"Real Time" host Bill Maher is taking real heat for a comment that seemed to minimize the impact of the Boston Marathon bombings. Talking on his HBO show to disgraced former New York congressman Anthony Weiner, Maher mentioned the emotional moment during the Red Sox World Series victory parade when the team placed the championship trophy at the marathon finish line. But rather than hailing Sox players Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jonny Gomes for honoring the bombing victims by putting a "Boston Strong 617" jersey on the trophy while "God Bless America" was sung, Maher suggested the bombing was overblown. "So the Red Sox won the World Series, congratulations Red Sox," he said. "So the parade, they go to the place where the Marathon bombing took place, they put the World Series statue there and they sing 'God Bless America' and they say 'Boston Strong' and they chant 'USA,' you know. It was again, a bad day, three people died, that's terrible. More were maimed, that's horrible, but unfortunately that happens every day, in car accidents and everything else. I mean, your city was not leveled by Godzilla." Weiner, to his credit, wasn't buying it. "I don't know . . . such a nice moment, what's wrong with you?" he said. Afterward, Maher was chastised on Twitter, even by fans of his oft-edgy humor. "@billmaher, love you, but disappointed by boston marathon comments. Parade route was where bombs were, meant a lot to our city," tweeted Jessica Britt . Attempts to contact Maher were unsuccessful Thursday.

Mark Shanahan can be reached at shanahan@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkAShanahan. Meredith Goldstein can be reached at mgoldstein@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MeredithGoldste.