shows Politically Incorrect and Real Time with Bill Maher, the unabashed free thinker has made plenty of controversial comments over the years (sorry, Pope!), but his willingness to take potshots at the left and right alike are what's endeared him to libertarian lovers of laughs everywhere. He got his start trolling the stand-up circuit (he's #38 on Comedy Central's list of 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time), so his South Florida appearance at the Jackie Gleason Theater (1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach) should illicit as many laughs as it does angry letters. The show starts at 8 p.m.; tickets cost $48 to $73. Visit www.ticketmaster.com.
Fri., May 9, 2008