That "Disingenuous Filmmaker" Is At It Again!


Yes, the man who Senator John McCain branded as a "disingenuous filmmaker" at the Republican National Convention in New York last week is at it again. This time he's showing his disingenuous colors by pulling Fahrenheit 9/11, the highest grossing film in documentary history, from the Oscar race for best documentary.

That's right, Michael Moore, the creator of the merciless Bush-bashing documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, has pulled his film from the Oscar competition for best documentary. The reason? Because he wants the movie to be shown on network television before the elections in November. The Academy has a rule which states that, in order to be eligible for some Oscars, certain films must not have been previously shown on television; the best documentary Oscar is apparently one such category.

In typical Moore-fashion, the documentary filmmaker is more concerned with gaining the widest audience for his film in an unabashed attempt to sway the November ballot, than he is in winning another Oscar. John McCain is probably delighted and chalks this move up as more proof that Michael Moore is "disingenuous." The only problem is that the good Senator has probably never looked up the word "disingenuous" in the dictionary. According to Merriam-Webster Online, the word means, "lacking in candor," also, "giving a false sense of simple frankness."

Anyone who has seen Michael Moore in even one interview knows that this man has candor up his wazoo. He makes no bones about his ultimate goal; to see Bush defeated in November. Nor does he hide the contempt he feels for the media and the kid-gloves they've used with the Bush administration for the past four years. He's not out to publicly make friends and then pull fast ones behind closed doors. No, this guy is about as genuine as they come. If Senator McCain wants to know the real meaning of "disingenuous," then he need look no further than the man whom he endorsed for re-election last week.

G.W. Bush is the child of a very wealthy and powerful northern family; he went to prep schools and an ivy-league college, and yet he adopts a Texas drawl and acts like he's a good ol' boy from Crawford. He pronounces "nuclear" as "nucular," even though we all know that if he did that around the dinner table in Kennebunkport, Bab's would smack him silly! Senator McCain, if you want to know the true meaning of "disingenuous," just look to your fair-weather friend in the White House.

And what about that alleged "disingenuous" filmmaker and the Oscars? There are apparently no such television restrictions on the coveted Best Picture Academy Award; so who knows? Maybe Michael Moore's little film will continue to make documentary history by being shown on national television, and then going on to earn a genuine Oscar for Best Picture! That would go great with a genuine president in January!

Posted: Wed - September 8, 2004 at 10:00 AM          

©