A frequent inability to compare

[Boris]

In today's WSJ (6-28-04) the Journal editorial board calls Michael Moore "the Leni Riefenstahl of our time".

Is this a fair comparison or not? I don't know much about Leni but from doing a Google search it seems she made a cinematically brilliant propoganda film that helped to convert millions of Germans to be good little Nazi's. Most of the web pages said Leni was aware of the nastiness of Hitler's regime and remained unrepentant about her role in the rise of Nazism all the way to her deathbed.

Is Michael Moore really that great of a film maker? Is he playing a key propoganda role in the rise of a sinister regime intent on world domination and genocide?

[cardcounter0]

No, I think he is against said regime.

[Boris]

But you do think he is a brilliant film maker? I always thought he was terminally mediocre.

[cardcounter0]

He couldn't hold a candle to the Nazis when it came to staging. Those guys knew how to put on a show!

[GWB]

[ QUOTE ]
In today's WSJ (6-28-04) the Journal editorial board calls Michael Moore "the Leni Riefenstahl of our time".

[/ QUOTE ]
Hey, they stole that from my post (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=783332&page=&view=&sb =5&o=&vc=1) /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
Is Michael Moore really that great of a film maker?

[/ QUOTE ]
He does a great job of playing with your emotions, he doesn't do that good of a job content wise. He is good, but definitely not great.

[ QUOTE ]
Is he playing a key propoganda role in the rise of a sinister regime intent on world domination and genocide?

[/ QUOTE ]
Nope, quite the opposite

[Boris]

Wow. Is your real name Max Boot?

[tyfromm]

Who is Leni Riefenstahl?

[WTF]

[ QUOTE ]
Who was Leni Riefenstahl?

[/ QUOTE ]

Riefenstahl was an artist who, despite a court in 1952 proclaiming her not guilty of supporting the nazis in a punishable way, was labeled as a sympathizer, a stigma that she was never able to overcome.

Biography of Leni R. (One of many, just go to Yahoo.) (http://www.leni-riefenstahl.de/eng/bio.html)


Comparing Riefenstahl with Michael Moore:

Leni Riefenstahl = Controversial Artist

Michael Moore = Instigator.

-WTF

[adios]

To put that reference in context, the editorial was a criticism and repudiation of the McCain-Feinstein campaign reform legislation. The editorial stated that it did not support the limitation of Moore's free speech and that Moore should be allowed to advertise his new film as much as he wants. I took the comparision to be one in where the Nazi film maker distorted the truth in a way that swayed many people to believe her distortions and that Moore was doing the same thing. Since the WSJ totally supported Moore's right to advertise his film as much as he wanted and thus persuade as many people as he possibly can I think it perhaps may be unfair to emphasize the reference the WSJ made. The WSJ was doing something that was very far from stating that Moore was doing something sinister. The comparison may have been a cheap shot but the reference could have been entirely eliminated from the editorial and not changed the point the editorial was making.

[Michael Davis]

Michal Moore is as much of a tool as anyone he condemns. His anti-Bush zest is commendable, but his movies suck and always, always misrepresent information to fit his agenda.

-Michael

[Boris]

[ QUOTE ]
...I think it perhaps may be unfair to emphasize the reference the WSJ made. The WSJ was doing something that was very far from stating that Moore was doing something sinister.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think it was unfair. I said nothing to distort the Journal's stance on McCain-Feingold. I didn't mention the subject of the editorial because topic means very little to me. Since print space is at a premium in a newspaper I can only assume that the Journal made the Reifenstal comparison for a reason. At this point I can only see two possible inferences. Either the Journal thinks Michael Moore is a great artist or the Journal thinks Michael Moore is propogandist for a fascist political movement.

As an aside, did you read Steven Malanga's commentary on the Wal-Mart sex discrimination lawsuit today? Would you not be offended reading that article if you were black?