A New Rule For Bill Maher

I did it! I posted at least once every day this month. I've spent much of this month offering ideas in the style of Bill Maher's "New Rules," and now I'm going to lay down a new rule for Maher himself . . .

New Rule - Bill Maher must stop making fun of ABC! Okay, Bill, we get it, ABC fired you for an insensitive remark about 9/11, you moved to HBO while ABC sank into a protracted ratings slump, now you have the last laugh. Except that that's not entirely true anymore, Bill; ABC is in second place among the broadcast networks in the Nielsen ratings thanks to "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," so they're laughing right along with you. Bill, let it go; ABC doesn't need you anymore. You've moved on, and so has ABC. You shouldn't be making fun of the network.

You should be making fun of NBC!

That's right, Bill. Dig the facts: After twenty years at being number one or number two in the Nielsens, NBC is now in fourth place, behind Fox - which didn't even exist the last time the peacock network was in the ratings basement! NBC hasn't had a bona fide hit sitcom since 1997, their once-heralded Thursday night lineup is a joke, they let "Ed" needlessly die, and now they seem hellbent on killing "The West Wing" despite its improved writing and storytelling by airing it on Sunday nights. Even a "Law and Order" spinoff failed. This is the network you should be ridiculing. Please do ridicule oit ridicule it - any network that would stick with "Will & Grace" for so long deserves it! :-O