MovieChat Forums > Roger & Me (1989) Discussion > Hypocrite, much?

Hypocrite, much?

posted 20 years ago by imbordisux
19 replies | jump to latest

From http://www.arcataeye.com/top/020312top02.shtml

"If the small businesses suck they'll be driven out of business," he said. "If they got a good restaurant, people will go there and eat. You know in my town the small businesses that everyone wanted to protect? They were the people that supported all the right-wing groups. They were the Republicans in the town, they were in the Kiwanas, the Chamber of Commerce - people that kept the town all white. The small hardware salesman, the small clothing store salespersons, Jesse the Barber who signed his name three different times on three different petitions to recall me from the school board. F*ck all these small businesses - f*ck 'em all! Bring in the chains. The small businesspeople are the rednecks that run the town and suppress the people. F*ck 'em all. That's how I feel."

So, Michael Moore, the poster-boy for the working-class, and all-around hater of large corporations, is saying "f*ck" small-businesses and "bring on" the corporations?

Asked about the proposed Arcata Bottoms cell phone tower, Moore interrupted the question at the mention of the words "cell phone," launching into a tirade about poor service like a junk food junkie who'd been served a soggy McMuffin. Pulling his phone from a jacket pocket, he complained, "I just opened it up and looked at it and there are 18 messages, I haven't turned it on for three days. I hate these things. They don't work - try to use one and your conversation will last 30 seconds and they'll cut you out and you're giving all your money to them." Moore said cell phones shouldn't be used until they're actually "invented," - which hasn't happened yet. "This is *beep*. This is trying to suck money from you. These towers pollute the environment. Who knows what's going into your brains from the things?"

So, he hates cell-phones (as well as the companies that produce and support cell-phones), but he owns one and pays money for it?

Go ahead, Moore-fans [I'm lookin' at you, Kevin Norton], defend this hypocrisy.

---
I'm bored. This sucks. Imbordisux.

[–] perni 20 years ago

As a Moore fan, I would like to take a stab at defending this so-called hypocrisy you have tried to bring to light. When it comes to Moore's stance on small businesses, it goes with everything he has said and done in the past. Moore defends the employees of large companies like General Motors, as with his documentary Roger & Me, as they are the ones who are most often laid off by their profit-seeking employers. And if Moore has had bad experiences with small businesses in the past, it would stand to reason that he would not care for them as much as the people working for big name conglomerates. So this is not hypocrisy, because it is in keeping with what Moore has said before. As for the cell phone section of this article, I have just one thing to say: we all own things we hate but still use. Hello, wise up, people. You're all using computers, and I'm willing to bet they get extremely frustrating at times, what with the occasional freeze-ups and everything else that comes with the territory. But yet you still keep the computer, which is a very interesting thing when you think about it for a while. So Moore owns a cell phone and yet complains about the service--everyone does that, okay? He's human, and should be treated as such. And lastly, I question the objectivity of this article in the first place, since the section which read, "launching into a tirade about poor service like a junk food junkie who'd been served a soggy McMuffin" doesn't exactly ring of reporter fairness. A real journalist wouldn't write something which is so obviously an editorializing comment. And while you could claim that since this is a Feature Story and thus is different from a normal news article, I still say it's very unfair for the writer to say something like this, as it shows how biased they were towards Moore in the first place. Thank you, and good night.

[–] Mercader79 19 years ago

A fairly typical reaction of the dim right wing. If anyone from a working class background attacks the status quo they must be motivated by 'the politics of envy'. If anyone rich attacks it, they're hypocrites.

[–] soad_kat_buddy 19 years ago

You call chrishallam a dim right wing yet without justification. I'd say you're just a sore loser.

[–] judahblu 19 years ago

its not a working class guy fighting for the status quo whether you're a democrat or republican, moore is a talented filmmaker but also a lier. For instance, in the beginning he claims he got fired from a magazine for putting his friend on the cover, it simply isnt true. He got fired for trying to put a controversial revolutionary on it. He flat out lies a lot to try to make some kind of point and I still dont know what it is.

[–] punkfoomasta 19 years ago

Also notice the fact on the roger and me page;
Moore was sued by his ex-friend for misrepresentation of character. the man was a pro-bono attorney for the poor, yet Moore made it seem as though the man couldn't care less about the "poor people hired to be statues" for the party.

Moore is a liar, yes, Moore is a sensationalist, but the fact of the matter is that the man knows how to make film, make a statement, and derive a reaction out of the audience.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] GongShowHost 19 years ago

That's 'cause he's NOT taxed 60%. You expect him to pay taxes he doesn't owe? That doesn't make sense. He's advocating a NEW tax policy of 60% or more, while paying the current one. How is that hypocritical?

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] gryphoncrossing 19 years ago

It's hypocritical because he doesn't give up 60% of his income VOLUNTARILY, yet he's asking for people to be FORCED to do it. If I were to tell you there should be a law against being overweight and yet I was as heavy as Michael Moore, tell the truth, wouldn't you think I was a hypocrite for not voluntarily living by ideals I thought others should be forced to live by? THAT is why he's a hypocrit--nothing in the world is preventing him from giving away 60% of his income, yet he won't do it, he wants the government he hates so much to FORCE people to do it.

[–] Mat-37 19 years ago

So he thinks it would be fair that he and the other rich people pay 60% of their income to taxes in order to help poorer people. Yet he admits that if he and the other rich people were not forced to do it by the government, they wouldn't. That's the opposite of hypocricy.

- A point in every direction is the same as no point at all.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Mat-37 19 years ago

Who would manage it? The government. Of course you never know where the taxpayer's money really goes. Sadly, it might well end up being used to buy weapons to companies that belong to people who are part of the government. But that is because, alas your government is corrupted. But apart from that, the idea, the concept of taxing the richest and use this money to give welfare to the poorest seems fair to me.

- A point in every direction is the same as no point at all.

[–] Mudkips14 17 years ago

"But apart from that, the idea, the concept of taxing the richest and use this money to give welfare to the poorest seems fair to me."

Of course. You're a communist.

[–] goosepoop357 17 years ago

lol!

Have you ever danced with a chicken in the pale moon light?

[–] Mudkips14 17 years ago

"You expect him to pay taxes he doesn't owe? That doesn't make sense."

Sure it does. MM seems to think the government is underfunded. If he wants to put his money where his mouth is, he can send a big check to the government. What, you don't think the IRS would cash it? Fine. He can send it to a charity, instead of sending his kids to private schools in limos and investing his MILLIONS in the stock market...

[–] Mudkips14 17 years ago

"their profit-seeking employers"

All employers are "profit-seeking" outside of North Korea...

[–] ctothe_po 17 years ago

What the hell is your damage rob32909?? Your ignorance has obviously blinded you from the REAL TRUTH of that film...that's not being communist, I'm being honest. Hopefully you have seen my other posts in response to your sorry argument...

...and if you want to call me a COMMIE, then I'll say it loud and proud, "I AM A COMMIE!!"

[–] Mudkips14 17 years ago

I'll say it loud and proud, "I AM A COMMIE!!"

So why not emigrate to one of those workers paradises, like North Korea or Cuba?

[–] nhamer 17 years ago

All employers are "profit-seeking" outside of North Korea...

What about government and non-profit organizations?

Are you seriously trying to claim that non-profit organizations are "profit-seeking"?