Comedian Bill Maher confronted well-known astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson during a recent episode of his “Club Random” podcast, accusing him of “taking the path of least resistance” rather than confronting woke insanity when he saw it.

The conversation hinged on free speech on college campuses, and whether or not a comedian could perform anything truly funny without immediately being “canceled” by the woke mob — a question that Maher answered with a resounding “no.”

Tyson complained that Maher was effectively dismissing “an entire generation” out of hand, and argued that perhaps he should adjust his material and joke about topics that students found acceptable.

“So why is it their fault and not your fault?” he asked.

WATCH:

“THESE PEOPLE ARE FUCKING NUTS AND YOU SHOULD BE CALLING THEM OUT.”

Bill Maher blasts Neil deGrasse Tyson for placating to the Woke ideology instead of challenging it. pic.twitter.com/QDcOoB900G

— Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) November 5, 2023

“I have given up on any place that doesn’t even remotely attempt to believe in free speech, and thinks that anything they hear that they don’t like, that they don’t agree with is violence. These people are f***ing nuts, and you should be calling them out,” Maher said, turning the argument back on Tyson.

“You’re doing what parents do: You’re taking the path of least resistance, and therefore hurting the kids and yourself,” Maher continued. “Parents ruin both their lives. They ruin their f***ing spoiled kids’ lives, and they ruin their own lives because the kids rule the roost. So that’s what you’re doing on a national level.”

Tyson pushed back, saying that his goal was to keep his audience so that he could continue to influence the younger generation on topics that were truly important — which was why he said that he tried to avoid the cultural “land mines” that could make that impossible.

“It’s not good enough to be right, you also have to be effective,” he said.

“It’s great that Maher calls him out. But Tyson isn’t just failing to confront wokeness; he’s actively promoting it,” Seth Dillon responded.

It's great that Maher calls him out. But Tyson isn't just failing to confront wokeness; he's actively promoting it. https://t.co/Yghg6iVOIL

— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) November 6, 2023

“Neil deGrasse Tyson can either get invited on to mainstream news programs and be a pop culture sensation, or he can say obviously true things. You cannot do both. This is the cultural malaise we’re stuck in,” another pointed out on X.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and Harvard alumnus admitted ignorance toward his old university’s so-called diverse and inclusive organizational framework on Monday by criticizing the Ivy League’s efforts as anything but inclusive for all marginalized groups.

Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square, tore into his alma mater’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program during a phone interview with CNBC. He said after reviewing the initiative it shows favor to specific groups while excluding certain demographics such as Asians or the Jewish community.

“I always thought DEI was for all marginalized groups,” Ackman said. “Okay, my ignorance.”

“If you’re an Asian student that is a victim of prejudice at Harvard, you don’t contact Harvard’s DEI office,” he added. “They don’t work for you, and that is really, really wrong.”

Ackman further suggested that conservative students at the Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus have fallen under the definition of the “most marginalized group” at Harvard University since 2018.

DEI efforts have been launched in academic institutions and other major American organizations nationwide in recent years to essentially reduce the level of so-called “microaggressions” and biases in such environments while requiring more diversity in the selection or hiring process.

But those efforts have faced backlash as at least 30 states have considered passing legislation to defund DEI programs in public universities and state agencies. Meanwhile, left and right-leaning ideologues have expressed grievances toward the initiative, saying either little progress has been made or it only hurts rather than helps institutions advance.

Ackman suggested the program should focus on protecting historically marginalized minority groups from “a tyranny of the majority.”

“That’s what DEI — in my mind — should be about,” Ackman added. “Those people are at risk of being taken advantage of — of being harmed, of being emotionally harmed.”

Ackman’s latest remarks follow his criticisms against Harvard University President Claudine Gay in a lengthy letter, where he accused her of creating an environment where anti-Semitism could thrive and Jewish students attacked by pro-Hamas activists.

He attributed a portion of the problem to the University’s DEI office, which Ackman said its statement made clear that it “does not support Jewish, Asian and non-LGBTQIA White students” and urged her to take immediate action to reduce anti-Semitism on campus following the Hamas terrorist against Israeli communities in the Gaza Strip on October 7.

“In other words, Jews and others who are not on the above list are not welcome to join,” Ackman wrote in his letter to Gay. “When antisemitism is widely prevalent on campus, and the DEI office – which ‘views diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive’ – does not welcome Jewish students, we have a serious problem.”

“It is abundantly clear that the campus culture that is being fostered at Harvard today is not one where everyone is included, feels a sense of belonging, welcomes diversity, or is a place where “everyone can thrive,” he added.

Gay, who took the helm as Harvard’s president only four months ago, reportedly condemned the brutal attack by Hamas and has since appointed a team to combat the growing antisemitic problem on campus.

“As we grapple with this resurgence of bigotry, I want to make one thing absolutely clear: Antisemitism has no place at Harvard,” Gay said during remarks given at the Harvard Hillel Shabbat Dinner on October 27.

“As President, I am committed to tackling this pernicious hatred with the urgency it demands. Antisemitism has a very long and shameful history at Harvard,” she added. “For years, this University has done too little to confront its continuing presence. No longer.”