Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Victory Begins at Home

Bill Maher

HBO · 2003 · 60 min

A 2003 Broadway solo show about post-9/11 politics and oil.

Bill Maher’s solution to the War on Terror is simple: bring back World War II propaganda posters, but swap out Hitler for Osama bin Laden. Sitting on a sparsely decorated stage beside giant reproductions of commissioned artwork, he pitches alternative public-service announcements that target American oil dependence, including a revised version of the vintage “When you ride alone, you ride with Hitler” campaign. It is a highly specific, media-focused framing for a stand-up set that leans heavily into post-9/11 anxiety and political gridlock.

The live HBO special was recorded at the Hudson Theatre in New York City in July 2003, following a limited run at Broadway’s Virginia Theatre earlier that spring. Maher was at a volatile turning point in his career. Just a year after ABC cancelled Politically Incorrect in the wake of his controversial remarks about the September 11 hijackers, he was already rebuilding his television footprint with the debut of Real Time on HBO. This solo show allowed him to expand on those televised talking points in front of a live theater audience.

Alongside his thoughts on Middle Eastern policy and airport profiling, the material dips into social critiques, with Maher drawing some groans for his rants about a “feminized” culture. Despite some contemporary reviews that found his delivery a bit too self-righteous, the theatrical run secured a Tony Award nomination for Best Special Theatrical Event.

The set list

5 bits

  1. The Bush administration pivoting the focus of the War on Terror from Osama bin Laden to Saddam Hussein.

    Maher remarks that 'The Joker is not the Riddler' and compares going after Hussein to Hollywood casting where you aim for Keanu Reeves and end up with Pauly Shore.

  2. The modern branches of American government.

    Argues the Bush administration mastered the actual three branches of government: the photo op, the attack ad/marketing, and the focus group.

  3. Faux 21st-century wartime propaganda posters.

    Uses commissioned posters inspired by World War I and II slogans to highlight public apathy and hypocrisies regarding terrorism, oil, and the drug war.

  4. Growing up Catholic and church scandals.

    Jokes about his Catholic upbringing, quipping that he was almost offended he was never molested.

  5. Politically incorrect credo finale.

    Recites a litany of unapologetic contrarian statements, including 'I think women's sports are boring,' 'I am for mad cow disease,' 'I think no sometimes means yes,' and 'I think Vegas was better when it was run by the mob.'

How it plays

Tone
Acerbic, satirical, indignant, and politically incorrect.
On stage
Irreverent, cynical, self-styled libertarian and liberal displaying bemused outrage with a 'Peck's Bad Boy' comedic identity.
Pace
Appealingly laid-back and conversational pacing mixing subdued ranting with spurts of righteous anger, performed casually while sipping water and Jack and Coke.
About
Iraq War and the War on Terrorism, George W. Bush administration and partisan politics, the 2000 presidential election, organized religion and the Catholic Church, gender differences and biological roles, War on Drugs

What the critics said

Praised as a sharp, vulgar, and entertaining showcase of Maher's topical satire and indignation, though reviewers criticized his gender-relations material as dated and noted his anger sometimes veered into overly simplistic shouting.

In the room: Energetic and receptive like a political revival meeting preaching to the converted, though segments of the crowd grew nonplussed during discussions of Iraqi civilian casualties and Palestinian statehood.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, playbill.com, tvguide.com, themoviedb.org, nytimes.com, variety.com, nypost.com, cbsnews.com, web.archive.org.

Backstory

Filmed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and President Bush declaring major combat operations ended; follows Maher's cancellation at ABC over controversial post-9/11 comments about U.S. military actions.

Details

Released
Taped
Hudson Theatre, New York
Runtime
60 min
Where
HBO
Director
John Moffitt
Honors
Nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program (2004)Nominated for OFTA Television Award for Best Variety, Musical, or Comedy Special (2004)Tony Award nomination for the Broadway stage run
Topics
Before
Be More Cynical (2000)
After
I'm Swiss (2005)

More from Bill Maher

If you liked this