On HBO’s Real Time, host Bill Maher expressed concern that social media platforms like TikTok are contributing to a hardened attitude among Gen Z towards the victims of October 7, particularly Jewish ones, and a growing support for Iran and Hamas. Maher addressed his comments to young Americans and singer Chappell Roan, stating that the Middle East is not something he learned about from TikTok, which is a Chinese company owned by a totalitarian government that would benefit from American youth hating America.
Maher noted that while TikTok can be a powerful tool for evoking emotions, it can also be a source of misinformation. He pointed out that the platform’s algorithms can be designed to promote a particular narrative, and that this can be especially problematic when it comes to complex issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Maher suggested that the indifference of Gen Z towards the victims of October 7 is not simply a matter of a lack of awareness, but rather a result of the propaganda they are exposed to on TikTok.
Maher also criticized Chappell Roan for her views on the conflict, saying that while she is right to acknowledge that oppression is bad, she has it backwards when it comes to who is doing the oppressing. Maher argued that Hamas, Iran, and other extremist groups are the real oppressors, and that Israel is simply trying to defend itself. He pointed out that these groups are terrorist organizations that have committed atrocities against innocent civilians, and that Roan’s advocacy for them is misguided.
Maher’s comments were sparked by the recent protests in Iran, where hundreds of people were killed by the regime after a young woman died in police custody. He asked Roan if she was sure she wanted to be supporting a government that sponsors terrorist groups and has a history of human rights abuses. Maher concluded by saying that right and wrong are not always nuanced, and that sometimes it’s clear who is on the side of good and who is on the side of evil. He questioned whether Roan would be willing to live under the same oppressive regime she is advocating for.
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