How Bill Maher writes his closing monologues

He gets by with a little help from his high.

Write it once sober and then again stoned. Why? According to Bill Maher, that lets you see things you couldn’t the first time around.

Weed is Maher's steadiest companion, more reliable even than comedy. He was advocating its use long before it became acceptable in polite society, and he credits it for much of his creativity. He told me that he writes two variations on his opening and closing monologues, one sober and one stoned. The pot, he says, helps him "see and cut little things I couldn't see two hours ago."