Real Time with Bill Maher – Overtime #703: Thomas Chatterton Williams, Molly Jong-Fast, Walter Kirn

Date: August 19, 2025
Panel:

• Thomas Chatterton Williams (Staff Writer at The Atlantic, Author)
• Molly Jong-Fast (Podcast Host, Author)
• Walter Kirn (Author, Editor-at-large, County Highway Newspaper)

Episode Overview

This "Overtime" segment features a lively panel discussion on current headlines and cultural trends, offering unscripted takes and candid exchanges on topics ranging from robots in sports and Democratic Party politics to abortion rights and the changing dynamics of dating among Gen Z. The panel balances humor, skepticism, and serious critique, with Bill Maher and guests offering sharp, sometimes irreverent commentary on the issues of the week.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Humanoid Robot Games in China: The Future of Sports?

[00:34–02:24]

• Initial Reaction:
  The panel is largely dismissive of the entertainment value of robot sports.

• Maher compares the idea to childhood toys, saying:

  "I had this toy when I was a kid. Remember? Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots... It sucked then. I think it'll suck now." (00:41)

• Thomas Chatterton Williams emphasizes the irreplaceable human element in sports:

  "I don't watch Google Alpha, whatever, play Stockfish in chess, and I don't want to watch robots compete in sports... What's interesting is the human fallibility. Right. And the quest for excellence." (01:23)

• Molly Jong-Fast notes the lack of emotional stakes:

  "Who wants to watch robots play? Because when they lose, they aren't sorry." (02:18)

2. Obama’s Call to Socialist NYC Mayor Candidate, Zoran Mamdani

[02:38–05:56]

• Maher raises concerns about Obama influencing the Democratic Party’s direction:

  "Obama, a centrist, sees this you know, to say the least, socialist... because he says capitalism is theft. That is kind of what communists say... Every Democrat across the country is going to have to get the question, 'Mamdani did this. Do you agree?'" (03:18)

• Walter Kirn (as a New Yorker) gives inside context:

  "[Mamdani] is doing a ton of these meetings with real estate people, with the people who really own the city... The question with these liberal mayors is, do you have the infrastructure?... it's a management job, not an ideological job. So will you have the managers?" (03:48)

• Debate over candidates' qualifications arises, touching on rent-controlled apartments and governors-as-mayors.

3. Costco Stops Selling Mifepristone ("Abortion Pill")

[06:59–08:34]

• Discussion:
  Panelists clarify the uses of mifepristone (for abortion and other health reasons) and riff on the awkwardness of buying such drugs "in bulk" at Costco.

• Walter Kirn:

  "It is also used for a bunch of other things that aren't necessarily abortions ... there's lots of uterine things that involve mifepristone." (07:46)

• Molly Jong-Fast jokes:

  "Just don't take it in the bathroom at Costco." (08:34)

4. 2024 Election: Why Abortion and 'Democracy' Faltered as Issues

[08:49–10:22]

• Maher points out that issues like abortion and threats to democracy did not galvanize voters as anticipated:

  "Those were two issues that they were counting on people to care about more than they did." (09:06)

• Kirn blames structural changes in media reach:

  "...mainstream media in 2016 was much bigger than it was in 2024... They had so much trouble breaking through about anything... If you go on Joe Rogan... 60, 70, 80 million people saw Trump on Joe Rogan. Right? But if you give an interview to the Washington Post, it's not the same level..." (09:13)

• Kirn, on Democrats' media strategy:

  "You cannot... win if you don't go on Joe Rogan and the Milk Boys and you and everything." (09:49)

• Maher:

  "If you're afraid of the people who voted for you, you just can't win. It's just ridiculous." (10:06)

5. Dating App Burnout and the Rise of AI Companions

[10:42–12:30]

• Stats cited: 79% of Gen Z have dating app burnout; 1 in 6 American women celibate by choice.

• Maher:

  "I don't think it's a depressing trend that they're getting rid of their dating apps... I think any time you get people off screens, it's good." (10:42)

• Williams argues that dating apps erode social and relationship skills:

  "That's a healthy trend. People should be meeting in person... The top achievers on those apps... people are unable to deal with the complexity of human relations now because... you just say, 'I can't deal with this. I'm just swiping again.' ... and you never grow." (11:15)

• Walter Kirn, tongue-in-cheek:

  "Yeah, it's better just to meet people in bars when you're both really drunk." (11:46)

• Molly Jong-Fast voices concern over AI romantic relationships:

  "I got an ad on my phone just today for an AI girlfriend... Now there are people ... who are getting virtual girlfriends through AI." (11:55)

• Maher ties it back to real human connection:

  "You just cannot get a feel for a human being over the phone. First of all, you don't smell their pheromones... All of this is stuff, even if it's not conscious, that you're taking into account when you meet somebody." (12:30)

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• Williams, on sports and humanity:

  "What's interesting is the human fallibility. Right. And the quest for excellence." (01:23)

• Host (Maher), bluntly on buying abortion pills at Costco:

  "...who needs the abortion pill in bulk? How big of a hoe do you have to be to buy your abortion pills at Costco?" (07:13)

• Kirn, about dating habits:

  "Yeah, it's better just to meet people in bars when you're both really drunk." (11:46)

• Molly Jong-Fast, on digital relationships:

  "I got an ad on my phone just today for an AI girlfriend... At least they were using dating apps to find real human beings; now ... people ... are getting virtual girlfriends through AI." (11:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Humanoid Robot Games in China: 00:34–02:24
• Obama and Socialist NYC Politics: 02:38–05:56
• Costco & Mifepristone: 06:59–08:34
• 2024 Election Issues: 08:49–10:22
• Dating Apps/A.I. Girlfriends: 10:42–12:30
• Advice on Real Human Connection: 12:30–13:11

Final Thoughts

In classic "Overtime" fashion, the conversation is fast-moving, funny, and bracingly skeptical—a mix of pointed critique and cultural observation. The panel consistently emphasizes the value of human imperfection, direct connection, and the perils of both technological overreach and political insularity, wrapping on a note urging real-world engagement and authenticity in both politics and personal life.