Letter From Michael Moore

[nephilimiyr]

[font="verdana, arial, helvetica"]Published on Wednesday, April 9, 2003 by www.michaelmoore.com

<B>My Oscar "Backlash":
"Stupid White Men" Back At #1, "Bowling" Breaks New Records[/font]
by Michael Moore</B>

Dear friends,

It appears that the Bush administration will have succeeded in colonizing Iraq sometime in the next few days. This is a blunder of such magnitude -- and we will pay for it for years to come. It was not worth the life of one single American kid in uniform, let alone the thousands of Iraqis who have died, and my condolences and prayers go out to all of them.

So, where are all those weapons of mass destruction that were the pretense for this war? Ha! There is so much to say about all this, but I will save it for later.

What I am most concerned about right now is that all of you -- the majority of Americans who did not support this war in the first place -- not go silent or be intimidated by what will be touted as some great military victory. Now, more than ever, the voices of peace and truth must be heard. I have received a lot of mail from people who are feeling a profound sense of despair and believe that their voices have been drowned out by the drums and bombs of false patriotism. Some are afraid of retaliation at work or at school or in their neighborhoods because they have been vocal proponents of peace. They have been told over and over that it is not "appropriate" to protest once the country is at war, and that your only duty now is to "support the troops."

Can I share with you what it's been like for me since I used my time on the Oscar stage two weeks ago to speak out against Bush and this war? I hope that, in reading what I'm about to tell you, you'll feel a bit more emboldened to make your voice heard in whatever way or forum that is open to you.

When "Bowling for Columbine" was announced as the Oscar winner for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards, the audience rose to its feet. It was a great moment, one that I will always cherish. They were standing and cheering for a film that says we Americans are a uniquely violent people, using our massive stash of guns to kill each other and to use them against many countries around the world. They were applauding a film that shows George W. Bush using fictitious fears to frighten the public into giving him whatever he wants. And they were honoring a film that states the following: The first Gulf War was an attempt to reinstall the dictator of Kuwait; Saddam Hussein was armed with weapons from the United States; and the American government is responsible for the deaths of a half-million children in Iraq over the past decade through its sanctions and bombing. That was the movie they were cheering, that was the movie they voted for, and so I decided that is what I should acknowledge in my speech.

And, thus, I said the following from the Oscar stage:

"On behalf of our producers Kathleen Glynn and Michael Donovan (from Canada), I would like to thank the Academy for this award. I have invited the other Documentary nominees on stage with me. They are here in solidarity because we like non-fiction. We like non-fiction because we live in fictitious times. We live in a time where fictitious election results give us a fictitious president. We are now fighting a war for fictitious reasons. Whether it's the fiction of duct tape or the fictitious 'Orange Alerts,' we are against this war, Mr. Bush. Shame on you, Mr. Bush, shame on you. And, whenever you've got the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, your time is up."

Halfway through my remarks, some in the audience started to cheer. That immediately set off a group of people in the balcony who started to boo. Then those supporting my remarks started to shout down the booers. The L. A. Times reported that the director of the show started screaming at the orchestra "Music! Music!" in order to cut me off, so the band dutifully struck up a tune and my time was up. (For more on why I said what I said, you can read the op-ed I wrote for the L.A. Times, plus other reaction from around the country at my website)

The next day -- and in the two weeks since -- the right-wing pundits and radio shock jocks have been calling for my head. So, has all this ruckus hurt me? Have they succeeded in "silencing" me?

Well, take a look at my Oscar "backlash":

-- On the day after I criticized Bush and the war at the Academy Awards, attendance at "Bowling for Columbine" in theaters around the country went up 110% (source: Daily Variety/BoxOfficeMojo.com). The following weekend, the box office gross was up a whopping 73% (Variety). It is now the longest-running consecutive commercial release in America, 26 weeks in a row and still thriving. The number of theaters showing the film since the Oscars has INCREASED, and it has now bested the previous box office record for a documentary by nearly 300%.

-- Yesterday (April 6), "Stupid White Men" shot back to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. This is my book's 50th week on the list, 8 of them at number one, and this marks its fourth return to the top position, something that virtually never happens.

-- In the week after the Oscars, my website was getting 10-20 million hits A DAY (one day we even got more hits than the White House!). The mail has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive (and the hate mail has been hilarious!).

-- In the two days following the Oscars, more people pre-ordered the video for "Bowling for Columbine" on Amazon.com than the video for the Oscar winner for Best Picture, "Chicago."

-- In the past week, I have obtained funding for my next documentary, and I have been offered a slot back on television to do an updated version of "TV Nation"/ "The Awful Truth."

I tell you all of this because I want to counteract a message that is told to us all the time -- that, if you take a chance to speak out politically, you will live to regret it. It will hurt you in some way, usually financially. You could lose your job. Others may not hire you. You will lose friends. And on and on and on.

Take the Dixie Chicks. I'm sure you've all heard by now that, because their lead singer mentioned how she was ashamed that Bush was from her home state of Texas, their record sales have "plummeted" and country stations are boycotting their music. The truth is that their sales are NOT down. This week, after all the attacks, their album is still at #1 on the Billboard country charts and, according to Entertainment Weekly, on the pop charts during all the brouhaha, they ROSE from #6 to #4. In the New York Times, Frank Rich reports that he tried to find a ticket to ANY of the Dixie Chicks' upcoming concerts but he couldn't because they were all sold out. (To read Rich's column from yesterday's Times, "Bowling for Kennebunkport," go here. He does a pretty good job of laying it all out and talks about my next film and the impact it could potentially have.) Their song, "Travelin' Soldier" (a beautiful anti-war ballad) was the most requested song on the internet last week. They have not been hurt at all -- but that is not what the media would have you believe. Why is that? Because there is nothing more important now than to keep the voices of dissent -- and those who would dare to ask a question -- SILENT. And what better way than to try and take a few well-known entertainers down with a pack of lies so that the average Joe or Jane gets the message loud and clear: "Wow, if they would do that to the Dixie Chicks or Michael Moore, what would they do to little ol' me?" In other words, shut the f--- up.

And that, my friends, is the real point of this film that I just got an Oscar for -- how those in charge use FEAR to manipulate the public into doing whatever they are told.

Well, the good news -- if there can be any good news this week -- is that not only have neither I nor others been silenced, we have been joined by millions of Americans who think the same way we do. Don't let the false patriots intimidate you by setting the agenda or the terms of the debate. Don't be defeated by polls that show 70% of the public in favor of the war. Remember that these Americans being polled are the same Americans whose kids (or neighbor's kids) have been sent over to Iraq. They are scared for the troops and they are being cowed into supporting a war they did not want -- and they want even less to see their friends, family, and neighbors come home dead. Everyone supports the troops returning home alive and all of us need to reach out and let their families know that.

Unfortunately, Bush and Co. are not through yet. This invasion and conquest will encourage them to do it again elsewhere. The real purpose of this war was to say to the rest of the world, "Don't Mess with Texas - If You Got What We Want, We're Coming to Get It!" This is not the time for the majority of us who believe in a peaceful America to be quiet. Make your voices heard. Despite what they have pulled off, it is still our country.

Yours,

Michael Moore

target=_blank>[url]http://www.michaelmoore.com[/URL]

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To me Michael Moore sounds more like a wolf in sheeps clothing. I think he preaches hatred far more than peace.

 

[MsAnne]

To me Michael Moore sounds more like a wolf in sheeps clothing. I think he preaches hatred far more than peace.

Ya think???

 

[Auntie]

So, Mr. Moore uses his right to free speech as a tool to whine about his *lack* of free speech? Okay.....whatever floats his boat.

 

[nephilimiyr]

So, Mr. Moore uses his right to free speech as a tool to whine about his *lack* of free speech? Okay.....whatever floats his boat.

Not only does he whine about his lack of free speach but he in a way preaches that the people he disagrees with is takeing it from him. In other words he's playing the victum of a cruel assult that I don't think is there.&nbsp;

He can put out any bit of info he wants on his site but I for one don't believe it! It seems he's trying to say most those 10 to 20 million hits he gets on his website are in favor of him because of what's in his mail box? Talk about exploiting an unproveable thing!

 

[Auntie]

Exactly. People go to sites out of curiosity. I did a search today for pics of Saddam, and it certainly wasn't because I give a hoot about Saddam!

 

[nephilimiyr]

Exactly. People go to sites out of curiosity. I did a search today for pics of Saddam, and it certainly wasn't because I give a hoot about Saddam!<IMG alt="" src="http://www.christianforums.com/images/smilies/smile.gif" border=0>

Thank you for proveing my point Auntie, your a doll!

 

[Brimshack]

I see no expression of hatred in that speech. I have, however, read a number of very hateful comments about Michael Moore and the Dixie Chicks in this forum. And the point of his speech was not that anyne was violating his right of free speech, it was precisely that no-one has successfully silenced him.

 

[Outspoken]

Yup brim, with some general bashing thrown in by mr moore for good measure.

 

[Auntie]

Yesterday at 11:57 PM nephilimiyr said this in Post #6



Thank you for proveing my point Auntie, your a doll!

Thanks for the compliment nephilimiyr!

 

[Blindfaith]

I'm going to exercise my right to free speech here;

Mr. Moore,

Be quiet.

Sincerely,
BF

 

[Auntie]

Today at 12:05 AM Brimshack said this in Post #7

And the point of his speech was not that anyne was violating his right of free speech, it was precisely that no-one has successfully silenced him.

That's coz he's an Uhmuurickin.

 

[nephilimiyr]

I see no expression of hatred in that speech. I have, however, read a number of very hateful comments about Michael Moore and the Dixie Chicks in this forum. And the point of his speech was not that anyne was violating his right of free speech, it was precisely that no-one has successfully silenced him.

Thus the reason why I said I think he's a wolf in sheeps clothing Brimshack. He doesn't express himself with hate but I think skirts around it letting the reader come to his own conclusions. He puts forward his ideas in a way to sway the reader to think that their being persecuted and need to be on the look out in case they might be harmed.

As for the Dixie Chick thing I too posted in that thread the other day calling for an end of bashing them. My point is that she apologized and we chriatians need to forgive her if they feel offended by the remark she gave.

 

[Blindfaith]

Ok. I need to revise my freedom of speech thing. Here's my revision;

Dear Mr. Moore (see...I included 'dear' to be much nicer)

Please be quiet (see...I added 'please'). You're wasting valuable oxygen.

Sincerely yours (see...I added 'yours'),
BF


How's that?

/me looks around wondering if her letter was okay

 

[Blindfaith]

G'night everyone!!&nbsp; Especially you my green friend &nbsp; Hugs and love to all ~ even those who don't agree with me ~ LOL

&nbsp;&nbsp;

 

[nephilimiyr]

LOL, sweat dreams Blindfaith!

 

[webboffin]

I want to use my free speech too. Micheal Moore you are talking cr*p!

 

[cenimo]

The Truth About Bowling For Columbine
Quite an article:


http://www.hardylaw.net/Truth_About_Bowling.html


BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE

Documentary or Fiction?

-David T. Hardy-

The first misconception to correct about Michael Moore's The Big One is that it is a documentary. It's not. Moore doesn't make those. . . . . it's best to consider Moore's films as entries into the ever-growing category of pseudo (or "meta") documentaries. Or, perhaps even more accurately, view it as an exercise in self-publicity.

James Berardinelli

The Michael Moore production "Bowling for Columbine" just won the Oscar for best documentary. Unfortunately, it is not a documentary, by the Academy's own definition.

The injustice here is not so much to the viewer, as to the independent producers of real documentaries. These struggle in a field which (despite its real value) receives but a tiny fraction of the recognition and financing of the "entertainment industry." The award of the documentary Oscar to a $4 million entertainment piece is unjust to the legitimate competitors, disheartening to makers of real documentaries, and sets a precedent which may encourage inspire others to take similar liberties with their future projects...


(continued in the link)

 

[WayneH]

Blindf..... so funny - please keep us tickled...


well - still have not seen the columbine movie anywhere near ME - which is good - I have no desire to see it - and I know many people who have thrown away dixie chik cds.........

I think mr. moore needs to fix a few facts also..... Darrly Worleys Do You Remember is the NO. 1 song and most requested across the Nation followed by Blakes song........ but hey - we're all allowed our freedom of speech and allowed to skew any facts we want...............

 

[Gunny]

Moore needs to get off the White Castle burger diet and start some serious PT.

 

[eldermike]

Moore needs to get off the White Castle burger diet and start some serious PT.