Fahrenheit 9/11

For all the right wing screaming about Michael Moore's movie, it actually does have some serious problems. I've stayed away from discussing them, mostly because it's a tiring thing to do and I am lazy.

Luckily for you, a journalism professor in Austin, Texas, is not.

Robert Jensen beautifully lays out the problems with Moore's movie in a review posted at CounterPunch, titlted Stupid White Movie. Please read it. It probably won't hold the interest of the guys on the sports board, but you can still post a link. If they're desperate enough to smear the movie, maybe they'll take up some of Jensen's points.

I sent an email to Professor Jensen, and got a reply that I want to post.

My email:

Thank you for your excellent analysis of Fahrenheit 9/11. You've noted many of the things that bothered me about the film, particularly the racism as you've noted it, and the indictment of the Bush administration without acknowledging that the situation in Iraq is a direct consequence of our foreign policy, which is manifested only slightly differently from Republican to Democrat administrations.

However, I think what you are saying by saying that you might vote Democrat if you lived in a swing state is that Michael Moore actually made the right movie. He made a movie that treats people's emotions, which is what the majority apparently uses for voting, and so he made a movie that makes it likely some people, who might otherwise vote Republican, will react and decide not to vote for Bush. The movie you seem to want Mr. Moore to have made is a necessary movie, but I think it would be most effective coming after the film that Moore has made, which I think has caused people who don't usually concern themselves very much with our foreign affairs to stop and think about these things - even if they are currently thinking it's all Bush and can change if we get rid of him. The first step is to notice that there is something fishy about our foreign relations. I'm not saying I think Moore is the one to make the other film - I'm sure he's not. And I agree that there are unsaid and implied things that are just very wrong in F-9/11. But, it seems to have struck a chord, and I think its great value is that people are seeing that there's a tremendous amount of information our useless news channels haven't been showing them. If nothing else, maybe they'll demand better news coverage.

I do live in a swing state, and I don't believe I will vote for John Kerry just to get rid of Bush, although I recognize the importance of removing the current administration. From what he has said to date (re: Israel and Venezuela in particular), I think John Kerry will have a terrible foreign policy, and the danger is that he will be able to smooth over the worst of it, hiding once again the true costs of our imperialist policies from American view, and calming the international scene enough so that we may continue on our imperial path. As horrendous as the Bush administration is, they have not managed to keep it hidden or subtle enough, forcing the entire world to take stands they might not otherwise have done. And let's face it, it's pretty obvious now that if we are checked, it will be because the rest of the world checks us. But, more importantly, I feel I can safely vote my choice, because I don't really think Bush will win by votes. He didn't win last time by votes, and things are much worse for him now. He may get reinstalled one way or another, but he won't win because he actually gets more votes.

I think we are in very deep trouble as a nation, and I think it could not have come to anything else given our two-party electoral system and its corporate constituency. Who's going to make that movie, and make it so that it has enough appeal to pull in the numbers of people that F-9/11 has been getting?

At least, that's the way it looks to me.

And Jensen's reply:

Thanks for the note. I think Moore could have made a much more intelligent film without sacrificing the humor or appeal, and still agitated against Bush. I think he missed an opportunity to use his celebrity more effectively. Are Americans ready to hear that? In my experience, more are than one might assume. Who will make that movie? Well, I'm working with someone on a film, but I don't think it's going to get the distribution of Moore's.

I've asked him to keep me posted on the progress of that film. I'll let you know, and you can help me at least distribute the notice if it's going to be publicly available.

I'm guessing that Professor Jensen's circle of experience (which I am also guessing is mostly academics and people educated beyond high school) doesn't represent the average American, but I could be wrong, and maybe I am underestimating our country. On the other hand, if his film doesn't get the distribution of Moore's, I'd say it's not only because he lacks the celebrity, but because theater owners are in business to make money and will book what they believe will sell tickets, which means they have to know the movie-going public's taste. It's pretty base, and very juvenile, if the movies being shown at any given time are an indication.