Michael Moore: I was The Most Hated Man In America (Long Extract From His New Book)

[Turborama]

In his 2003 Oscar acceptance speech, Michael Moore denounced President Bush and the invasion of Iraq. Overnight he became the most hated man in America. In an exclusive extract from his new book, Here Comes Trouble, he tells of the bomb threats, bodyguards and how he fought back.



Michael Moore | Wednesday September 07 2011 20.00 BST

=snip=

Wishes for my early demise seemed to be everywhere. They were certainly on the mind of CNN's Bill Hemmer one sunny July morning in 2004. Holding a microphone in front of my face on the floor of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, live on CNN, he asked me what I thought about how the American people were feeling about Michael Moore: "I've heard people say they wish Michael Moore were dead." Hemmer said it like he was simply stating the obvious, like, "of course they want to kill you!" He just assumed his audience already understood this truism, as surely as they accept that the sun rises in the east and corn comes on a cob.

To be fair to Hemmer, I was not unaware that my movies had made a lot of people mad. It was not unusual for fans to randomly come up and hug me and say, "I'm so happy you're still here!" They didn't mean in the building.

Why was I still alive? For more than a year there had been threats, intimidation, harassment and even assaults in broad daylight. It was the first year of the Iraq war, and I was told by a top security expert (who is often used by the federal government for assassination prevention) that "there is no one in America other than President Bush who is in more danger than you".

How on earth did this happen? Had I brought this on myself? Of course I had. And I remember the moment it all began.

Continues: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/sep/07/michael-moore-hated-man-america

[MADem]

1. No, no, no....he was only hated by the right.

He was adored by the left and anyone in the middle who didn't like Bush.

I hope that excerpt is a bit misleading, if he were so hated, his films wouldn't have made any money.

Playing the big victim in retrospect isn't cool. You state your case, and when your case involves highly controversial material, sure, you make a few enemies--but he wasn't "The Most Hated Man in America." He spoke out, and some loonies disagreed with him.

He wouldn't have been able to afford all those bodyguards if someone didn't like/appreciate his work.

[Myrina]

3. He was hated by a large contingent on the left for supporting Nader ...

n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

6. This piece starts in 2003. Moore was perhaps the single most

active citizen supporter of John Kerry's campaign in the entire nation. The Naderites hated Moore by then, intently. I was at one of his events where they had to be removed by security. So there is that as well. He made a movie about that election cycle, and you can have it for free, here is a link:
http://slackeruprising.com/

[MADem]

8. No he wasn't--he was called an idiot for doing it, but he wasn't "hated."

No fevervent Dem was going to go poke him with the pointy part of their GORE campaign buttons, or whack him on the head with a campaign poster on a stick.

He didn't need SEAL TEAM bodyguards to protect him against those people.

[rfranklin]

4. whatever they lacked in numbers, they made up for in threats...

I don't think you can misunderestimate the violent tendencies of the wingnuts.

[MADem]

9. I don't dispute that they were scary assholes--what I dispute is his characterization

that he was the "Most Hated Man" in all of "America." Osama was probably way closer to that mark, for his 911 thing, AND the fact that he fucked up our happy little society as a consequence of the security measures that were undertaken because of his "murder by planes" plot.

I'm an American. I do not associate with a single soul who "hates" Michael Moore, and I associate with a shitload of people.

I object to overdramatic hyperbole to try to stake out a position. HALF of America might have had feelings about the guy ranging from disdain to "hate," but the other half didn't feel that way.

That's my only point.

[JoeyT]

11. Then you're associating with the right kind of people.

I on the other hand could easily name a dozen people that would kill him in a second given half a chance. And that's just family members and right now, not back when they were all about getting their war on and criticism was treason. Well, maybe they wouldn't kill him, because they're cowards, but they'd certainly send death threats and encourage someone else to do it, which is what the right is good at.

Half the country being willing to cheer on your death sounds pretty scary to me.

[MADem]

20. Oh, definitely scary--I'm just arguing with the hyperbolic particulars!

Hell, OJ and that woman who murdered her kid in FL and got away with it have caught more hateflak, I'd wager.

[newspeak]

15. I finally found a theater that had "Fahrenheit 9/11."

after the documentary, most people stood up and started clapping. The same with "Capitalism, a love story." The MSM, being the corporate tool they are, at every turn has attempted to discredit michael moore. It's in their best corporate interest to keep the plebes clueless.

[MADem]

21. I bought it on DVD, in (of all places) that bastion of corporatism, WALMART.

They were selling like hotcakes when I got there (it was the first day of sales)--they had to station a guy by the glass case where they were kept, because he was having to open/close it every minute or less.

[Fumesucker]

2. Good read, thanks for posting.

[rurallib]

5. that excerpt is really worth the read.

[Morning Dew]

7. Thanks for posting this - great read.

I'll buy that book.

[HughBeaumont]

10. Wow. Really puts to light the nuts in Dumbfuckistan and their quest to literally silence all of us.

Curious, "both sides are the same"-ers . . . Hear of any reports of anyone on the left threatening to blow up Glenn Beck or Sean FootballFieldJaw? I mean, I'm SURE since the media is owned by 7 corporations, I would have heard this everywhere, right?

[Blue_Tires]

12. k+r

[bvar22]

13. To my memory, Moore is the only private citizen....

...to be personally attacked by the President (Bush-the-Lesser) during a State of the Union Address.

There may be other occasions where a sitting president has singled out a private citizen in a SOTU,
but I can't remember one, and Google couldn't produce one either.




Who will STAND UP and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?
James Hoffa & The UNIONS WILL!

[ceile]

14. Good read.

I'll be buying it.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

16. I saw him talk about this on BOOK TV on CSPAN.

He had bodyguards that were former Navy SEALs.
He said he was in Florida and a man came out of a Starbucks and attempted to throw hot coffee on him and scald him. One of his bodyguards jumped in front of him and took the hot coffee in the face.

The guy was arrested.

That is shocking and disgusting.

[Sabriel]

17. I have to get the book now

Thanks for the link to the except.

[Douglas Carpenter]

18. kick and recommend

[in_cog_ni_to]

19. I've got this book on Kindle Pre-Order...I cannot wait to read it!

I LOVE that man. :loveya:

That was a fantastic read! Thank you for posting it!

[MicaelS]

22. I never knew Moore had bodyguards, much less SEALs..

But to me, this explains precisely why he wasn't murdered. I have no doubt that if he had not hired them, he would have been murdered years ago. The level of hate I often saw expressed at Moore on all sort of forums (not here) led me to believe it was only a matter of time before someone attacked him.

I'm glad Moore is alive and can continue making movies.

[hfojvt]

23. that was a pretty good read, thanks

amazing how many Americans don't believe in free speech for people who disagree with them. Did the same type of thing happen during the first gulf war?

[Hydra]

25. Oh, yeah

Watch Carlin's Jammin' in New York special. He had a lot to say about how CNN was now an unpaid propaganda organ and how he noticed everyone lockstepping on something they didn't really know anything about.

He got a lot of flak for that, as did anyone else who dared to speak at the time. When they say "Freedom" in the US, they're talking about the freedom to toe the established line. The freedom to conform.

[chillspike]

24. Champagne? Breath mint? ASSHOLE!!! LMAO (nt)

[napoleon_in_rags]

26. Ah, Moore EARNED this "I told you so".

Now that these wars are headed toward being the longest in American history, now that they've bankrupted America, now that people realize the objectives in them make no sense (It doesn't matter who you kill, the enemy never dies, soldiers driving around in circles for eternity) Now that the truths about 9/11 are leaking out showing a picture much different from the picture we had back then, pretty much everybody can see how dumb those death threats were back then. The question is, did the people who made them learn from being that wrong, or are they still trying to "lead".

[intheflow]

27. I love Michael Moore.

The excerpt was well-worth the link-click. I saw him at a book signing after a speaking engagement in Denver in 2004. Those scary dudes patting us down and standing guard over him looked ever bit like Navy SEALS. I'm glad they were there for him.

[Starry Messenger]

28. k&r

[chillspike]

29. K & R

For exposure

[dionysus]

30. i think thats a little self serving. a good chunk of the country agreed with his opinions.

when i saw F911 it was packed, people cheered. neocons sure hated him though.