Michael Moore

http://www.michaelmoore.com

MichaelMoore is a writer and documentary filmmaker. His films include RogerAndMe?, TheBigOne?, BowlingForColumbine, and his most recent film, FahrenheitNineEleven, which won the award for best documentary at the Cannes Film Festival. His TV shows were TvNation? and TheAwfulTruth?.

His work is very political, in an old-school leftist camp that might also include TheBaffler? and HarpersMagazine: Interested in issues of class and power, but uninterested in the culture war that was waged by the academic left in the 80s and 90s.

Well, for one thing, when I've seen him speak - more than once - he's made a point of dressing down leftists for their cultural snobbery. I remember him once making the point that leftists need to be able to talk about "Friends" with their co-workers so they won't be seen as hopelessly out of touch if politics comes up. He also said it was ironic that the leader of one of the more feared militias worked as a janitor at the University of Madison in Wisconsin, saying something about liberal arts students ranting about class iniquity while leaving their janitor to clean up their coffee cups. -- francis

Much of his work is highly satirical, involving use of pranks and hyperbole to make a point. My personal favorite sketch on his TV show was when he enlisted a CivilWar? re-enactment group to re-enact current conflicts, including the bombing of Hiroshima and the beating of Rodney King.

I liked the part where he had a white convicted murderer and award-winning black actor Yaphet Kotto try to hail a cab on the same street in NYC. Every cab stopped for the white guy. The funniest part is at one point they put a big sign saying "Award-winning actor Yaphet Kotto!!" behind him and the cabs still refused to stop. -- SeanOleary

Moore's greatest value lies in his ability to highlight contradictions in behaviour. These contradictions tend to revolve around the problems Moore perceives with the World. Many of these examples show how conditioned we have become in parts of our thinking. I agree with the "old-school" tag. Except that Moore has a sense of humour : particularly in relation to himself and his views - not often found among the writers of the left (e.g. Harold Pinter, John Pilger). His writing runs out of steam when we get to "well, what will we do about it?". One can hear the wistful sigh, drift away in the breeze.

Shouted an unpopular rant at the president during the Academy Awards ceremony (March 23, 2003).

actually it was a popular rant to people watching. Of course it was - he was preaching to the choir - Hollywood is overwhelmingly against the war, and the Republican administration. He'd be more impressive if he were to have given the same rant standing in the Congressional Dome.

More than Hollywood watched the Oscars. I think many viewers outside of Hollywood enjoyed his speech. Calling Bush a 'fictional President' was a great moment in the rushed speech.

For further information, read his biography, Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man by David T. Hardy and Jason Clarke (ISBN 0060763957 ).

WtcPerspective? written TheDayAfter?

Not in his site anymore, Why?

Can still find the old article at http://web.archive.org/web/20020602203312/http://www.michaelmoore.com/2001_0912.html

Oooh, to live in a world where neither GeorgeBush nor MichaelMoore had a career... --PhlIp

Actually, if the first half was accomplished, the second half would follow automatically. --ATS }:>