Piss off, Tejota. I’m not going to sit here and let you call me a liar. I watched the awards a couple of hours ago, when it aired in Edmonton. The audience initially cheered wildly when he won. Then when he went into his rant, there was a smattering of boos and claps. The claps died out, and the boos continued. A few people in the audience actually yelled at him. Moore paused slightly and looked a little taken aback, and started in again. The boos got louder, and the producers cued the music over top of his speech.
I call that being booed off stage. Now kiss my conservative ass.
In this particular case, both. Even in this country, Michael Moore isn’t quite a household name (at least not before this). I question the impact celebrity opinion really has outside the U.S. on major matters like this, especially on the average Iraqi soldier that Sam was referring to. I simply don’t see how their Ministry of Propaganda or whatever could really spin Hollywood opinion into something with the consequences Sam forsees. I certainly don’t see Moore as a “leader” as you term him.
Then again, I also question the assertion that public protest lends aid and comfort to the enemy, so take that as you will.
Ahh I knew this was going to happen, which is why I didnt watch the Oscar’s. There’s a time and place for everything, and I dont think celebs should use the Oscar’s as a soapbox to voice there political opinions. They do that enough elsewhere as is.
I looked up that story on three different news sites (NYT, Washington Post and LA Times) and none of them only reported boos without commenting on the cheers and the LA Times didn’t mention either.
I also don’t get where people say it’s okay for Moore to do what he did. Although he has the right to hold the views he does, and arguably even state them at the Oscar ceremony, but labeling Bush and his Presidency “fictitious” and heaping shame upon him was over the line. It’s one thing to voice subdued political disagreement in a formal celebratory environment, but it’s something else entirely to heap scorn and ridicule upon anyone in that setting.
So did Moore commit some immoral boo-boo? No, he just acted like a complete and total rude jackass. I suppose he just doesn’t want to break his track record.
From my watching of the events, it went as follows:
Moore gets announced as winner of the Best Documentary Oscar.
Moore gets on stage and starts making his speec.
Moore starts criticizing George W. Bush. Some folks in the audience boo at him.
Moore continues talking. Other folks in the audience cheer at him.
Moore continues talking. The booers and the cheerers all try to out-do each other.
The “your time is up” music begins to play. Moore exits, stage right.
To say he was “booed off the stage” is to slant the events, IMO – a replay of the speech shows that the boos came first, but were followed by cheers a moment later, and the two sides then just kept going off each other. Moore himself only left when his time was up, as with any other winner.
As for whether or not his rant was “proper” – well, it’s his acceptance speech, and if he wants to turn it into a soapbox, more power to him. I don’t know if the other documentarians who went onstage with him knew what he had planned, though I’d give 50-50 odds Moore had arranged this with them beforehand; they all got up on stage pretty quickly, which suggested to me that they knew beforehand that he wanted them to all go up if he had won.
And anyone who thinks criticism of the President in time of war is inappropriate on general principle is welcome to buy a clue.
I got beaten to the punch here, but I have to add my voice in strongly disagreeing with this statement. When, pray tell, would be the proper time to voice one’s opinion against war, if not during wartime?
And as for your suggestion that it might “stiffen Iraqi opposition”:
:rolleyes:
I honestly cannot believe that people feel his behavior was appropriate and not over the line; although it is not unusual, and often even acceptable, to voice political beliefs of one sort or another at a ceremony like the Oscars it quite something else to toss out inflammatory remarks.
The Oscar Ceremony is not about voicing political beliefs, it’s about awarding those who have excelled in the film medium in the previous year. Michael Moore doing what he did was disrespectful to everyone else who went up on that podium to accept an award because he distracted from the praise those people deserved for their accomplishments.
Furthermore Moore, like everyone else there, is a celebrity and has plenty of other opportunities to voice his opinions, both in interviews and events surrounding the Oscars, and in terms of whatever other routes they choose to take. The cameras are going to be there to get their opinion whenever they feel like giving it and there was no need for Moore to say what he said when he did.
That’s the thing; he’s such a boor, I can’t imagine him thanking anyone for their contribution. Well, maybe: if there wasn’t a war for him to rant about, he might have thanked Klebold and Harris.
I agree with Rickjay that it was inappropriate to choose the Oscars for yet another round of political messages. But viewing it as an outrage the way Sam Stone does is going too far imho. I’d be seriously worried about the USA if everyone stood behind the president in this.
I am sort of of the opinion that it is relevant for Hollywood to voice an opinion on the war/politics. After all, there is such a huge amount of propaganda and politics that goes on in Hollywood films. Plus the sheer rewriting of history in others.
So I would feel more uncomfortable if the leading figures of arguably one of the most influential media organisations in the world (Hollywood) didn’t voice some opinion. Perhaps films and politics shouldn’t have got mixed up, but they have, and I for one am happier knowing where actors and producers stand, if they are going to go on to make politically slanted or motivated films later on.
Besides which, somehow the whole thing of the Oscars ceremony going on while people are being slaughtered on both sides of the battlefield - civilians and solider on both sides - is sort of obscene. I realise life has to go on, and it’s important to keep up the home front morale. But I don’t think in this day and age it’s appropriate or morally right for people to just silence what they’re thinking, and pretend all is glossy.
There’s a fine global tradition of people hijacking awards ceremonies for political messages. In the past few years I’ve seen it happen at the Brit Awards, the MTV Music Awards, the Oscars, the BAFTAs. Get over it.
Maybe the problem is actually that some people disagree vehemently with what Moore said, not with what he did - since there were pro-war and anti-French and German sentiments also expressed, that haven’t garnered any threads on the SDMB yet.
Michael moore likes to stir the pot, which isn’t difficult, but it makes it that much more repugnant when you’re as full ofSHIT as he is.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, entertainers should NOT spew political opinions, most of them don’t even use their given names, they lie for a living, and we’re supposed to take cues from THEM about how to think? Bluster.
Most actors/actresses/musicians are daft, uneducated, fools who are duped by those who give them positive hype. These twits are so self-centered that they are consistently manipulated into backing products and even ideas, for money, and food for their enormous egos.
Perhaps 20% to 30% of Americans share Moore’s far-left POV (as do many non-Americans, as well.) That’s enough to make him bankable. It doesn’t matter if the other 70% - 80% despise him.
But, Hollywood can’t just write off three quarters of the public. They want to be seen as liberal, but not anti-American. Moore’s comments helped cement his notoriety among his supporters. However, by utilizing the Oscar ceremony, the attack made all of Hollywood look bad to those on the other side.
I disagree with only two points, namely: 1. The public, I’m sure, wouldn’t be shallow enough to think that Moore speaks for all of Hollywood - I’m sure most people will be able to disinguish between the industry, and the individuals therein; 2. If you think Moore’s “far left”, you clearly haven’t met any real lefties.
By his incredibly brave act, Michael Moore demonstrates that people have a right to free speech and political dissent and that those rights are sacred and not to be infringed.
