Bill Maher raised questions about the evolving language around sex work during the latest episode of Real Time with Bill Maher. In his “New Rules” segment, the comedian addressed how the term “sex worker community” has replaced previous terminology, particularly in the wake of Anora’s success at the Academy Awards.
Maher commented on how language changes over time. “You gotta give me more than a week to get used to a new word or phrase or name for what we call something,” he said. Comparing it to shifts in terminology for homelessness and immigration, he expressed skepticism over the sudden mainstream adoption of “sex worker” as the preferred term.
The HBO host referenced Anora, the Sean Baker-directed film that won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Mikey Madison. Both Baker and Madison used their acceptance speeches to acknowledge the “sex worker community,” which Maher found notable. “Wow, three weeks ago it was a bunch of hoes and now it’s a community,” he remarked.
Maher also revisited a past controversy involving a New York paramedic who started an OnlyFans account to supplement her income, prompting a response from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who tweeted, “Sex work is work.” Maher responded with sarcasm, questioning whether the phrase effectively captures the realities of the profession.
He went on to analyze Hollywood’s frequent portrayal of sex workers in film. “If half of all male stars in Hollywood had at one point played, oh, I don’t know, a porch pirate or a used car salesman or a Three Card Monte dealer or a lobbyist, you know, something really sketchy, would we not wonder about that?” he asked.
The discussion led him to highlight Baker’s repeated focus on the subject, citing Tangerine, Red Rocket, Starlet, and The Florida Project as other examples of the director’s interest in the theme. “Look, I think Sean is a huge talent, but he does think about this a lot,” Maher added.
Maher argued that using “sex worker” as a neutral term oversimplifies the profession and its challenges. “You can get so caught up in the virtue signaling that you actually do harm to the cause,” he said, suggesting that the sanitized terminology does not reflect the realities of the work. “The language may have changed, but the job hasn’t.”
The episode also featured an interview with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who sidestepped speculation about a 2028 presidential run. Panel guests included journalist and author Batya Ungar-Sargon and MSNBC’s Sam Stein, with discussions centering on the political climate and former President Donald Trump’s latest actions.
