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Moore, Morissette, More Distortion

Isn't it ironic? Fox News, Limbaugh, et al shriek about Michael Moore as a liar and presenter of a distorted view of "the facts," yet perpetuate a daily deluge of craptastic "journalism" which is devoid of any sense of fairness or balance. I can't decide if it's merely disingenuous, grotesquely manipulative or intellectually cowardly to couch one's perspective as a breathlessly shrill tirade that attempts to outshout a competitive point of view.

It reminds me of Eddie Izzard's hialrious comedy special "Dressed to Kill" where he maintains that most Americans don't really know the words to our national anthem, they merely pantomime gibberish while looking really confident and firmly gesticulating.

These Foxnewsian talking heads play the role of Plato's shadow puppeteers while legions of patriotic Americans are held rapt by their antics. Michael Moore may not be balanced in his arguments and, indeed, heads down many a blind alley while drawing his conclusions, but in the face of non-stop, hard-right opinion-shaping, he deserves his chance to make his point.

The success of Fahrenheit 9/11 reminds me of the Perrier premium bottled water craze that made its splash in the 80s. At 85 million dollars and counting, it's apparent that many Americans are eschewing Fox's tap water and paying a premium price to enjoy a better quality beverage. Even if it's also highly prized by the French.

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