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Comedian Bill Maher and actor Tim Allen criticized diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices during Maher’s “Club Random” podcast on Monday, saying such policies should not hinder the creative process of television programming.
“My wife says why do you keep saying that?” And I said, ‘Someone told me I look like the Tom Brady of the sitcoms.’ When they asked me to do the third one, I said, ‘I thought they were kidding,'” Allen told Maher. “I don’t know if it’s my generation — because all the people I know that I’m going to do it with are dead or not the right sex, you know, they’re all old European men with light skin — and that doesn’t fit the DEI thing that everybody wanted. They wanted, you know, a potpourri of—”
Maher chimed in and said they could have “DEI in the simulation.”
“I didn’t want to get into that. I didn’t want to accept people. If you’re going to do a sitcom, it’s got to be funny. You’ve got to have drama,” Allen said.
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Comedians Bill Maher and Tim Allen. (Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images; Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)
Maher agreed, saying that while diversity was “a great thing,” it wasn’t the only one.
“Not everything in America should look like Angelina Jolie’s Christmas card, you know, sometimes, and it’s always good on the contrary. You know, it’s like there’s something when there’s just an All-Black cast – and well, I’m everything. I’m not complaining about it,” he continued.
Maher has previously criticized DEI’s efforts as a passive signature on the left that does little to address racial inequality or inequality in the United States.
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“Real Time” is hosted by Bill Maher. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)
The comedian cited CBS’ 2020 plan to set a goal of at least 40% black, indigenous and people of color in the writers’ room — a number the company hopes to increase to 50%, according to Variety.
“I thought, what if the show they’re writing is about a polka band in a ski town?” Maher said.
He said DEI practices should not interfere with creativity.
“I love people of color, and I’m happy that things are better than before for people of color, but you know it shouldn’t interfere with the creative process to the extent it has in this city,” said Maher. “It interfered with the creative process. And by the way, a lot of people of color agree with that because they want the creative process to be pure, too.”
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Hundreds protest outside President Donald Trump’s rally at Macomb County Community College in Warren, MI, on April 29, 2025. (Getty Images/Dominic Gwinn)
Allen, the current lead actor on the CBS sitcom “Shifting Gears,” starred on the popular ABC sitcom “Home Improvement” in the 1990s and later returned to the network’s “Last Man Standing.” He is also known for his movie roles and voice work as Buzz Lightyear in the “Toy Story” animated film series.
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President Donald Trump ended DEI programs in the federal government shortly after taking office, and several major companies followed suit.
