Fahrenheit 9/11... Some Thoughts

Humor can make people think. Bill Hicks, Chris Rock and numerous others can make an audience laugh their asses off while pointing out the flaws of our society. It's human nature to think about society, but not to have to work too hard at it. This is why the Daily Show is so popular-- it's easier to swallow the truth with some humor than dry. Michael Moore is the extremely liberal version of the conservatives Rush Limbaugh; he is unapologetically in his views, and he tries to win people over to his opinions. While Rush uses ad hominem attacks and his radio soapbox to scream at people, Moore uses documentary-style movies to prove his point.
I enjoy Michael Moore's old TV shows "The Awful Truth" and "TV Nation." You can buy or rent these on DVD, and it's well worth the money. It's less of Moore's heartstring manipulation that he uses in his movies and more of the puckish political pranks he plays. Whether it's hiring people in Puritan dress to read the Starr Report on the back of a flatbed truck, or attending a party celebrating the execution of a mentally retarded murderer in Texas, Moore is best when he lets the dark comedy of a situation play out.
I enjoyed Bowling for Columbine. I remember sitting in the theater and laughing at the sight of a bank in Michigan giving away guns and crying while watching the kids being executed. Moore plays 911 recordings over the security camera tapes from Columbine, and some of the 911 calls are from the media asking when they can get interviews. Moore wasn't so much on a partisan tear in Bowling for Columbine as he was curious about why American culture can breed such fear and violence.
Today I saw Fahrenheit 9/11. I wanted to see it on Friday, but at all three theaters I went to it was sold out. I bought my ticket on Fandango and got in to the standing-room only showing.
All the hype around this movie made it a letdown. If you've read Dude, Where's My Country?, you know what's up in Fahrenheit 9/11. Moore hates Bush. Bush is an idiot. Bush is an asshole. The Bush family has many connections to the Saudi Government. The Bin Laden family was flown out of the United States on September 13th without any interrogation. All shady goings-on for sure. But where has the humor gone from Michael Moore?
He takes the current administration's failures seriously, but I want more of the good old rabblerousing Moore. He makes some valiant efforts; reading the Patriot Act over the loudspeaker of an ice cream truck and asking Senators to enlist their children in the Army. But for most of the movie, it's Michael Moore narrating footage of the President looking stupid. There's also a woman who lost her son in Iraq who goes to Washington DC and talks to a protestor, and another woman comes by and tells her that the whole setup is staged and that "lots of people other than your son have died." I spent more time trying not to cry in front of the transvestite sitting next to me (insert "liberals are all crazy, see?" comment here) than laughing uncomfortably. I see enough weeping mothers, wives and children on the evening news. I don't see enough civil disobedience and protest, which is why we need Michael Moore. The funny prankster Michael Moore, that is.
I don't think Fahrenheit 9/11 will change anyone's mind. People who hate Bush will hate him more after seeing this movie. (I also hate Army recruiters more now that before.) People who love Bush will argue that Moore's movie has selective facts. Either way, you should go see it, if only for the few funny moments and to get yourself pumped for voting in November. Which y'all better do, or I shall hunt you down and drag you into the polls myself. But you can vote however you'd like since I'm all about democracy.