I am reminded of something Ayn Rand said on the occasion of the Oscar streaker during the 70’s.
He wasn’t booed for what he said, dumbass. He was booed for hijacking someone else’s celebration to say something totally irrelevant.
The Oscars have put up with this shit before, on a number of subjects, and it’s ALWAYS been criticized. The people booing were probably overwhelmingly in AGREEMENT with Moore’s comments - most of Hollywood is Democrat, and California is a Democratic state. They were booing because it’s considered exceptionally rude to hijack the Oscars for political reasons, as well it should be, partisan morons aside, and they’ve managed to finally get most of the biggest loudmouths to shut up. Apparently Michael Moore lacks the class to follow that example, not that that comes as any surprise.
Would you launch into a politcal rant in the middle of a wedding? How about while having a meeting at work about second quarter sales? No, of course you wouldn’t. So why would you launch into a rant at an industry gala?
Get over his criticism, dude. If Moore is allowed to say it, he’s allowed to say Moore’s an asshole. Free speech cuts both ways.
Well at least Mike Moore is Mike Moore unlike Maria Cruz.
BTW, Diogenes, I hear that the Iraqi radio is looking for a new Baghdad Betty and I think you’d be perfect for the job. You sure seem determined to disparage America and to denigrate your former fellow servicemen; how’s your Arabic?
The BBC reported Cheers and boos for Moore and that was my impression also. I see many American media reports are just concentrating on the boos, I see that as evidence #309099 that the American media is not liberal.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2867797.stm
Some of those American reports are saying that Moore launched a violent attack to Bush!
Violent? While bombs are being launched Iraq’s cities and American troops are shot at THIS is what a violent attack is?
BTW the “attack” ended with:
There was nothing there against our troops, only a rant against a man that is hiding behind them to avoid any criticism.
Michael Moore included.
I don’t have much of a problem with Moore’s comments. Yes, they were crass, tacky, and completely innappropriate for the forum, but it wasn’t too expected coming from him and yet strangely titilating that so many of the audience members didn’t seem to expect it.
What I mind, what I think was beyond rude, was the parading of the losers as his “solidarity.”
Here are four other groups, complete strangers to Moore and united in only one thing: the feeling of crushing disappointment at losing an award over work they had spent years preparing. Now here comes a man who tricks them up on stage in an apparent show of unification and smears the President live on worldwide television. They’re forced to stand in the background and get booed at by proxy.
That’s low. If he had any respect for his colleagues, they wouldn’t have been pawns in his game tonight.
Reasons why Moore’s speech sucked:
(1) He decided to beat that reliable dead horse, the “stolen” election. Beside the point and stinking of sour grapes.
(2) It was neither articulate (like Brody’s) nor simple & heartfelt (like Almodovar’s). For them, it was about communicating a message–for Moore it was about ranting in a lather and drawing attention to his truly favorite subject: Himself
(3) If you watched the Independent Spirit Awards the night before, he gave the exact same speech. So you can’t even compliment it as being original
Did he have a right to say what he did? Sure. Were the Oscars an appropriate forum? Hey, he won, so I don’t mind. Was it a nice thing acknowledging his fellow nominees? Bringing them on stage was unprecedented and a class act.
But the way he said it made him look like a horse’s ass. The crowd obviously agreed with his politics enough to get him the Oscar and a standing ovation–they were booing him because he was classless and strident in a tediously boring (though wholly predictable) way.
Sorry, “wasn’t too UNexpected” in the first paragraph.
Never trust a rich socialist
No thanks. I’d offer you to blow me, though, if I thought it would shut you up.
Do you just refuse to read, or are you actually mentally incapable of it? Even in “fucking America” there’s appropriate and inappropriate. I never said Moore doesn’t have the right to say whatever he “thinks,” I said that it was the wrong forum for it.
And if you can be bothered to take a step back instead of just concentrating on formulating your next witty rejoinder (hint: “Suck on this!” hasn’t been used in a while), you might notice that I wasn’t even talking about freedom of speech. I was objecting to your suggestion that anyone who disagrees with how Moore chose to present himself is automatically a conservative, flag-waving USA-all-the-way “These Colors Don’t Run” type. Which is an insult. I can be against the war and against knee-jerk idiots like Moore at the same time; it’s something I like to do called “forming my own opinion.”
The older I get (pushing 60) the less concerned I am about what is appropriate for me to say and what is not. My hobby is being out of line.
Yes, the nominees were told they could address the issue of war (within the allotted time). Yes, Moore has the right to his opinion, and the right to express it.
But it doesn’t matter whether he was for the war or against it. He was fucking RUDE. And he is the one who should be ashamed of himself. If he had made anti-Hussein remarks in the same manner, he would have been equally rude.
Brody, Cooper and Almodovar were not out of line, (Cooper was particularly tasteful) because they used a reasonable tone of voice, made general remarks, and didn’t point their fingers and shout an accusation at someone who has nothing to do with the film industry. It was the Oscars, not an anti-war rally. I was watching to see Two Towers not win anything (much), not to hear his fat ass go off.
Moore is a fucking documentarian (is that a word?). He can make a docu about this war, when it’s over; he can make his statement that way.
On preview:
Amen, brother.
And I’ll say again; I don’t think Moore is an asshole because he made anti-war remarks. He’s an asshole because he did so in an assholish manner.
I love your signature, Rilchiam.
Do we know for sure that the people on the stage were duped? Isn’t it possible that this was arranged in advance if he won?
Moore was an asshole. When you show less restraint that Susan Sarandon and Barbra freakin’ Streisand, you may want to double-check your notes.
BTW, I remember the streaker in the 1970’s. David Niven was at the podium as the man ran behind him. Niven kept a straight face and commented on what he called the man’s “shortcomings.”
And, following the pattern established over the course of her whole career, Rand once again mistakes personal opinion for universal truth.
A brilliant actor who has been acting since he was a kid (starting on the stage). He’s done great work mainly in small, lower-budget films, though you might have seen him here and there. I first noticed him in Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam and I’m thrilled for him. I loved all the nominees, but Szpilman was…special. Brody had to act mainly through his eyes, body language and hands, since there’s very little dialogue. It was a very, very difficult role and he deserved his award.
From IMDB:
Pianist, The (2002) … Wladyslaw Szpilman
Dummy (2002) … Steven
Affair of the Necklace, The (2001) … Nicolas De La Motte
Love the Hard Way (2001) … Jack
Harrison’s Flowers (2000) … Kyle Morris
Bread and Roses (2000) … Sam
Liberty Heights (1999) … Van Kurtzman
Oxygen (1999) … Harry
Summer of Sam (1999) … Richie
Thin Red Line, The (1998) … Cpl. Fife
Sweet Jersey (1998) … Ray
Restaurant (1998) … Chris Calloway
Six Ways to Sunday (1998) … Arnie Finklestein
Undertaker’s Wedding, The (1997) … Mario Bellini
Last Time I Committed Suicide, The (1997) … Ben
Bullet (1996) … Ruby
Solo (1996) … Dr. Bill Stewart, Solo’s Designer
Jailbreakers (1994) (TV) … Skinny
Angels in the Outfield (1994) … Danny Hemmerling
King of the Hill (1993) … Lester Silverstone
New York Stories (1989) … Mel
Home at Last (1988) (TV) … Billy
“Annie McGuire” (1988) TV Series … Lenny McGuire
And, oh yeah, I’m a Moorehead but he really squandered his standing ovation. Disappointing.
Great Oscars though.
quote:
Originally posted by capacitor
Today’s entertainers are money-feeding sheep.
Michael Moore included.
Except Moore has obviously been feeding on more than money. And whatever it is, he’s been eating a lot of it. Wonder if he’ll ever do a documentary about that other obsession of America – crappy junk food?
Bowling for Columbine was a great film, and I’m glad he got an award for it.
And, as usual, I’m amazed anyone watched the annual piece of shit Oscar broadcast. I think they should do away with it. They should announce the winners in the morning news and tell the winners they can pick up their Oscar in Hollywood, monday through friday, during normal business hours.