Michael Moore on Conan

[morgan2]

Any see him last night on Conan, it was pretty funny. Started talking to Conan about him having temps working for him for eight years without getting health benefits. I've never seen a late night host squirm so much in my life. Conan tried to make jokes about it but he couldnt seem to change the subject until Moore helped him out by bringing up the Oscar speach.

[Oberst Klink]

1. Michael Moore is great!

Love his Rabbit Lady segment in his first movie! It's a classic!

BUT.....

Isn't Michael Moore (multi-millionaire) had labor troubles of his own, where he has treated workers poorly?

Does anyone have any info on this?

[Bushfire]

2. Welcome to DU

but before you make an allegation against a well respected progressive, it might be wise to say where you heard this about Michael Moore.

[Homer12]

4. What i've heard from the Looney Right?

I have no links and I forgot where I heard this:

That Moore uses student film students who don't get paid much (or at all) to help him with his films. I'm Sure this was true witrh Roger & Me, but he was not a millionaire then, that's for sure.

Then they accuse that he uses them and keeps most of the Profits.

If this happens, escpecailly for Bowling For Columbine that Moore poorley paid the people under him, then Moore is a hypocrite to a point.

Still if college film students knowingly go in for real world expeirence on making a documentary with a famous progressive documentarian, knowing that they will not see large profits, it is still a personal choice.

The looney Right just made accusations, but had no evidence to back it up (i.e. interviews, records, etc...). The typical attack first, I don't give a fuck attitude. This detraction of Micheal Moore is a typical talking-point.

[janekat]

5. Please don't "smear" people without any proof to back it up

n/t

[Homer12]

7. I'm not smearing anybody, I'm just relaying what i've heard.

And if it is true, Moore would be a Hypocrite.

I really don't beleive it is true, I should have added that so you didn't get the wrong idea.

[Oberst Klink]

12. Here ya go.

It took some digging to find a 'neutral' source:

http://www.salon.com/june97/media/media970606.html

[Terwilliger]

13. heh

this guy has more hate than Bill O'Reilly

[Selwynn]

22. Whatever....

Didn't find anything hateful about it. I'd like to see more documentation to his claims, but it reflects some of my own private worries about Moore.

The biggest thing I don't like about Moore is the "me me me me" factor, which I do personally feel.

[gratuitous]

14. Hoo boy, Daniel Radosh?

You'd have more credibility quoting David Horowitz or Ann Coulter!

Radosh's screed (from six years ago) curiously doesn't name any names or give any details. Half of the column is given over to "Canadian Bacon" and other movies. Big whoop. All we learn is that Radosh doesn't like Moore's movies.

Then we get to what I presume is the "meat" of the labor complaints: Unnamed writers from unspecified times and other unnamed persons with non-specific gripes. Unfortunately, Radosh is too busy obsessing over the fact that Moore apparently makes more money than he does to tell us who those employees are, or the exact nature of their gripes. He certainly doesn't go to the trouble of finding out what Moore himself might have to say about it, but drops in a gratuitous quote about Ivy League schools. Did Moore actually say that? When? In what context? Once again, Radosh can't slow down for details, he's too busy with his hatchet job.

This is a six-year-old hack screed. Got anything real, or is that it?

[Homer12]

15. Good Analysis

All it was, was an Op-Ed piece, with a great lack of sources (i.e. None)


Really, I still need a better source. Op-ED pieces are not journalisticaly objective. Nor are op-ed peices Neutral.

[janekat]

16. Film students with no experience should get paid big money?

You work on these projects to get experience NOT for the money.

[Homer12]

19. I didn't mean that; All I said is that the Film students..

...knowingly go into the project for the expeirence and not for money.

I should have made that more clear in post #4, sorry.

[gratuitous]

3. Hmmmm . . . got any information of your own?

Or are you just dropping an unsubstantiated assertion into a thread to distract from what Moore said to O'Brien?

Looks to me as though Moore does what he often does, and that is, talk to the "help". He finds out that a lot of the people running around the set making Conan look good are doing so for a bare minimum salary, having been on "temporary" status for years.

Ah yes, the rabbit butchering scene from "Roger and Me." Surely a milestone in cinematic history. I, however, was far more disturbed by the scene just after that one in which the black man is gunned down by the police.

[Selwynn]

8. I don't think Moore is any saint...

...there aren't many "perfect" or skeleton-free people out there. I do however think he's a "sinner" (to continue the metaphor) with some very valid points, and we're lucky to have him bringing them up.

By the way RE: Conan - that is true of virtually ever television envioronment. Not saying its right - I'm saying its an industry (and not just a Conan) problem.

[janekat]

11. Just provide links is all I'm saying...

[Selwynn]

18. Sigh... I'm trying to say

we're all sinners, but sorry... I don't have a "link" for that. :eyes:

[The_Gopher]

9. when i show "Roger & Me" to my classes.....

i always give them a heads up on both those scenes, but always by far there are more gasps and moans when the bunny is killed. there's no other sound in the world quite like a lead pipe hitting a rabbit's head.
but you can't script any line better than during the credits when rabbitlady says she wants to become a vet "cuz there's a lot of animals that needs takin care of."

[kentuck]

21. Where'd you get this info?

I did not realize Michael Moore ran a business??? Or did you just make this up?

[Selwynn]

6. Moore was great, I love Conan...

But he needs to take care of his employees and its good Moore's not afraid to call anyone on anything. :)

[janekat]

10. Did you see him talking about 911? Unbelievable!!

This show is a must see. He said there were many questions that Bush & Co. need to answer about 911 - such as why the Bin Ladin family was flown out of the U.S. the next day under Bush's direction. And what's in the sections of the congressional 911 report that is blacked out.

He said he was going to do a documentary on it. Hope he doesn't turn up dead in a field somewhere....

[Selwynn]

24. That was my favorite part! (nt)

[Homer12]

17. Does everybody see how this discussion was twisted?

It's no longer about Connan, but now about Moore.

Classic talking-point right-wing distraction tactic.

[Selwynn]

23. No - I see you trying to twist it however

The discussion question was: did anyone see Moore on Conan? In the course of asking for comments on that, Conan is mentioned.

If you want to start a thread about Conan, start one that says "Conan screws his workers!" This thread however, is about Michael Moore. If you don't like that, move on.

The only thing that is morphed is the discussion moves from Moores appearanec along to questions about Moore and personal likes/dislikes overall. That's a pretty natual progression, and I don't think the word "twisting" applies.

[Homer12]

25. If you want to see whom twisted "the orginal issue" it go to post #1.

First let me say: I like Micheal Moore and all of his work.

Let me restate it, Your right, the post is about Moore, but in post #1 the discussion was turned from the main text that Moore put O'Brien on the spot regarding the temporary workes on his set.

Post #1, takes this and twists it around to focusing on Moore's alledged worker problems.

I apologize for the confusion I stated it all wrong in my other post.

[RobertFrancisK]

20. Yeah, that must have been an uncomfortable situation

I'm sure Conan himself has nothing to do with the benefits of low level employees on his show, and probably didn't agree with it at all, but he couldn't bash his employer on the air, so he looked like he was in a very uncomfortable spot right there.
I love Conan though, and I love Michael Moore.