NEWS: Follow-Up: Michael Moore Admits to Publicity Stunt for "Fahrenheit 911"

Following our coverage of this story on ATSNN here: Michael Moore Film Bashing Bush is Blocked from Distribution; speculation that his claims were a publicity stunt ran rampant through our follow-up discussion. During an interview on CNN, Moore admitted he knew Disney was not going to distribute his film a year ago.

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news.Independent.co.uk The admission, during an interview with CNN, undermined Moore's claim that Disney was trying to sabotage the US release of Fahrenheit 911 just days before its world premiere at the Cannes film festival. Instead, it lent credence to a growing suspicion that Moore was manufacturing a controversy to help publicise the film, a full-bore attack on the Bush administration and its handling of national security since the attacks of 11 September 2001. Moore's self-serving indignant letter to his supporters indicated he had only learned on Monday of Disney's refusal to distribute the film. Whatever his film may expose, the credibility of the filmmaker has now been damaged, thereby diminishing any effect the film may have on issues related to the Bush administration and the 9/11/2001 attacks. [Edited on 5-9-2004 by Valhall]

Good on Michael Moore for showing how effective PR can be, instead of big bucks on advertising!

He is a growing master at media manipulation, but not quite as effective as the Bush admin has been (till April) in working with complicit media to send the right words and signals to influence a dumbed down readership and viewership.

[Edited on 7-5-2004 by MaskedAvatar]

Well... someone who is "good at using effective PR" doesn't need to lie. Moore lied to his supporters. His credibility is now in doubt... which means his film may not have the impact it should have.

MM's credibility has always been in doubt. Only the ignorant are blind to that fact. He talks a good game and makes up fantastical stories, but in the end, he's nothing but a fake and a loud mouth. Such is the result of our government.

The squeakiest wheel gets the oil.

Well, SO, all I can say is, you can't pull the wool over our eyes.

MM is is very tiresome. I wish the creep would just go away. He should not have been encouraged after his first movie attempt.

Thanks for the follow-up

I don't know MA, I understand what you're saying and all, but I'm not sure he should be using such tactics. Sure it shows that he can keep up with the big boys and that he understands the in's and out's of their little media games, and can play them too. But should he?

Personally, I think he should avoid using the same dirty tactics that the other guys use, and show that he's the better man. I mean he is well known and established now, so it's not like he can't get exposure if he wants it. He'd be better off in the long run to hold on to an image of being a 'No B.S. kinda guy'.

I compare it to the type of Radical Moves Alex Jones sometimes goes overboard with. Understand, I totally support Alex and what he's donig. But sometimes his tactics work against him. After a while people start viewing him as just being the opposite 'Propaganda' view point and stop listening to him. Moore has earned his way into a large audience and still comes off being 'the average kind of guy'. He should rely on the fact that his supporters and fans 'are listening' and he doesn't need to engage in the same 'tricky-dick' type moves anymore.

Well... yes... I should have said, Moore's credibility will suffer even more damage, rather than simply saying it will suffer. However, being somewhat of a centrist, I appreciate his intent... I only wish he was more adept at actual research than comedy. Everyone does realize he's really a comedian... right?

Michael Moore's credibility has always been in doubt. That doesn't necessarily negate the severity of the issues around which his art revolves. Yes, he has admitted that he doesn't have a problem writing innacuracies of information in his art. This has already been established. He's a leftist wacko, but the issues he addresses wouldn't be scrutinized nearly as closely if he wasn't doing what he does.

I think if he was going to lie, he should have lied to the effect that yes, this was a publicity stunt, strategically timed to best show how a media outlet would supress information in the interest of preventing lost profits. This is a perfect time for that.

Michael Moore is the lefts equivalent of Rush Limbaugh. They both are for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY, and while they speak of real issues, they may not speak real of them.

I think that there should be a law banning the public service of any member of the collective Bush lineage in the future. Companies being passively intimidated to not release certain information just because the brother of the president happens to be the governor of a state which contains potential millions in revenue is stupid. Have we regressed to the feudal system of the middle ages with our money issues?

Such is the result of the government... that sounds rather dictatorian. Would you rather live somewhere where someone will tell you what you can write or make a movie about, or is it that you would like it only if you were the one doing the telling?

The issues addressed by Michael Moore are real. And they are problems. Just because the source is incredible doesn't make the problem cease to exist.

Michael Moore's work would be best described as fiction based on reality. That's all.

And I thought the squeakiest wheel gets the kick...

[Edited on 7-5-2004 by DeltaChaos]

Michael Moore is worthless.

Dear MM:

Shower, shave, change your name.
Your attempt at fame
has caused you shame.
And it's you I blame.

Thank you very much

add to that: get a personality and lose some weight.

DontTreadOnME

What do you think would be a good career path
for MM to follow, now that his true colors have been exposed? He appears to know a lot about fast food.

Great idea.

Moore's techniques for exposing corruption and stupidity anywhere he looks, could easily be franchised to low budget filmmakers who can make a big noise and get people enthused and interested and arguing.

And he's big enough to have two, not one, golden arches "MM" emblazoned on any of his franchisees' productions.

The guy will be doing his gig for years, applying tabloid techniques right where they ought to be applied. Until he keels over from heart attack or chokes on a sandwich. Get used to it.

Moore is a #ing idoit. nough said

Yep, I agree, he's so good at it, he "exposed himself"

[Edited on 7-5-2004 by spacedoubt]

Michael Moore: The democratic equivelant of Rush Limbaugh...

Naw i would relate him more toward dennis miller but miller is actually funny and intellegent.

No...I believe that'd be AL Franklin....another waste of space...

I haven't seen much of Moore's new work, not even 'Bowling for Columbine', but I was a fan of his show TV nation.

You guys are giving him a harder time than he deserves.
Disney did say last year, after he began making the movie, that they would refuse to distribute his film in the US.

After the movie had been completed, they may have gone back to Disney and asked if they would reconsider their position, at which point they would have given what he considered the >official answer.

"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."

His mistake would have been in not acknowledging their previous statement, resulting in many being mislead about the situation.