May 5, 2004
Disney's Goofy Miscalculation.
Disney's Floridian tax breaks must be mighty lucrative. You've got to figure Disney's done the math: The negative publicity the company receives for prohibiting Miramax from distributing Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 will not be translated into financial losses greater than whatever amount it is Florida grants the media conglomerate for attracting countless planeloads of tourists to Orlando.
I wouldn't be so sure. Within hours of the publication of Jim Rutenberg's front-page story in the New York Times, not only has Michael Moore responded - that, like his succinct, plain-spoken, slightly polemic yet ultimately winning commentary, is to be expected - but the blogs are already humming.
"Setty" writes a brief open letter:
Dear Mr. Eisner, congratulations on an effective publicity strategy. As you saw from Mr. Moore's previous book troubles, nothing succeeds like censorship. Many happy returns!
Ezra Klein: "We can't be fighting for liberties abroad and engaging in this much censorship at home, it's just not becoming."
Jo Fish: "So, not only has the Rat eaten Orlando, it's having the First Amendment for [dessert]?"
Lukas Karlsson: "I guess the best way to keep an unpopular president in office is to block all media that might portray him in a negative light. That sure seems like the plan."
Democrats.net loves the story, of course.
Adam Lipscomb says things we really can't quote on a family-friendly blog.
What's more, this story is not going to simply buzz around for a few days and go away. Fahrenheit 9/11 will be screening in competion at Cannes, where a zillion journalists and critics from around the world will open each and every one of their F-9/11-related reports and reviews with mention of Disney's ban.
So now that what will surely be one of the most divisive presidential campaigns in US history is already in full swing and Disney has made it quite clear who it's endorsing, a few questions are in order. Will left-of-center stars and directors walk away from current and future Disney projects? Will it be possible for critics and audiences to view any film Disney's deemed acceptable for distribution without looking for telltale signs of the company's political agenda? Or, since we all know the company's management is currently in turmoil, could this all be just one big bad mistake, a miscommunication, a goof the company could set right again, preferably sooner rather than later?
Posted by dwhudson at May 5, 2004 1:23 AM
All this talk about Michael Moore reminds me of
my favorite TV clip from this year (at the Oscars):
Click here to view it
http://www.rightsideredux.com/archives/2004_05_01_archive.html#108373139921022829
Justin @ RSR
Disney gags Michael Moore?
Dear Reactionists;
Please don't be fooled by press reports and press releases with Michael Moore and Harvey Weinstein crying that they're god given rights are being taken away by Jeb Bush and Florida tax cuts.
Mr. Weinstein and his brother just don’t want to have to go to another distributor, and that's the part they don’t tell you in the major media. They're a bunch of whiny and greedy hypocrites that don't want to have to make a new deal with a willing distributor of Moore’s “Documentary”. Using that word in itself is a joke being played on you by Michael Moore, but is also another discussion for another time.
Before everyone gets their panties in a wad that Disney is somehow trying to "silence" Michael Moore, please know that Weinstein, Miramax and Michael Moore are perfectly free to find ANOTHER distributor other than Disney to release their propaganda.
Don't be so stupid as to think that this movie is anything more than that. Even if you're a George W. and Republican and conservative hater, please don't be that naive. I didn't vote for the guy either, but I'm not in the Michael Moore anger and hater club. He’s an incredible and funny guy, but he’s also a hater. Too bad.
His vitriol and rage and hate is just as bad as the extreme wing nuts on the right who HATED Bill Clinton. Can’t you see that?
No one's saying they CAN'T put out the movie, Disney is just saying THEY don't want to and that's perfectly within THEIR rights of free speech. Miramax, Weinstein, Moore are all HUGE and VOCAL and ACTIVE supporters of the DNC and they HATE George W. Bush.
Please try to identify hate no matter what side it’s on.
Even if it’s people you agree with, it’s bad. Really bad.
Rodney Lee
Posted by: rodney lee at May 5, 2004 9:11 AMDude! Many thanks for the linkage!
Posted by: Adam at May 5, 2004 11:22 AMMr. Lee (or is it Eisner?) --
Where do you get your info from? Can you confirm that this story originated as a press release from Miramax? Nobody hates the brothers W. more than I, but it really does seem that Disney is giving in to either political pressure or fear of revenue loss.
As I wrote on my blog today, it will be curious to see how Harv handles this -- will he sacrifice the dollars to get the film released?
Still, you sound a bit too much like a Disney appologist.
Posted by: Filmbrain at May 5, 2004 1:26 PM"how could a mouse this cute be spiteful?"
Posted by: "chirp" at May 5, 2004 5:44 PMFilmbrain;
If MM doesn't want to play by Disney's rules, then DON'T take their $6 million. Make sense?
Disney said a year ago they weren't going to dist. Moore's film. This is a classic MM scam for attention. He's great at it.
Why does laying out the facts make me an apologist?
(This thing ABSOLUTELY started with a press release - don't be naive)
I'm an independent filmmaker and I don't work for Disney, because taking their money would mean I'd have to be subordinate to them.
MM is NOT a documentarian and that Oscar is an insult to every true documentary filmmaker everywhere.
Rodney Lee
(by the way I'm Rodney. Mr. Lee is my dad)
Rodney --
Could you elaborate on this statement:
"MM is NOT a documentarian and that Oscar is an insult to every true documentary filmmaker everywhere."
What makes one a 'true' documentarian? Why is he not? What in B for C offends you so? (I'm not trying to be antagonistic -- I'm actually genuinely curious.)
Posted by: Filmbrain at May 6, 2004 12:41 PMmasses miffed over moore/mouse mess
"what i don't understand about michael moore's documentaries is why they keep interviewing that big hairy guy"
Posted by: "chirp" at May 6, 2004 3:41 PMand this about that: Half a century ago, Texas democrat Sam Rayburn served as Speaker of the House. Mr. Sam, as he was known, was tough, smart and persuasive. One day, a first-term congressman came to him, and asked to be excused from voting with the party on a particular bill on the grounds that his biggest contributors back home opposed. Rayburn thought for a minute, and then said evenly, "Son, if you can't take their money, drink their whiskey, screw their women, and then vote against 'em, you don't deserve to be here."
Posted by: "chirp" at May 6, 2004 3:56 PMi hope that farenheit 9/11 is a huge hit! that'll show disney, because the thing they care about most is money not politics
Posted by: wayne johannsen at May 6, 2004 11:47 PM
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