Reuters is reporting that Michael Moore was informed over a year ago that it would not release his inflammatory, anti-Bush movie “Farenheit 911.” A Disney spokesperson has called Moore’s announcement a “PR stunt” designed to coincide with the movie’s debut at the Cannes film festival. Disney chief Michael Eisner also denies the assertion made by the Moore camp that the film is being withheld over fear of Disney losing tax incentives in Florida. Moore has not responded to Disneys response.
Here’s another story about Moore shopping for a new distributor.
Michael Moore…Less Than Forthright?
Shameless PR stunts in the entertainment industry? Say it isn’t so.
Considering Moore’s penchant for omission and misrepresentation, I wouldn’t doubt it that this story is true and Moore is just trying to make hay out of it.
Moore is not being censored. Someone will pick up his movie and distribute it. Disney can do whatever it wants to do, it is their sandbox.
Re:Michael Moore…Less Than Forthright?
Michael Moore is unpopular because he has no respect for Authority. They can’t shut him up and he won’t go away, so they have to resort to trying to cover-up or destroy his work. Given that Disney is a huge, vapid, money-sucking corporation that turns out third rate hack work, and Moore has the balls to stand up for the little guy, Disney doesn’t get any credibility from me.
Re:Michael Moore…Less Than Forthright?
Michael Moore is a huge, vapid, money-sucking person that turns out third-rate hack work. You are fool if you believe that standing up for the little guy stuff. He treats people who work for him like crap and he is a blowhard. In addition, he makes stuff up. He claims he tells the truth and then when he is confronted with it, he claims that it is entertainment.
He has every right to do what he does but that doesn’t make him a truth-teller. He may be a hero to the left, then again they have some pretty lousy people they hold up as heroes.
Support Moore, Boycott Disney
As librarians I think our support ought to be for Moore and not for the censorship tactics that Disney is employing. Librarians attending ALA in Orlando this June should boycott all Disney-related functions, including the Keynote address on “Service, Disney Style” (http://planner.ala.org/index_keynotes.asp). Is this the kind of service librarians wish to practice?
Re:Michael Moore…Less Than Forthright?
I’m not sure how making a bunch of money for media corporations would make Moore unpopular with them. I’m generally a fan of Moore’s, but I’d have to say he’s blowing smoke here. The internal corporate politics of Disney and Miramax seem as likely (if not more likely — Eisner and Weinstein reportedly hate each other guts) to be at the root of the brouhaha as Moore’s politics are.
It’s certainly plausible that Disney said a year ago it wouldn’t distribute the film, and that Miramax told Moore, “Don’t worry, we’ll work it out.” So, now, Moore has to be pissed at *someone*.
Censorship? No.
If I submit a manuscrupt to publisher A and they do not publish it, is this censorship? No. I just try publisher B, or C, until someone finally does accept it for publication. Why is Disney accused of censorship? There are other film distributors. Moore can simply go find one of them to handle his project.
Re:Censorship? No.
In an ideal media world, your point would be well taken. But the fact is, in today’s world where media outlets are concentrated into fewer and fewer hands, a political refusal by Disney (or Time-Warner etc.)to publish certain viewpoints is de facto censorship. And it should be roundly condemned.
How do you know this?
“He treats people who work for him like crap and he is a blowhard.”
How do you know this? Did you work for him? Any links to reputable sources on this one?
“He may be a hero to the left, then again they have some pretty lousy people they hold up as heroes.”
As opposed to the great heroes the Right. (eye roll)
Re:Censorship? No.
I expect that you were equally outraged when Disney refused to pick up Mel Gibson’s, The Passion of Christ???