Ah, Bill Maher... The title of this DVD, which captures a night of live stand-up in North Carolina, is the tag line to a joke about why it's obvious the war on drugs isn't working. "Keith Richards is still alive," says Maher, "and Michael Jackson is dead." If this feels a bit icky or off-limits to you, the rest of Maher's routine won't be much relief. This guy is strong medicine, digging into topics that are mostly forbidden in polite society and around the family dinner table. Cable comedy shows are just about the only place you'll get this brand of humor, aside from live comedy shows. "But I'm Not Wrong" is a great compilation of Maher's dominant themes: Politics, Religion, Sex, and more Politics. Along the way, he finds time to poke fun at dumb people, birthers, tea-party members, small towns, media outlets, and every brand of political animal or religious figure imaginable. In small doses like this, and with the right ideological bent, you'll love Bill Maher. There are some moments that he really crosses over the line between comedy and something more like education or a call to action, but that's the genius of both Maher and someone like Jon Stewart. "It's not a rally," he says, in mock attempts to quell applause over political and social policy salvos. Maher is well informed, articulate, and conscious of his ability to influence and educate through laughter. Riffs on the many things Maher sees as wrong with the world are wrapped thinly with comedy, making this feel more than a little like a political rally. Things may get confusing for you when Maher knocks the Democrats and former Dem president Bill Clinton, with almost as much fervor as he reserves for Republicans, but you gotta understand that he's an equal-opportunity antagonist.

Loving or hating Bill Maher takes a back seat to recognizing his skill for comedy. His timing is almost always awesome, he knows how to stoke the crowd, and he does a great job of taking prepared material and making it seem spontaneous. Many of the funniest moments feel like witty throwaways, which they may have been, but we suspect Maher rehearses and shapes his material incessantly to get the right impact up on stage. Like any comedian, he has a plan and an outline for the evening, and he embellishes or makes stuff up in the margins. Comments such as his line about how America loves its troops, "...like Michael Vick loves dogs" will send some people running for the exits, and Maher talks up the volatile nature of his religious material. But before we get off that comment about the troops, Maher is right to say, "But I'm Not Wrong". Troops do deserve better deployment schedules, better equipment when deployed, and better healthcare options upon returning home. The record rates of suicide, violence, and PTSD in the military and military retirees all clearly demonstrate this problem. Whether Maher is "right or wrong" is still a matter of perception, much like the 25% of people Maher pokes fun at who believe Jesus will return in their lifetime. Perception is a powerful thing, so you'll find Maher much funnier if you subscribe to at least part of his world view.

The closing sequence of the show involves a so-called "Muslim Dior" fashion show, presided over by Maher as the cheerful M.C. It's an obvious joke, bringing women out in burqas and pretending they are wearing fashionable outfits, all the while making sardonic comments about the state of women in Muslim society. Again, Maher will claim he's not wrong, but balancing Western sensibilities against thousands of years of tradition is a tricky thing. Laughing about this means you understand the issues and already have a well-established position, since a faux Muslim fashion show isn't exactly poised to win hearts and minds in the Middle East. The audience Maher is playing expects to pay the ticket, see the show, and come away with fodder for their next debate with a right-wing conservative. Although he mocks radio celebrity Rush Limbaugh as making a daily living "scaring white men as they get in their trucks for lunch," Maher's brand of entertainment isn't that much different, albeit the polar opposite. Watching a recording may only convey a fraction of the hilarity and high spirits from a night of live comedy, but it's still better than being kicked in the head by a mule. Thank goodness we have a person like Maher that continually speaks truth to power, while working in his brand of opinionated humor. You may quibble or groan over some of his material, to which Maher will just shrug his shoulders and say, ""But I'm Not Wrong"...