Craziest Bill Maher/John Mellencamp Interview Moments: The N-Word, Slaves, Climate Change And Much More

The Bill Maher/John Cougar Mellencamp is truly one of the most bizarre and strangest interviews the internet has seen in a long time.

The famous singer made waves when he claimed an incredibly small percentage of black Americans live better lives than the slaves.

It was an absolutely unhinged take, but it was far from the only shocking and stunning moment.

I've compiled a few of the standout moments that have everyone talking for the readers to enjoy. Trust me, it's truly unreal the directions this interview takes.

Let's jump in.

John Mellencamp doesn't want rappers using the n-word because it benefits white people.

Race was a central focus of the interview, and that included Mellencamp being against black rappers using the n-word because "white kids" listen to the music.

Below is the exchange (all transcription is directly from the official transcript):

Bill: No doubt there is still racism in America. Absolutely. We're talking about an inner city in the music industry and I'm guessing a fairly young crowd or a music-loving crowd they just don't strike me as people who in 2023 say those kinds of things or even feel that way.
John: Have you ever heard a rap song?
Bill: Yes.
John: Okay.
Bill: What about it?
John: Me and Chuck D did a song 20 years ago.
Bill: 20 years ago was 20 years ago.
John: Yes, but we were talking about the N-word. We were talking about how it's not supposed to be used and how it's not supposed to be, that's what I have against, not against but why I'm not a big fan of rap music is you guys are selling out what the people stood up for and fought for and you're making money off of it some of its white kids. I don't like it. I don't like that.

Got that. John Mellencamp, a white dude, is now telling black rappers what they can rap about, and if white people buy the music, then it's off-limits.

Let's keep the race segments rolling.

John Cougar Mellencamp goes viral with Bill Maher interview. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

John Mellencamp thinks most black Americans live as bad as slaves.

This is the part of the interview between Maher and Mellencamp everyone seemed to take notice of after I discovered it.

It's all over Twitter and being debated. Mellencamp legitimately argued only 1% or 2% of blacks in America live better than slaves.

An all-time unhinged take:

John: I wrote a song that I never recorded because I thought it was wrong but it was called from the f*cking cotton fields to the playing fields. My point is that yes so what. Us as white people love to have black people entertain us.
Bill: I would say that the playing fields are a lot better than the cotton fields. That’s what I would say about that. Maybe I’m crazy John but it seems like making no money as a slave picking cotton, it was not as good as playing left field for the Yankees. I’m sure there were reasons why Dave Winfield has some beef against Steinbrenner.
John: No doubt there is 1% or 2% of black people in America who have a better life.
Bill: Oh, stop. That’s what you think. 1% or 2%.
John: Okay let’s say 10%. I’m just pulling the number out of my ass.
Bill: It is, that’s where it belongs.
John: I just pulled the number out of my ass.
Bill: I know but I’m telling you that’s just not true.

Mellencamp told Maher he doesn't trust the government at all.

One of the things a lot of Americans probably agree with John Mellencamp on is that he doesn't trust the government.

Not even a little bit, and he couldn't have made that any clearer.

John: You trust the government. I don't trust those f*cking people.
Bill: No. Often I'm skeptic of lots of things about the government but do I think the FBI is making up hate crime statistics? No. Do I think they were exactly as they present them? No, I don't.
John: Okay, if they're not making them up and they're not presenting them honestly, where do you fall?
Bill: It's somewhere in the middle. For example, they found out a year ago that the coroners were in cahoots with the cops on reporting deaths when police kill someone.
John: I believe it.

John Mellencamp demands taking guns away.

In an interesting twist, Mellencamp admitted he doesn't trust the government but also wants guns banned.

Go ahead and make that make sense. He doesn't trust the government and cops and seemingly views it as a sinister force but doesn't want the public armed.

That doesn't add up!

John: All I'm saying is that a good place to start is to get these f*cking guns away from people. Just because it's the second amendment change this-- and people go, "You can't change the Second Amendment." F*ck you can, it's an amendment. Change it.
Bill: Of course, but be realistic, that's never going to happen in America.
John: If they start showing these f*cking kids laying there dead it will.
Bill: I don't think so. The people who love guns love them on a level that we can't understand. It's primal. It's not just something that's an issue, it's personal, it's in your house, you touch it. It's like pot smokers are with pot, it's very in our personal space, and the idea of taking it away-- liberals are always in a disadvantage with this issue because it's not a visceral issue to say, "Guns are bad." It's visceral to be like, "This thing I like they're going to take from me." I don't think you're ever going to change that. They're not going to rewrite the Second Amendment.

John Mellencamp wants to ban guns. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rainforest Fund)

John Mellencamp doesn't believe in climate change, but thinks the core of the planet is heating up.

During another rant about the government, Mellencamp made it clear he doesn't trust the numbers, but does think the core of the planet is heating up.

Below is the exchange:

John: You trust the government?
Bill: I trust the people who work in the deep state. I trust these f*cking bureaucrats. Yes, I do. The people with stale pizza on their desks and cold coffee who just do the job of making sure that your life is as cushy as it f*cking is and most people's lives are because a lot of nameless, faceless people doing boring jobs do things like, yes, compile data on unemployment. I do. I trust those stats generally.
John: I suppose you trust science also, right?
Bill: It depends on what science you're talking about.
John: When we were kids, in the '70s, we were going to enter an ice age by the year 2000. This is all scientific bullshit. Look it up.
Bill: I understand. I know where you're going with this.
John: It's like, what? It's not going to happen. Right now, climate change to me is the core of the f*cking earth heating up.
Bill: I agree. I've always been on that page.
John: A piece of f*cking plastic laying in the street is not going to make a goddamn bit of difference. We are not going to kill this earth. It's going to kill us.

John Mellencamp apparently grew up in the plot of "Footloose."

Mellencamp also touched on growing up in a very strict religious town and appeared to be describing the plot of "Footloose"......right up until he claimed he's never seen it.

Bill: Episcopalian?
John: It's one step above, what's the people that can't cut-- You're not allowed to cut your hair. I wasn't allowed to dance.
Bill: Jews?
John: No.
Bill: No, is that it? Is it like Seventh Day Adventist? Really?
John: Close to.
Bill: It is its own sect and what differentiates them from mainstream Christians?
John: You can't dance, you can't go to movies, you can't-- we're dancing leads.
Bill: It's like footloose?
John: I've never seen Footloose, I don't know.
Bill: You've never seen Footloose?
John: No.

And those are probably the most stunning and entertaining moments. You can watch the entire interview above. It was truly something else. What a ride Maher and Mellencamp took listeners on.