Vincent Brown’s Journal and Photography

Regarding Farenheit 9-11

Ok, listen, this is probably as close to ranting as I want to get in my journal. I don’t always do this, but I find it necessary because I can’t seem to get this off my chest any other way. It’s about the new “controversial” movie Farenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore. Keep in mind, I haven’t seen the film, but I’m not dumb, I know basically what it’s about. The question, does the majority of people in the world know what a documentary is?

Recently, today, I was in a, to be left un-named, IRC channel where an unsually naive person made the comment, “anyone see Farenheit 9/11.” “Was it really biased?.”

My complaint is that the discussion followed with several comments by people whom I observe to be on the upper tier of conscious thinkers and knowledgable characters debating whether or not the documentary was biased. If anyone has seen the trailer for the movie, then it should be blatantly obvious that the movie is biased and made to be so. Despite it being a documentary, it is pitched to the public as, (according to the official website), “With his characteristic humor and dogged commitment to uncovering the facts, Moore considers the presidency of George W. Bush and where it has led us.” How can that be mistaken for anything but biased coverage? And I don’t mean biased in the sense that it’s one sided, but in the sense that it has an agenda

My point here is that Michael Moore’s agenda is NOT hidden, it isn’t underlying per-se, but public and loquaciously so, in that regard. I have yet to see the full documentary, but I will not be going in there thinking it’s anything other than a man on an agenda to air what he uncovers as fact or opinion regarding the Bush Administration. I will, however, go in anticipating to be entertained by Michael Moore’s humor and attentive to his thoughts. Thank you for reading, now return to whatever it was you were doing before I so rudely interrupted.

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07/02/2004 | General, Rants | Comments

3 Responses to “Regarding Farenheit 9-11”

Posted by: Vanessa - 07/20/2004

I didn’t know you had so much to say about current issues! Mom.
Posted by: Vince - 07/20/2004

Mom! You’re not supposed to read this, it’s for strangers, heh.
Posted by: The Awesomist - 08/17/2004

Political affiliations aside I thought it fair to point out that a documentary does not have to be unbiased. While often mistaken for being journalism, a documentary is merely a genre of film. Journalistic tools and ethics may be employed; however this does not mean that all documentaries are works of journalism. Most documentaries have a thesis or purpose. The filmmaker’s intentions are clearly understood from the beginning and their main ideas are backed up along the way. Having seen several hundred documentaries myself, I can say that very few are truly unbiased. Often, even films that begin with a filmmaker’s desire to find out about something that they know nothing about (the definition of an unbiased work) begin to show bias. While “looking for truth” they form opinions and it begins to show in the film. The notion that a documentary has to be unbiased is a false one that has been put out in recently in an effort to discredit Fahrenheit 9/11 and its message. Fahrenheit 9/11 is, in fact, a documentary – as is the upcoming Michael Moore Hates America. Whether you agree with their messages is entirely up to you.