- So, I'm away from a computer for a couple of days and
the whole world falls apart. By now you have undoubtedly heard that Disney
has refused to distribute Michael Moore's upcoming craptastic lie-fest
Fahrenheit 911.
-
- Disney executives indicated that they would not budge
from their position forbidding Miramax to be the distributor of the film
in North America. Overseas rights have been sold to a number of companies,
executives said.
-
- "We advised both the agent and Miramax in May of
2003 that the film would not be distributed by Miramax," said Zenia
Mucha, a company spokeswoman, referring to Mr. Moore's agent. "That
decision stands."
-
- Okay, according to this Disney has been saying for a
year that they would not permit Miramax to distribute this film. So this
is coming as a big surprise now, right before the premiere of the film
at Cannes? I don't buy this for a second. Harvey Weinstein is a smart guy,
and he's a very active Democrat Party hack. I think he knew all along that
there was no way that Disney would go for this, but he stuck with it because
there was no downside to it. Back in February I wrote a post about the
SuperBowl MoveOn commercial controversy, an incident which perfectly exemplifies
the dynamic we see working here with Miramax.
-
- Here's how it breaks down. MoveOn holds their commercial
contest, which in and of itself generates a lot of publicity. Then they
pick a winner, and attempt to buy advertising time during the Superbowl.
This, for them, is a no-lose proposition. If CBS sells them the airtime
then they get to show their commercial to a massive audience. If, as expected,
CBS declines to air it, then MoveOn gets to spin it into a propaganda victory.
. . . If your political enemies wish to silence you, that gives you a certain
level of credibility that you might not have had before. So, by propagating
the myth that people who disagree with the Bush administration are being
"silenced" it is essentially saying, "Hey, our message is
so right on that they have to resort to silencing us! What is it that they
don't want you to hear?"
-
- See my point? Weinstein has the opportunity to distribute
Moore's film. Not only is he a friend of Moore and a fellow traveller,
but Moore's films make quite a bit of money for very little cost.
-
- Weinstein signs up to distribute Moore's film, knowing
full well that Disney will most likely never go for it, a premise which
eventually proves correct. If Miramax had persuaded Disney to permit the
deal then Moore and Miramax would have had a solid distribution pipeline,
which would have guaranteed that the film open on thousands of screens.
With Disney pulling out both Moore and Weinstein have scored a massive
propaganda victory and gotten millions of dollars of free publicity right
before the film's debut at Cannes. "Come and see the film that the
Bush administration and their corporate lapdogs at Disney don't want you
to see!" And if you think I'm wrong about the spin and propaganda
surrounding this incident, take a look at Mike's website.
-
- Yesterday, I was told that Disney, the studio that owns
Miramax, has officially decided to prohibit our producer, Miramax, from
distributing my new film, "Fahrenheit 9/11." The reason? According
to today's (May 5) New York Times, it might "endanger" millions
of dollars of tax breaks Disney receives from the state of Florida because
the film will "anger" the Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush.
-
- Here's a typical Michael Moore blatant lie. Nowhere in
the quoted times article does the word "anger" appear, yet he
places it in quotes, thus making it appear that not wanting to anger Jeb
Bush was the reason for Disney's actions. For the record, here is the actual
Times quote.
-
- Mr. Moore's agent, Ari Emanuel, said Michael D. Eisner,
Disney's chief executive, asked him last spring to pull out of the deal
with Miramax. Mr. Emanuel said Mr. Eisner expressed particular concern
that it would endanger tax breaks Disney receives for its theme park, hotels
and other ventures in Florida, where Mr. Bush's brother, Jeb, is governor.
-
- "Michael Eisner asked me not to sell this movie
to Harvey Weinstein; that doesn't mean I listened to him," Mr. Emanuel
said. "He definitely indicated there were tax incentives he was getting
for the Disney corporation and that's why he didn't want me to sell it
to Miramax. He didn't want a Disney company involved."
-
- Disney executives deny that accusation, though they said
their displeasure over the deal was made clear to Miramax and Mr. Emanuel.
-
- Now, let's assume that the Florida tax breaks were the
reason that Disney chose not to distribute Moore's film. So what? That's
a standard business decision. "Moore's film cost $4 million to produce,
and has projected revenues of $30 million. However, by distributing it
we stand to lose $1 billion in Florida tax breaks, so it doesn't make good
business sense for us to do so."
-
- Where is the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy? That releasing
a monumental lie-fest right before a presidential election might not endear
you to a conservative state where the president's brother happens to be
governor? Wow, that's some Machiavellian scheming that's been uncovered!
Moore continues with his propaganda:
-
- For nearly a year, this struggle has been a lesson in
just how difficult it is in this country to create a piece of art that
might upset those in charge (well, OK, sorry -- it WILL upset them...big
time. Did I mention it's a comedy?)
- A piece of art that might upset those in charge? Does
he actually expect people to believe this crap? (Well, yes.) And it's a
comedy? Methinks that Mikey is falling back on his "How can there
be inaccuracy in comedy?" line again. Let's take a look at the description
of this "comedy."
-
- Mr. Moore said the film describes financial connections
between the Bush family and its associates and prominent Saudi Arabian
families that go back three decades. He said it closely explores the government's
role in the evacuation of relatives of Mr. bin Laden from the United States
immediately after the 2001 attacks. The film includes comments from American
soldiers on the ground in Iraq expressing disillusionment with the war,
he said.
-
- Wow, doesn't that sound gut-bustingly funny! I just can't
see how this calm, satirical, comedic little art film could cause so much
brouhaha.
-
- http://moorewatch.com/
-
-
-
- Comment
Danchi
5-6-4
-
- Since 911 there has been a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy
perpetuated by this administration. Also complicit in it is the major
media outlets. This administration has received free publicity & propaganda
since 911 for it's cause, big money & oil, via a war. By free I'm
not speaking in terms of the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, the
annihilation of a country by peppering it with DU and the genetic genocide
of Iraqi people by altering their DNA to the point where the children are
born, as one midwife calls them, monsters-genetic defects so profound that
the midwives are afraid to deliver babies because they don't know what's
going to come out. Not to mention the genetic alterations of the American
Service personnel's DNA to the point their children are born damaged and
the spouses are also being damaged because the effects of DU is passed
along in body fluids. Weapons of Mass Destruction-remember that term.
How many months of publicity did this administration receive on those
words. Now you talk about propaganda. Michael Moore knew for a year Disney
would not distribute his film. So what! The bush administration has known
for years that Iraq did not have WMD. So why were they surprised that none
have been found? Didn't make a difference to them. They dropped bombs
anyway. Collateral damage. They did know Iraq had lots of oil. They did
know they wanted it. They did know they were in bed with the Saudis.
You said:
-
- "So, by propagating the myth that people who disagree
with the Bush administration are being "silenced" it is essentially
saying, "Hey, our message is so right on that they have to resort
to silencing us! What is it that they don't want you to hear?"
-
- I don't think nor do I know if the information Moore
is giving is right or wrong but in a free society one has the right to
hear or read it and make that decision for themselves. I do agree with
Moore when he said"
-
- At some point the question has to be asked, 'Should this
be happening in a free and open society where the monied interests essentially
call the shots regarding the information that the public is allowed to
see?' "
-
- I think you're watching the wrong person. If you watched
this administration as intensely as you seem to be watching Moore maybe
you could see the boats left and you're still standing on the shore.
-
-
- Comment
Alton Raines
5-6-4
-
- Mr. Moore thinks his first ammendment rights extend into
the commercial enterprise to the effect that he has a "right"
to have his film distributed. Sorry, Charlie... that's nonsense! Being
one of those soft-boiled west-coast communists, Moore doesn't understand
free enterprise and capitalism. He has a right to make his movie, which
he has. He has a right to show it wherever the market is willing to bear
it -- nothing more. He can show it in his own backyard all he wants. But
he doesn't have a "right" to major distribution, that's a business
matter and it is determined by cold hard cash and the bottom line thereof.
He knows this, he just wants to make big political hooplah out of nothing,
pretend to be a victim (whiney bastard) and get more publicity. Surely
there's some extremely leftist distribution company willing to hawk his
"mock-u-mentary"? No? Hm. I wonder why one doesn't exist? Is
the answer a political one? Absolutely not. The answer is market, supply
and demand. It's that simple. If Moore were a true "documenary"
film maker, he'd forego the expensive backing and distribution and live
meagerly like most struggling artists for truth, and get his film shown
however and wherever he can, by hook or crook. But Moore isn't an educator
or a filmmaker or a documentarian. He's a scheister, a liar, a political
polecat and a rank opportunist, espousing great socialist ideals while
sucking off the teet of Captialism. What a slug!
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