Comedian 'Weird Al' Yankovic recently described his experience on Bill Maher's Club Random Podcast as having a "weird vibe." Yankovic made the confession during an appearance on Tim Heidecker's Office Hours podcast, a clip of which was shared on Wednesday.
During the November 2022 interview at Maher's Los Angeles home, Yankovic recalled an initial awkwardness, stating he wasn't sure if the interview had already begun for the first 20 minutes. "I just remember, like, I just went there, and Bill was talking to me, and we wandered over the set and kept talking. And like 20 minutes into the interview, I’m like, 'Oh, have we started?'" he said.
The comedian also recounted an exchange where Maher offered him cannabis. Yankovic declined, saying, "No thanks, but you go ahead." According to Yankovic, Maher responded sarcastically, "Oh, oh, I can go ahead and smoke in my own place?!" The musician found the host's reaction unsettling.
Heidecker, who was hosting the Office Hours podcast, speculated that Maher's disposition might have contributed to the awkwardness, suggesting the host may have perceived Yankovic, who built his career on comedic song parodies, as beneath him. Yankovic, without confirming this, responded, "Well, that's his whole thing."
Heidecker, a long-time friend and collaborator of Yankovic, has previously criticized Maher's podcast. In August 2023, Heidecker released a skit mocking Maher's tendency to smoke during interviews, interrupt guests, and engage in self-satisfied tangents. Maher, a Democrat, has faced criticism for what some perceive as a rightward shift in his public commentary over the past few years.