Posted on 01/07/2005 11:03:45 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
Leftist filmmaker Michael Moore was awarded seven and a half minutes of air time in the 7:30 half hour of Thursday's Today show to offer his political analysis of why the Democrats failed to oust Bush. Katie Couric felt that wasn't enough, so she invited him back an hour later for another eight minutes and forty seconds of air time, or 16 minutes, 10 seconds overall. While Couric tried to suggest that maybe Hollywood liberalism hurt the Democrats (and even noted the "vitriol...you seem to embody"), she also inaccurately promoted Moore's latest book as "new" and "currently on many bestseller lists" when it came out in October and on Thursday was ranked #1,547 on Amazon.com.
Couric began the January 6 session: "Love him or hate him, there's no denying Michael Moore's influence. His highly critical film of the Bush administration, Fahrenheit 9/11, is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. Now Michael Moore is out with a new book, Will They Ever Trust Us Again? It's a compilation of letters from soldiers in Iraq and their families and it is currently on many bestseller lists. Michael Moore, welcome back."
Unfortunately for NBC, that's inaccurate. Moore's latest book came out from Simon & Schuster in October of last year, and was only on the New York Times best-seller list for three weeks (October 24, October 31, November 7). The Washington Post's local best-sellers list only listed the Moore book once (October 24). On Thursday, the book was ranked #1,547 on Amazon.com.
Couric asked if it was true Moore stayed in his pajamas for three days after the election. He said no. Then she tried to draw him out as a pundit: "What, in your view, if you had to do a post-mortem on this election, why do you believe George Bush was re-elected and John Kerry lost?" Moore insisted Republicans keep selling a fictional tale of a dangerous world: "I think the Republicans were very good at instilling fear in the American people, and fear works. They had a very good story to tell, even though it was a story of fiction. It was a story about how it's a dangerous world, and you may die at any moment, and if you vote for me, you won't die. And you know, I think that's very powerful for a lot of people."
Couric noted that former Clinton Chief-of-Staff Leon Panetta decried the "Michael Moore Syndrome, which basically means you galvanized the Republican base by becoming a symbol of the cultural elite that is out of touch with most people in this country." Moore protested: "First of all, obviously, people who know me know I'm not a member of the cultural elite." Couric failed to bring up Moore's multi-millionaire income, or his fat speaking fees in the waning days of the presidential election, including a foiled plan for a $35,000 speech at George Mason University in the week before the vote.
But the cultural elitism surfaced about two minutes later, after Moore called President Bush, a "sort of a bumbling, stumbling Gilligan." Couric then read a long excerpt from his Web site about protesting the inauguration, with the words on screen, and then asked: "Is part of the problem, though, is the Democratic Party talking more about what they're against and was John Kerry's candidacy talking too much negative? About negative things with the Bush administration and not enough about what they're for, what they represent, and what they mean to the American people?
Anecdotally, when I talk to people who were kind of on the fence about this election they said, 'We never quite understood what John Kerry stood for and what he would do differently.' And I think people were turned off by the vitriol that frankly you in many ways embody."
Moore then put on the artistic airs, although he didn't really answer the issue of his vitriol: "Well, no. What I embody -- I, among many artists, from Bruce Springsteen to Pearl Jam to the Russell Simmons and hip-hop community -- all the people who were out there energizing the base of the Democratic party, getting young people out to vote, which is what we did, and look, if anything, the Democrats have been too weak-kneed." He then touted how on Thursday, black members of Congress would aggressively object to the election certification in Ohio as an example of what the Democrats should do. Couric then asked Moore to "stick around" for another interview segment.
When Couric returned to Moore for the almost nine-minute segment in the 8:30 half hour, they talked for quite a while about how the Democrats need to put up a "star" instead of a "wonk" for the Democratic nomination. To Moore, Bill Clinton is a "star" and not a wonk, as is Hillary. He also touted potential candidates like Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Caroline Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Democratic stars.
The only noteworthy exchange of the second long segment was discussing Moore's next film project attacking the pharmaceutical industry. Couric asked: "Do you give the drug companies any credit for, for doing some good things, for developing new drugs, for helping solve disease in this country? I mean do you see them as pure enemies of the, you know, of the people?" Moore said: "Yes, pure. (Laughs) Pure and absolute enemies, absolutely. First, health care should be a human right. It should not have anything to do with profit."
For a reminder of how kooky Moore sounded at the end of his film Fahrenheit 9/11, see: http://www.mrc.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20041020.asp#3
For more on how Moore's profitable campus speaking tour got upended at George Mason last fall, see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1372-2004Oct1.html
-- Brent Baker
Fahrenheit 9/11's widest release was domestically summarized at 2,011 theaters.
Domestic: $119,194,771...54.0%
+ Overseas: $101,500,000....46.0%
= Worldwide: $220,694,771
"Fahrenheit 9/11" was the first documentary to win Cannes' prestigious Palme d'Or since Jacques Cousteau's "The Silent World" in 1956.
Techinical and artistic innovations: ?
*******************************************************
Greg MacGillivray's "documentary" film,(more in the true sense of the definition of this genre) EVEREST,set all records onthe giant screen format by grossing $100 million in under two years and becoming the first giant screen film to appear on Variety’s Top 10 Box Office Chart next to featured blockbusters TITANIC and GODZILLA.
EVEREST playing in only 243 theatres worldwide (only 62 domestically) brought in an unprecedented per-screen average of $496,296 with fewer than 300 large format screens available worldwide. Giant screen films such as EVEREST and TO FLY! often surpass successful "feature documentaries" such as BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, ROGER & ME and HOOP DREAMS in both theatrical attendance and box office grosses. Giant screen films have grossed an estimated $4 billion, evidence of the popular appeal of these films.
Unlike Moore, MacGillivray is well-known for his artistic and technical innovations. In the giant format IMAX, MacGillivray initiated the development of three new IMAX cameras—the high-speed (slow-motion) camera, the industry''s first lightweight camera, and the "all-weather" camera used during filming on Mt. Everest. MacGillivray Freeman Films have received hundreds of national and international awards including two Academy Award nominations, and currently have thirty films in its distribution library. MacGillivray was quoted as saying,“EVEREST became a cultural phenomenon that captured the attention of the entire world, not only because of the tragic storm that cost eight lives, but because this was a film people connected with emotionally".
Domestic $87,178,599....68.1%
+ Overseas:$40,811,529....31.9%
= Worldwide: $127,990,128
It is all about playing with numbers! It was and still is about sending a political message hyped in large part by the liberal news media. I could find very little coverage by the news media on the documentary award winning film, Everest, especially on a daily pampered basis, as Moore's Fahrenheit 9-11 (all during the election). Moore made an impact because the liberal media "in mass" frantically wanted him do so. The same media and the Democrats, not Bush; as Gore wanted many to believe, "played on the fears" of the people and Moore quickly cashed in.
Maybe they'll get married? A match made in HELL!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
While President George W Bush is doing everything he can to Protect the American People, the ComuCrats are doing everything they can to Protect the Terrorists. Their stand makes you continue to understand which side they are on? The Party that sided with Russia, Pol Pot, Castro and Mao and every other tinpot Madman has suddenly decided that we have to protect the “rights” of Terrorists.
If we have a Terrorist who is suspected of wanting to kill Americans in the most hideous method possible then he gets what he gets. If they hang him by his thumbs to find out the plans of Al Queda, well too bad his head is still attached. If he gets to star is some perverted homemade photofest, well maybe he shouldn’t have become a Terrorist. The LibeRats want to give him all the rights that OJ Simpson had. They would require free legal advice as well as plenty of ice for his Strawberry Lemonades.
Americans know that the Rats do not have our safety or America’s strength at heart. These power starved elitists are the enemy of America and have the same goals as the Terrorists. These people hate America and everything she stands for as well as a special hatred for Believing Christians and Zionists. As the election showed, the American People are sick and tired of their constant knee, jerk heavy on the jerk; attack on America with any and every issue. From Abu Grabass to the Tsunami, these people will criticize and denigrate America no matter what we do. We are the evil to these people and the Terrorists are their last hope since their other Comrades are on the Ash Heap of History.
Miguel Estrada is a fine man who happens to be the wrong shade to be a Republican. The last thing that ComuCrats can tolerate is a minority that does not believe quotas are their only way out of poverty. Hispanics are already anti-abortion and anti-homomarriage, another words too sensible to vote for the Commies. Because Estrada oversaw a note about torture techniques for Terrorists he is being Lynched by a bunch of Angry Old White Men. Writing about the legality and rights to be given to Terrorists in a Country that routinely cut peoples tongues out and Stone shrouded women, is now a lynchable crime?? Imagine that strained logic if we had a fair or inquisitive Press rather than a DNC megaphone? Sorry, but the Abu just doesn’t Grab me.
Why should any Hispanic or any other Real American vote for the Rats?? If they only fought just half as hard for America and Our Troops as they fight for Rapists, Murderers or Terrorists they would have a chance of returning to power in the next 20 years. Of course we don’t have to worry about that, since they are so reflexive and eager to bash Bush and America that they will continue to be Freakish Characters in some Mikey Mooreon Crockumentary! If anyone has any question you only have to hear the drivel about Terrorist “rights” and the 20 UFOhio Electors. Leopards, Zebras, Rats will never change, America is Always wrong.
The good news is that America is far more intelligent than the Rats. They can see through the lies that they spew. We understand that these people have no business being anywhere close to the protection of our families. They think that we Red Staters are too stupid to remember what they do as opposed to what they say. We know whose side of the war that they are on. We know that there have been far too few instances where they have condemned Terrorists as opposed the numerous times they supported and defended these Bloodthirsty Animals. The only enemy of America they have condemned is Saddamn....oh yeah, never mind!
Pray for W and Our Troops
The only thing that fat bastard Moore influences is the tides when he rolls over.
A perfect match but could she afford his groceries?
WOW! Two interviews with Jabba the Moore. Maybe Katie will get Rather's job after all.
Kouric reportedly gets $7 million per year for her phony liberal concerns.
I wonder how much she has personally donated to the relief effort?
Moore & Couric are both like-minded phonies.
If Moore believes that profits should be removed from the drug development process, who, pray tell, will develop the drugs he believes should be disbursed as a human right?
He needs to contact Eli Lilly they have a drug to treat such delusional thinking this hunk of junk thinks he is. If he was in his right mind he would realize in the world he thinks he wants he could not say or do the things he wants or thinks he can get away with here.
Who watches that crap anyway, most people I know have better things to do at that time of the morning?
Katie who? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with her!(sarcasm off)
and they wonder why their ratings are in the tank...
and would someone clue Michael Moron in...
his POS film was not a "documentary"
it may have been the highest grossing propaganda but documentary IT WAS NOT!
The only drug that scum should get is morton thiokol. That ought to launch his arse to the moon.
(ok, it's a stretch, but it sure does sound like a drug instead of the maker of the shuttles boosters. )
And who will pay for that development?
Katie continues to prove herself a worthy successor to Dan Rather.
The highest grossing documentary was the Passion of the Christ. Fahrenhype was a medium level comedy.
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