NEW YORK — ABC has rebuked Bill Maher, star of the network's late-night talk show, "Politically Incorrect," for making insensitive comments about the mentally disabled.
During a Jan. 11 telecast, Maher compared his dogs to "retarded children," adding, "They're sweet. They're loving. They're kind. But they don't mentally advance at all." He made the comments in a discussion about parenting.
When one of his guests, Cynthia Garrett, host of NBC's "Later," said "My 9-year-old nephew is retarded, I've never thought of him like a little dog," Maher responded by saying, "Well, maybe you should."
Another guest, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, protested Maher's use of the word "retarded." "They are regular people. They have a heart and a soul," Ferguson said. Maher responded to that by saying: "They have a heart and a soul and a brain that's retarded. That's a fact, people!"
Maher's comments deeply offended many groups that advocate for the mentally disabled, some of which asked their members to complain about Maher's remarks to ABC and the show's sponsors.
Stu Bloomberg, co-chairman of ABC Entertainment, said in a statement, "We feel Bill went significantly over the line of 'political incorrectness,' and we apologize profusely for the insensitivity of the remark."
Maher also expressed regret. "I make no excuses," he said. "I was wrong and what I said was hurtful to people, and I feel terrible about it."
He ascribed the comments to the heat of the moment in a show that is based on comedic irreverence. "About once a month I drive home from that studio, and I just feel awful," he said. "I hope that they can forgive me."
Lynda Van Kuren who does advocacy work on behalf of children with mental disabilities, said, "Apology or not, it was an insensitive thing that should never have been said."