May 20, 2004
MOORE, MOORE, MOORE!
This article originally appeared in The Daily Telegraph:
"Michael Moore backs striking French workers," read the weekend's headlines from the Cannes Film Festival. In fact, the people Moore backed were the opposite of workers -- they were unemployed actors, and they were protesting about welfare cuts. So they weren’t actually on strike, either. An accurate headline might have read: "Michael Moore backs work-shy French dole mimes."
Accuracy tends to elude Moore, in Cannes to promote Fahrenheit 9/11, his latest anti-George W. Bush propaganda exercise. By all accounts it should satisfy the same gigantic audience that enjoyed Moore’s previous film, Bowling for Columbine, and his best-selling books Stupid White Men, Dude, What Happened to my Country?, and Hey, Commies! Buy This Book and Make a Fat Millionaire Even Richer!
A complete list of the misrepresentations in these works would run longer than a Kenyan marathoner. Among Columbine's howlers, Moore altered an old Bush/Quayle ad to include words that didn't appear originally, claimed that the U.S. gave $245 million to the Taliban, and described harmless missiles designed to launch weather satellites as "weapons of mass destruction". Central to Moore's new movie is an alleged conspiracy between the Evil Bush Family and Wicked Saudi Oilmen, which led to -- as Moore presents it -- the stealthy spiriting away from America of bin Laden family members following September 11.
This will excite people who haven't read the testimony from the 9/11 Commission, which cleared the US government of wrongdoing over the bin Laden family issue. (Incidentally, if Moore had serious evidence of governmental mischief, what was he doing concealing it for more than a year?) Little surprise that most of Mike’s causes end up destroyed. Hand him a cute little pet cause and he’ll hug it and pat it and squeeze it and hug it and ... oops. Dead.
Like Payback Tuesday, Moore's advance description of the 2002 congressional elections. "We will deny Bush control of the Congress," Moore predicted. Result: a massive swing to Bush. And Wesley Clark, of whom Moore said: "He will cream George W. Bush." Result: Wes was wiped. Moore’s latest pet cause is Iraqi insurgency. "They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow," Moore wrote, "and they will win."
Sure they will, Mike. Just like your handout-addicted French drama friends.
UPDATE. Here’s a roundup of views on Moore and his new load of crap. First, from the Hollywood Reporter:
What Moore seems to be pioneering here is a reality film as an election-year device. The facts and arguments are no different than those one can glean from political commentary or recently published books on these subjects. Only the impact of film may prove greater than the printed word. So the real question is not how good a film is "Fahrenheit 9/11" -- it is undoubtedly Moore's weakest -- but will a film help to get a president fired?
From Britain’s Daily Telegraph:
The simple truth about Michael Moore is that this self-righteous critic of corporate America is one of its most bloated beneficiaries. It is time someone made a film about him - and, we are pleased to report, someone is. Forget Fahrenheit 9/11: later this year, a young film-maker called Mike Wilson will unveil a documentary entitled Michael Moore Hates America, in which the self-proclaimed "slob in a baseball cap" will find his techniques turned on himself. Don't miss it.
The Dallas News:
Some journalists suggested there wasn't much new information in the film about President Bush and the Iraqi war.
From Ben Shapiro:
If anyone ever doubted that colleges are more similar to France than they are to mainstream America, Michael Moore's reception on campus should quell those doubts. As long as there are universities, Michael Moore and his ilk will never go out of business.
And finally, a quote from Moore that reveals a certain insight into the modern Left:
"It is rare, and I don't know when it's happened in the last 20 or 30 years, when someone on the left has crossed over to mainstream America," Moore said. "That's mostly the left's fault, because they don't know how to talk to real people. In fact, they don't really like real people, a lot of them."
That’s why they like you, Michael.
Posted by Tim Blair at May 20, 2004 01:54 AMWhat is the name of the female German director that created the pro-nazi, pro-Hitler "masterpiece" ? I could google, but someone here will know.
Thanks again Mike for creating another piece of agit-prop crap that will encourage and enbolden our enemies. How many American's will get beheaded before people like Mike are made accountable for the Anti-American propoganda they spew to the hypocites at Cannes who use his "documentaries" like a junkie uses heroin.
Posted by: Stacy at May 20, 2004 at 02:16 AMStacy: Excellent comparison.
Via a quick Google: In 2002, German public prosecutors opened a judicial inquiry into claims the then 100 year old Riefenstahl had denied the Holocaust.
Were it unlawful to deny that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the deaths of Marsh Arabs, the Kurds and 300,000 other Iraqis, Moore would come close to being indicted - with many others.
Posted by: CurrencyLad at May 20, 2004 at 02:38 AMCurrencyLad,
In my mind there is something incredibly appropriate in comparing Moore with Leni. She was obsessed with filming expressions of absolute classical beauty/themes. In doing so she helped elevate Hilter to heroic status. Moore seems obsessed with denigrating any expression of traditional values (classical?).
She was in person well educated, cultivated and beautiful. He is ..well you know.
He seems to deconstruct her, but their effect is the same; an attack on classical liberalism. She from the fascist angle (the right), He from the post-modern left.
Just a thought.
Posted by: Stacy at May 20, 2004 at 03:00 AMCan't wait for Mike Wilsons movie........check out his site-
Posted by: Tman at May 20, 2004 at 03:12 AMI love it when people (legally) make millions out of suckers - really, any sucker will do.
Good on ya Mikey! Another few $mil, another few kilos: Arrrh ... smell that Yankee dream.
Posted by: Terence at May 20, 2004 at 03:29 AM"Michael Moore backs striking French workers"
Makes it sound like he's in favor of punching some cheese eating surrender monkeys - I think that would be the first thing the corpulent one and I have ever agreed on.
Posted by: Kelly at May 20, 2004 at 03:32 AMStacy: I agree with that analysis. You should write it up - it's very interesting and I've not seen anyone else make the comparison. I guess the one major difference between the two figures is that Leni, however dubious her politics, was a genius as a film-maker.
Posted by: CurrencyLad at May 20, 2004 at 03:44 AMEnjoyed all the Moore links. What an idiot.
Wonder what he'll do if his film doesn't help unseat Bush? Maybe he'll get so fed up he'll leave the US!!
I wish he'd go and live in France. They all love him there. Actually, anywhere but here. Maybe Cuba? I've read quite a few articles that claim Cuba is practically a Paradise. With the pronouncement by Castro's doctor about Castro's long life ahead, Cuba MUST be a fabulous place for health and science. Certainly decades ahead of the US.
Go for it, Mike!! Go to Cuba and live as long as Castro. You'll LOVE it there, I'm sure. Your kind of people. You could produce a documentary showing us the REAL Cuba .. Paradise.
You really should consider it, Mike. All that excess weight you carry around could be damaging to your health. Go to Cuba and place yourself in the hands of doctors that are obviously far above anything you'd find in the US.
Posted by: Chris Josephson at May 20, 2004 at 03:53 AMJust yesterday Le Monde was saying that the genius had introduced a new art form, the le matériel de propagande électorale. Maybe he spent a couple of 35-hr weeks to come up with the concept.
Posted by: Fausta at May 20, 2004 at 04:49 AMChristopher Hitchens, commenting on MSNBC's Scarborough Country Tuesday evening, sums up the Euro love affair with Moore:
"But speaking here in my capacity as a polished, sophisticated European as well, it seems to me the laugh here is on the polished, sophisticated Europeans. They think Americans are fat, vulgar, greedy, stupid, ambitious and ignorant and so on. And they‘ve taken as their own, as their representative American someone who actually embodies all of those qualities."
good post on the subject at this fellows blog regarding Moore and propaganda.
http://mystupiddog.blogspot.com
Posted by: Chrismas Ape at May 20, 2004 at 04:59 AMMost 'unemployed actors' are in fact waiters. I can see why Micheal Moore wants to resolve their dispute so they can get back to work.
Posted by: Ross at May 20, 2004 at 05:46 AMStacy --
"She from the fascist angle (the right)"
Nope, both from the left. Fascist = Socialist
Posted by: Uncle Bill at May 20, 2004 at 06:12 AMI am interested in that anti-moore movie that was mentioned. anyone have more info on it?
Posted by: Oktober at May 20, 2004 at 06:23 AMwhoops, maybe i should read the other comments first. :D
Posted by: Oktober at May 20, 2004 at 06:36 AMJabba the Moore just hopes the hotel room service staff and pastry makers don't go out on a sympathy strike.
Posted by: BC at May 20, 2004 at 06:51 AM
You all are looking at the dark side. There is good news here. Michael Moore practically gaurantees a quick victory over the terrorist insurgency by claiming this;
"They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow," Moore wrote, "and they will win."
Why watch a Mike Moore movie when you can get hardcore S&M action featuring dudes in US uniforms? It's getting more coverage than Mikey, so dont worry. Uncle Sam's home movies are far funnier.
Posted by: HastaLaVista at May 20, 2004 at 08:39 AMAfter a 7 day orgy where the BBC became the Abu Ghraib Jail Channel (All Abu Ghraib - All the time), the story had been flogged so mercilessly even the Left was tired of it, we're now saturated with Moore-mania.
The Moor's latest effort was met by wild applause in France (surely a few US Vets are regretting liberating that bit of Europe), the BBC boasted the film wouldn't be distributed, then endless reports of Moor's press conference (to the exclusion of all others), then blanket coverage of his new distributor.
Sure it was never banned, but what better way to promote your hero to the still pro-American masses than a phoney Right wing conspiracy.
Moore is fatter, more hysterical, more inaccurate than ever. I don't blame Disney for not wanting to be associated with this tripe. The BBC's been plugging this garbage so hard, why doesn't it take over distributorship?
At least when Frisk does his one-sided, inaccurate, misleading documentaries, he looks well and dresses nicely.
Posted by: British Pickle at May 20, 2004 at 08:48 AMSome years ago, Michael Moore was shopping at his local supermarket in Flint, Michigan. He selected two frozen pizzas, a six-pack of Mountain Dew, a bag of Cheetos, and
four Hostess Twinkies.
As he was unloading his items on the conveyor belt to check out, a drunk standing behind watched, as Moore placed the items in front of the cashier.
While the cashier was ringing up the flm maker's purchases, the drunk calmly stated,"You must be single."
Michael was a bit startled by this proclamation, but also intrigued by the derelict's intuition, since he was indeed single.
He looked at his six items on the belt and saw nothing particularly unusual about the selections, or anything that could have tipped off the drunk to his marital status.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Moore said "Well, you know what, you're absolutely correct. But how on earth did you know that?"
The drunk replied, "Cause you're ugly."
Moore also failed to mention that the person who approved the Bin Laden family exit from the US in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 was none other than recent media darling Richard Clarke--obviously, no fan of George Bush who had downgraded Clarke's influence in the administration. If Bush, rather than Clarke himself, was behind the Bin Laden family exit, Clarke certainly would have said so in his book.
Posted by: James Lindgren at May 20, 2004 at 12:43 PMMark Helprin in WSJ on Moore's war-for-oil conspiracy theories:
But are we to credit ... seriously the crackpot supposition that this was a war for oil, the price of which, since the war, has gone up? And why then did we not invade Venezuela? It's closer, and the food is better.
Posted by: ilibcc at May 20, 2004 at 01:01 PMAnd what is Moore's point about the departure of the bin Ladens anyway? Should they have been arrested? Interned? On what charge? Wouldn't this have been 'racial profiling'?
Posted by: CurrencyLad at May 20, 2004 at 01:04 PMWhen Moore was in France, did anyone see if he met Bibendum (the Michelin Man)?
A photo could then have been titled ....
.... Bibendum and BibenDUMMER ....
Posted by: Daveact at May 20, 2004 at 01:56 PMOT: The SMH is alleging on the front page that Hicks was beaten up while in Gitmo.
If the info's true, there'll be a real ****storm as a result (and I don't really see him as having info worth beating him up for).
If it ain't true, the SMH will get a real dressing down by media watch ... right?
Posted by: Andjam at May 20, 2004 at 02:53 PMEven the Guardian is half-way to seeing it for the propaganda that it is.
Moore's big omission is Tony Blair and the UK. He has a clever pastiche of the opening title-sequence of the old TV western Bonanza, with Bush and Blair mocked up to look like cowboys. But in a section about the ramshackle "coalition of the willing" which was supposed to lend international legitimacy to the invasion, there is no mention of the part played by this country. This can only be because of Moore's insistence on America's international isolation and arrogance. It's a strange, skewed perspective.Posted by: Brian O'Connell at May 20, 2004 at 05:10 PM
There's another new movie
Jenin: massacring the truth 75 minutes
from Canada.
Reviewed on Honest reporting . A real attack on biased reporting worldwide.
Won't dhip to Aus though. Anyone know different ?
Has been screened on CANADIAN tv ! good on em.
not abc or sbs material of course.
I was having a bad day until I read "Hand him a cute little pet cause and he’ll hug it and pat it and squeeze it and hug it and ... oops. Dead." Once again, You have brightened my day.
Posted by: Scott at May 20, 2004 at 11:08 PMBC hit the nail on the head! Moore looks so much like Jabba the Hut, I think he has a future in any future Star Wars movies where the villain is cast.
Posted by: zzx375 at May 21, 2004 at 01:50 AMSo who here has actually seen "Fahrenheit 9/11"?
Just wondering.
Posted by: pch at May 21, 2004 at 04:28 AMSorry, but the title of "Jabba The Hut" has already been awarded to Senator Ted Kennedy.
Mayhaps we could refer to Michael The Moor as "taunton droppings"?
Posted by: The Real JeffS at May 21, 2004 at 04:48 AMAh yes, that classic... Bulling for Columbine.
"Hey, Commies! Buy This Book and Make a Fat Millionaire Even Richer!" Priceless.
;)
Posted by: Ran at May 21, 2004 at 05:08 AMHands off Mr. Moore!
He might try to eat your fingers off...
Posted by: Peter Fallow at May 21, 2004 at 06:12 AMtman,
thanks to the link michael moore hates america
i'm going to donate.
Isn't he lovely?
Mikey felt and looked so good at the Cannes film festival until he ran into that bitch Alexandra Kerry in the same frock.
http://slattsnews.ubersportingpundit.com/archives/005899.html
Posted by: Tom at May 21, 2004 at 02:32 PMEnough insults ! i'm sure that under that horrible exterior lies a warm and caring man, only to keen to share his hard earned millions wuth the "ordinary folk" he rushes to defend.
All those reports of luxury limmos are lies !
I mean the man actually has the courage to enter the lion's den of AMERICANOPHOBES !
The côte D'Azur must be like the simpson dessert to a man who continiously feeds on fast foods!
perhaps he will lose a little weight .
Yes in france "bruler les Macdos" is a national pastime
And imagine the insults he is receiving as the hotel porters direct him to the servant's quarters due to his slobbish appearance.
No. moore unfortunately does not have the appearance of a "sensitive film maker" something absolutely essential in a country where the "enrobage" is everything and content unimportant.
The awful urine soaked look jeans have to go right away. And those missing buttons on his overtight badly pressed shirts!
Not many people know this but michael is actually an excellent line dancer.
Well would you like to dance the tango with him ?
The "right" makeover might change him completely into a lovable sensitive bloke ?
Michael Moore's Leser Known Works:
"Dude, Where's my Sandwhich" -- Moore goes ape when a minimum wage earning fast food worker is slow to fill his order.
"Supersize This!" -- Moore trashes a McDonald's.
"Even Stupider White Men" -- a book described by critics as a masterpiece of erotic art but by most otehrs as sick porn, it has full color pictorials of Moore, Ted Rall, Noam Chomsky, Ted Kennedy and the entire steering committee of ANSWER in various states of undress.
Posted by: bsc at May 22, 2004 at 07:06 AMu guys r dumb.
Don't u ever worry about 1/2 the stuff mike morre says is tru? I know his statistics in his works are a bit off, or have flaws, but other stuff he says is plainly tru.
like the environmental problems faceing the earth and how the government is just selling out with no regard of it.
And the equal rights and workers rights and how it all needs to be improved.
U'r too quick to say mike moore is a hack I reckon.
Posted by: Wodger at May 22, 2004 at 10:52 PMWe are supposed to take seriously the words of someone who uses that immature "u" and "u'r" substitute for "you" and "you're"? Spell and punctuate like a grownup and maybe we'll treat what you say with respect, "Wodger." Maybe.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at May 23, 2004 at 01:33 AMScott,
Re that "hug them" line: I was convinced it wouldn't work. Which shows how much I know.
Posted by: tim at May 23, 2004 at 02:15 AMWhat makes you think, "wodger", that the folks on this blog don't worry about the issues Michael The Moor covers? We just don't consider him to be the center of the universe, such as you seem to think of him.
When I look at his lies and hypocrisy, I think of Moore as the ass end of the universe.
Posted by: The Real JeffS at May 23, 2004 at 02:55 AMyea....your real mature Andrea. U put me in my place...
And I never said Mike moore was the centre of the universe, i was just saying that y'all seem to be concentrating on all of the bad aspects of his work. give him a break.
Posted by: Wodger at May 23, 2004 at 02:01 PM"Wodger", have you considered the possibility that people didn't instantly dislike or hate Moore based on Farenheit 911? That maybe people thought about it for a while? I mean, he's been around for years. It's not like he landed in a spaceship outside of Des Moines last week. I think we've all had a chance to develop a informed opinion of Moore.
We're only "too quick" to dismiss Moore as a hack if someone views him as something important, perhaps even the center of the universe. Someone like you.
Posted by: The Real JeffS at May 23, 2004 at 02:52 PMWodger - do a search on google through this site with the criteria: Michael Moore.
We didn't just dig up antipathy yesterday.
I have had a distinct aversion to Mr Moore's "facts" since I innocently browsed "Stupid White Men" in the stores.
Wodger dear, I used to think in the long-ago that Moore was amusing. But he jumped the shark some time ago. Now he is just another "Bush = Hitler!" raving idiot, albeit one who is clever enough to make money off his fellow idiots.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at May 23, 2004 at 11:44 PMSo what other articles does the Daily Telegraph have today?
Posted by: Miranda Divide at May 24, 2004 at 01:03 PMThey have a website. Look it up yourself. Use that "google" thing.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at May 24, 2004 at 01:05 PM