I wish I could say that Michael Moore was original, but mostly he brings to mind Lillian Hellman, the Stalinist playright of whom Mary McCarty once said: "Every word [Hellman] writes is a lie, including 'and' and 'the.'"
Yep, sounds like our boy.
Watching mainstream media coverage of Moore, one reflects how fortunate the man is to have so much kissing space on his ass. Nonetheless, his hard-earned reputation for being less than truthful is beginning to catch up with him - and not just on the right. Reader Mike Daley points to a devastating review by Armond White of The NY Press, who is not exactly a member of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy. White's points about Moore's class vice and the link between the Entertainment Industrial Complex and the Military Industrial Complex are worth reading. His description of Moore's work as amounting to "Liberalism with a fascist face" is a pithy summary of a literate and sophisticated aesthetic argument.
Meanwhile, leftist enfant terrible Chris Hitchens (no friend of Stalinists either) annihilates Farenheit 9/11 right to its foundations in "Unfairenheit 9/11: The lies of Michael Moore." Some choice excerpts:
Article comments
1 - Jim Carruthers
I wouldn't say the NYP article was so much devastating as much as a blind rant by somebody who hasn't seen the movie, and uses "The Blair Witch Project" as a basis of his arguementy type thing. Because you know we got to rip off the lid on witch ghosts killing stupid college kids in the woods. Why, that's almost like terrorism.
2 - Jim Carruthers
Also, it's "Armond White", not "Arnold", and can you prove you've never thought how cool you'd look with a beard just like Fidel Castro, and in fact, haven't you, in your heart, advocated the violent overthrow of the United States Government, putting yourself in place as President for Life with Farrah Fawcett as your Bestest Lay-dee.
3 - Joe Katzman
Actually, it's pretty clear that Armond White has seen the film, and that his comments go rather deeper than your characterization.
Corrected the typo for his name, thanks. Had missed that on first proof.
4 - Jim Carruthers
I'm just wondering why you didn't post when The New York Press had a cover article about how the Democrats should embrace a full-on Fascist agenda if they really want to beat the Republicans a couple of months ago, or last week's cover article about how white males vote out of spite, not civic responsibility, preferring the worst of two evils four out of five times.
I don't know if you read New York Press very often, but they just make shit up. I only read them for Jim Knipfel's column (and his video reviews, though I cut him some slack because he's legally blind).
When you go to Ratso Rizzo for confirmation of your political prejudices, don't be surprized when he just pisses all over the place. I'll bet next week, they'll have a cover story about how many NYC taxi drivers think a real rain should come along to wash all the scum off the street.
5 - Jim Carruthers
By the way, here's the recent suggestion from the New York Press on what needs to be done in 'Murrica:
Please note, if you think reality teevee is real, this is what is known in areas what got that book learnin' as satire, which was what the Micheal Moore piece was.
6 - Colin Campbell
From what I can see Joe Katzman is a fucking idiot.