Bill Maher acknowledged Dolly Parton’s passing on “Real Time” Friday night but suggested more important news may have been overshadowed by the country singer’s death.
The comedian opened his Friday night monologue by commenting on Parton’s death at the age of 80, telling his studio audience, “Thank you for being in a good mood. We did have a tough week, Dolly Parton died, there was horrible flooding in Nepal and I found out today that Canada has been treating me very badly.”
As Maher continued on, he addressed Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada, urging the “Real Time” viewers up north that they were “still cool” despite the president’s tariffs. Maher then spent the next several minutes mocking Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America, as well as the ongoing war in Iran.
Elsewhere in the monologue, Maher highlighted the many important anniversaries worth noting, including the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Here’s where Maher made a subtle dig at the global mourning for Parton.
“All this is going on and all America could really talk about this week was how sad it is that we lost Dolly Parton,” he told his audience. “Everybody around the country, even around the world — London they’re doing things. The Santa Monica Ferris wheel is lit up with hearts. The Empire State Building was put up in pink. The Sphere in Las Vegas added a nipple.”
This comment appeared to please Maher’s studio audience, however. As the comedian fought back a chuckle, his crowd broke out into a round of applause and cheers.
And that was it from Maher about Parton, moving on to other news: Meta’s $18 billion settlement over teen social media addiction and harm. Maher compared this situation to Big Tobacco targeting children, though he had some thoughts about some of the points in the settlement.
“So, there are new rules. If you’re under 18, no Facebook and no Instagram between midnight and 6 a.m.,” he said. “And the kids will be exclusively on Pornhub. So, progress comes in small steps.”
Watch Maher’s monologue below.
Parton passed away at the age of 80 on Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer, her team confirmed.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” Parton’s reps wrote. “Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.”
Their statement continued: “Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”
Parton, who was best known for hits “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5” and “Jolene,” as well as her acting career and philanthropic efforts, was mourned by many, with the likes of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Jeff Bezos, Carol Burnett, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Eminem, Bill Clinton and Tim Cook all paying tribute to her.
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