Bill MaherSam Jones
Too far? Too soon? Both Bill Maher and Jason Biggs are facing heat for recent Twitter comments.
Maher commented on Israel's conflict with Gaza on Thursday by tweeting: "Dealing w/ Hamas is like dealing w/ a crazy woman who's trying to kill u - u can only hold her wrists so long before you have to slap her."
The comedian and television host received an outpouring of criticism. As one headline read: "Bill Maher offends basically everyone with tweet about Hamas, slapping women." Jezebel called him out for falling back on the "crazy woman" stereotype. One Twitter user said his comment "endorses violence against women," while another called it, "one of the most offensive, disgusting tweets I've read."
Fellow comedian Frankie Boyle tweeted back: "@billmaher I hear you. Women do go crazy when you blow up their kids, huh?"
The tweet, which followed Israel's ground invasion into Gaza earlier in the day, has been retweeted nearly 2,300 times and been favourited over 1,500 times.
Meanwhile, actor Jason Biggs of American Pie and Orange is the New Black fame is facing backlash for a tweet about the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. After the jet, which was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, drawing the world's renewed attention to eastern Ukraine's violent pro-Russia separatist rebellion and killing all 298 passengers, Biggs tweeted, "Anyone wanna buy my Malaysia Airlines frequent flier miles?"
After being criticized for insensitivity, he attacked his critics, according to TMZ with the tweets: "Truly - you losers are literally trying to find s**t to get angry about. Channel your issues elsewhere," and, "Hey, all you 'too soon' assholes … You don't have to think it's funny, or even be on my twitter page at all."
He has since deleted these posts and apologized, tweeting "No one is making me send these [apology] tweets- I simply understand that my comments might have come off as insensitive and ill-timed. For that, I apologize."
Both culprits have stoked the public's ire in the past. Maher is notoriously controversial and has been accused of misogyny before.
Biggs too is a Twitter-rouser. Here, compiled by Jezebel, is a collection of his "greatest hits."
Follow Deena Douara on Twitter: @Deena_Do