Michael Moore controversies

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Film director Michael Moore has been at the center of several controversies, mostly as a result of his political views.

Contents 1 Movie criticism 2 Criticisms by conservative authors 3 Flint 4 References

[edit] Movie criticism

Moore's body of work has attracted criticism from both conservatives and liberals, especially after the release of his film Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004. One critic asserted that it was "illogical."^[1] Moore set up a rebuttal "war room"^[2] to support the content in Fahrenheit 9/11 and counter critics who felt he had been deceptive.

Dave Kopel made allegations of deceptive editing, staging, or scripting scenes, or altering the original intent of the speaker, about Moore's film Bowling for Columbine in the conservative magazine The National Review.^[3] Among other allegations, Kopel claimed that in Bowling for Columbine, on-screen text was altered in a Bush-Quayle campaign ad, and footage edited into it from a non-campaign ad in order to make it seem racist. Moore denied that this was done in the film, but corrected the text for the DVD release, so that it mirrored actual events.[2] Bryon A. White, a conservative political commenter, claims that "Moore's work lacks talent and meaning, and is pointless diminuative satire against an entire sect of society, meant to confuse and corrupt a vulnerable public. It is a play on the genius of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and should be given no more respect than an amusing comic strip".

In May of 2006, Moore was unsuccessfully sued by a veteran who lost both arms in the war in Iraq. Sgt. Peter Damon, of Middleborough, MA, alleged that Moore used snippets of a television interview without his permission to falsely portray him as anti-war in Fahrenheit 9/11.^[4] A US District Court Judge dismissed the suit on December 21, 2006.[3]

Ray Bradbury has criticized Moore's adaptation of his Fahrenheit 451 title without permission.^[5] Moore responded, saying Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper catches fire, but that Fahrenheit 9/11 is the temperature at which "freedom burns".

Some works have criticized his books and films. These include the films Michael Moore Hates America, Celsius 41.11, Michael & Me, FahrenHYPE 9/11, and most recently, Manufacturing Dissent.

Moore's work has come under fire from those who claim that when making his films, he unfairly edits and re-sequences events in order to twist or misrepresent the words of his targets or interviewees^{[citation needed]}. Dave Kopel's "Fifty-nine Deceits in Fahrenheit 911" [4] catalogues Moore's alleged use of such tactics in Fahrenheit 911, and includes the official responses issued by Moore's "war room". Slate.com's Christopher Hitchens also wrote a widely-circulated critique of the same film.^[6] These criticisms drew counter-criticisms from several OpEdNews.com articles^[7][8] as well as an eFilmCritic article^[9] and a Columbus Free Press editorial.^[10]

On March 12th, 2007, two filmmakers (Debbie Melnyk and Rick Caine)appeared on MSNBC's TUCKER to talk about their documentary (Manufacturing Dissent) which investigates Michael Moore. They reported to have found that Moore did indeed talk with the head of GM at the share holder annual meeting for the company, and that this interview was cut from Roger & Me.

[edit] Criticisms by conservative authors

In the book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America, by Bernard Goldberg, Moore is ranked number one with the comment: "Michael Moore's popular films and supporters are too hateful of America that he doesn't deserve to be talked about."

In their book Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man, David T. Hardy and Jason Clarke criticize Moore for allegedly being untruthful in his film productions, especially with respect to Bowling for Columbine (the book's release predated Fahrenheit 9/11, although a revised and updated edition includes a critique of that film).

In the Peter Schweizer book: Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy, Schweizer accuses Moore of hypocrisy, suggesting that he owns a variety of company stocks, including Halliburton stock, while at the same time criticizing these companies. This accusation is based on a tax return from a foundation Schweizer alleges is controlled fully by Moore. Moore is also a staunch advocate of gun control laws to keep everyday citizens from aquiring handguns for protection, but at the same time is protected by armed security. ^{[11] [12]}.

[edit] Flint

Critics also note that he identifies himself as being from Flint, Michigan, using Flint in his handle and signing e-mails as "The Man from Flint" ^[13] and mentioning it in the introductions he has written for books.^[14] These critics, such as in Hardy and Clarke's book as well as Peter Schweizer's, note that Davison, his childhood neighborhood, is a middle class community with better employment rates and higher incomes, as opposed to the lower class status of larger Flint.^{[15] [16]} However, those who reject this criticism note Moore's inconsistency in discussing his hometown, noting that he spoke of growing up in Davison in the Flint Voice in 1982, as well as point out Davison's proximity,^[17] as Davison is a suburb within 10 miles of Flint. Further, for his DVD set of "The Awful Truth" (1998), he is wearing the Davison High School baseball cap in his picture on the outside box for the second season. Identifiable as a gold script D on a maroon hat, Davison's school colors being maroon and gold and is similar to the white script D on a blue hat worn by Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers, also worn by Moore but on the DVD box for The Awful Truth first season. In the DVD content itself, he also wears the cap and in the DVD commentary feature he mentions it as being the Davison Cardinals hat (the mascot of Davison High School). Also, it is noted that Davison is a bedroom community with the vast majority of the town's middle class employment coming from commuting to the nearby city of Flint (historically, for GM employment), and therefore is heavily affected by the economic status of Flint. Both Flint and Davison are in Genesee County, Michigan, of which Flint is the county seat.

[edit] References

1. ^ Mercury News: Sub-par propaganda. Glen Lovell, 25 July 2004. URL accessed 9 July 2006.
2. ^ MichaelMoore.com: War Room. 2 August 2004. URL accessed 9 July 2006.
3. ^ National Review Online: Bowling Truths. Dave Kopel, 4 April 2003. URL accessed 9 July 2006.
4. ^ Guardian: Fahrenheit £40m: armless soldier sues Moore for using his image in anti-war film. Dan Glaister, 2 June 2006. URL accessed 9 July 2006.
5. ^ Hardball With Chris Matthews: Fahrenheit 451 author wants title back. 29 June 2004. URL accessed 9 July 2006
6. ^ Slate.com: Unfairenheit 9/11. Christopher Hitchens, 21 June 2004. URL accessed 9 July 2006
7. ^ [1]
8. ^ OpEdNews.com: URL accessed 9 July 2006
9. ^ eFilmCritic.com: Defending Truth: Slate's Chris Hitchens does a hatchet job on Michael Moore. Chris Parry, 23 June 2004. URL accessed 9 July 2006
10. ^ Columbus Free Press: 18 July 2004. URL accessed 9 July 2006.
11. ^ National Review Online: Moore Hypocrites Than True Believers? Peter Schweizer, 25 October 2005. URL accessed 9 July 2006.
12. ^ New York Post: TRUTH SHOCK FOR LYIN' LIBERALS. Excite.com mirror, 27 October 2005
13. ^ MichaelMoore.com Join The Awful Truth taping. Michael Moore, 20 January 1999. URL accessed 9 July 2006.
14. ^ Rivethead: Tales From the Assembly Line: Ben Hamper, introduction by Michael Moore. Warner Books, 0446394009. Published 1 July 1992.
15. ^ Vanity Fair: Michael Moore Speaks! Judy Bacarach, date unspecified. URL accessed 9 July 2006.
16. ^ Sydney Morning Herald: Less is Moore. 10 July 2004. URL accessed 9 July 2006
17. ^ Google Maps: Flint, Michigan. URL accessed 9 July 2006