Biggest Douchebag in the Universe

A few years ago Southpark dubbed John Edwards, psychic extraordinaire and speaker to the dead, "The Biggest Douchebag in the Universe".

I propose that someone else has recently de-throned Edwards and taken up that title for himself.

Michael Moore is a jackass, a liar, and a douchebag.

When Disney announced publicly that they weren't going to be distributing Moore's controversial film "Fahrenheit 9/11" Moore played the part of the put-upon genius and victim of Big Business's ties to Big Government. People who have little grasp of the concept and working parameters of Free Speech quickly rallied behind him, declaring the Mouse and Eisner to be pure evil, devils kowtowing to the Bush Dynasty and denying Moore his Constitutional rights. The fact that Disney had no government mandated requirement to distribute his film seemed to have pass these people by. Even the NY Times issued an Editorial lambasting Disney's decision. (Between all this and Jayson Blair, I am having serious doubts about my beloved Times)

But now everyone who supported Moore has egg on their faces.

Yesterday it came out that Moore knew a year ago that Disney wasn't planning on distributing his film. Eisner had made it very clear to Miramax, the studio that produced "Fahrenheit 9/11" and which is owned by Disney, that he was unhappy with the content of the film. However, Miramax and Moore continued on. Fast forward to next week when the film is being shown at the Cannes Film Festival and it would seem Michael Moore needed some additional publicity before heading over to France.

I used to be a fan of Michael Moore's. I loved "Roger and Me" and "The Big One" was pretty good as well. "TV Nation" was hysterical and timely and lacking in the mean-spiritedness of his later work. So much of "Bowling for Columbine" and even "Stupid White Men" is nasty and sometimes unnecessarily so. His methods seem questionable, his conclusions occasionally far-fetched, and his tactics sensational. This is all fine and good and godbless the fact that he can do this. However, his elevation to truthsayer for the Left and spokesperson for the Anti-Bush brigade makes him a bit dangerous. As is proven time and time again, our country is full of easily led sheep who just want a snazzy party-line to shout and an outspoken and hip leader to follow. Moore has the cult status to be cool and engaging theories that make him interesting to listen to, but he is not the honest downhome guy that everyone thinks he is.

And if people still believe that after this week, then they deserve to be led by the Biggest Douchebag in the Universe.

5/24/04 ETA - When asked about Moore's methods and conclusions, I cannot provide the concrete proof I read about when "Stupid White Men" was selling like hotcakes. I can however discuss what I remember from "Bowling for Columbine". Moore tried very hard to make us believe that growing up in a town that made weapons for the government contributed -- heavily contributed -- to the shootings at Columbine. Just putting the scenes together in the movie isn't enough to convince me and he never showed any direct corollary between the two. His "interview" of Charlton Heston was nothing more than an attack on a man suffering from Alzheimer's. While Mr. Heston does indeed need to be brought to task about his involvement with the NRA and some of the speeches he's given, I don't believe it should have been done by someone who was invited into his house under false pretenses. Michael Moore's theory of causality is highly dubious.