Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in so ...
activist. His works frequently address the topics of
globalization
Globalization, or globalisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences), is the process of foreign relation ...
and
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private ...
.
Moore won the 2002
Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ''
Bowling for Columbine'', which examined the causes of the
Columbine High School massacre
On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, twelfth grade, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and ...
and the overall
gun culture of the United States. He also directed and produced ''
Fahrenheit 9/11'', a critical look at the
presidency of George W. Bush and the
War on Terror
The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
, which earned $119,194,771 to become the highest-grossing documentary at the American box office of all time.
The film also won the
Palme d'Or at the
2004 Cannes film festival, and was subject to
intense controversy. His documentary ''
Sicko'', which examines
health care in the United States, is one of the top ten highest-grossing documentaries .
In September 2008, he released his first free movie on the internet, ''
Slacker Uprising
''Captain Mike Across America'' is a film written, directed and narrated by Michael Moore. It was filmed prior to the 2004 election, when the polling margin between candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry could have tipped either way. It debute ...
'', which documented his personal quest to encourage more Americans to vote in presidential elections. He has also written and starred in the TV shows ''
TV Nation'', a satirical news-magazine television series, and ''
The Awful Truth'', a satirical show. In 2018, he released his latest film, ''
Fahrenheit 11/9
''Fahrenheit 11/9'' is a 2018 American documentary by filmmaker Michael Moore about the 2016 United States presidential election and presidency of Donald Trump up to the time of the film's release. The film is a follow-up to Moore's ''Fahren ...
'', a documentary about the
2016 United States presidential election
The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
and the subsequent
presidency of Donald Trump
Donald Trump's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 45th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Donald Trump, his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican Party ...
. He was executive producer of ''
Planet of the Humans'' (2019), a documentary about the
environmental movement.
Moore's works criticize topics such as
globalization
Globalization, or globalisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences), is the process of foreign relation ...
,
large corporations,
assault weapon ownership,
Presidents Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (Birth name, né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 ...
,
George W. Bush and
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
, the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror
, image ...
, the American health care system and
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private ...
overall. In 2005, ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...
'' named Moore one of
the world's 100 most influential people.
Critics have labeled Moore himself as a propagandist,
and his films as
propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loa ...
.
Early life
Michael Francis Moore was born outside
Flint, Michigan, and raised in
Davison by parents Helene Veronica (''
née'' Wall) (1921–2002), a secretary, and Francis Richard "Frank" Moore, (1921–2014) an automotive assembly-line worker.
At that time, the city of Flint was home to many
General Motors factories, where his parents and grandfather worked. His uncle LaVerne was one of the founders of the
United Automobile Workers labor union and participated in the
Flint sit-down strike.
Moore was brought up in a traditional Catholic home,
and has Irish, and smaller amounts of Scottish and English, ancestry.
[Stated on '' Finding Your Roots'', February 26, 2019] Some of his ancestors were
Quakers
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...
.
He attended parochial St. John's Elementary School for primary school and later attended St. Paul's Seminary in
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County, Michigan, Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township, Michi ...
, for a year.
He then attended
Davison High School
Davison High School is a girls' Church of England secondary school serving pupils aged 11 to 16 in Worthing, West Sussex, England. In its last inspection the school was judged by OFSTED as Good. The school accommodates around 1080 girls across fi ...
, where he was active in both drama and debate, graduating in 1972. As a member of the
Boy Scouts of America, he achieved the rank of
Eagle Scout. At the age of 18, he was elected to the Davison
school board.
At the time he was the youngest person elected to office in the U.S., as the minimum age to hold public office had just been lowered to 18.
Career
Journalism
Moore dropped out of the
University of Michigan–Flint following his first year of school (where he wrote for the student newspaper ''
The Michigan Times
''The Michigan Times'', the student newspaper of the University of Michigan–Flint, was founded in 1959. It is casually referred to on and around campus as "The M-Times."
Starting in the fall of 2010, ''The Michigan Times'' went from being pub ...
''). At 22 he founded the alternative weekly magazine ''The Flint Voice'', which soon changed its name to ''The Michigan Voice'' as it expanded to cover the entire state. Popstar
Harry Chapin is credited with being the reason the magazine was able to start by performing benefit concerts and donating the money to Moore. Moore crept backstage after a concert to Chapin's dressing room and convinced him to do a concert and give the money to him. Chapin subsequently did a concert in Flint every year.
In 1986, when Moore became the editor of
''Mother Jones'', a liberal political magazine, ''The Michigan Voice'' was shut down by the investors and he moved to California.
After four months at ''Mother Jones'', Moore was fired.
Matt Labash of ''
The Weekly Standard
''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "r ...
'' reported this was for refusing to print an article by
Paul Berman that was critical of the
Sandinista human rights record in Nicaragua.
Moore refused to run the article, believing it to be inaccurate. "The article was flatly wrong and the worst kind of patronizing bullshit. You would scarcely know from it that the United States had been at war with Nicaragua for the last five years."
Moore believes that ''Mother Jones'' fired him because of the publisher's refusal to allow him to cover a story on the GM plant closings in his hometown of
Flint, Michigan. He responded by putting laid-off GM worker
Ben Hamper
Bernard Egan "Ben" Hamper (born c. 1955) is a Michigan-based writer. He was born in Flint, Michigan to a family that had many former employees of General Motors amongst its members. Hamper also worked for General Motors in Michigan for several y ...
(who was also writing for the same magazine at the time) on the magazine's cover, leading to his termination. Moore sued for wrongful dismissal, and settled out of court for $58,000, providing him with seed money for his first film, ''
Roger & Me''.
Directing, producing and screenwriting
''Roger & Me''
The 1989 film ''
Roger & Me'' was Moore's first documentary about what happened to
Flint, Michigan, after
General Motors closed its factories and opened new ones in Mexico where the workers were paid lower wages. The "Roger" is
Roger B. Smith
Roger Bonham Smith (July 12, 1925 – November 29, 2007) was the chairman and CEO of General Motors Corporation from 1981 to 1990, and is widely known as the main subject of Michael Moore's 1989 documentary film ''Roger & Me''.
Smith seemed t ...
, former CEO and President of General Motors.
Harlan Jacobson, editor of ''
Film Comment'' magazine, said that Moore muddled the chronology in ''Roger & Me'' to make it seem that events that took place before G.M.'s layoffs were a consequence of them. Critic
Roger Ebert defended Moore's handling of the timeline as an artistic and stylistic choice that had less to do with his credibility as a filmmaker and more to do with the flexibility of film as a medium to express a satiric viewpoint.
''Pets or Meat: The Return to Flint''
Moore made a follow-up 23-minute documentary film, ''
Pets or Meat: The Return to Flint'', that aired on PBS in 1992. It is based on ''Roger & Me''. The film's title refers to Rhonda Britton, a Flint, Michigan resident featured in both the 1989 and 1992 films, who sells rabbits as either pets or meat.
''Canadian Bacon''
Moore's 1995 satirical film ''
Canadian Bacon'' features a fictional U.S. president (played by
Alan Alda) engineering a fake war with Canada in order to boost his popularity.
[ The film is also one of the last featuring Canadian actor John Candy.][ Some commentators in the media felt the film was influenced by the ]Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
film '' Dr. Strangelove.''
''The Big One''
Moore's 1997 film '' The Big One'' documents the tour publicizing Moore's book '' Downsize This! Random Threats from an Unarmed American,'' in which he criticizes mass layoffs despite record corporate profits. Among others, he targets Nike for outsourcing shoe production to Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.
''Bowling for Columbine''
His documentary '' Bowling for Columbine'', released in 2002, probes the culture of guns and violence in the United States, taking as a starting point the Columbine High School massacre
On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, twelfth grade, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and ...
of 1999. ''Bowling for Columbine'' won the Anniversary Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and France's César Award as the Best Foreign Film. In the United States, it won the 2002 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. It also enjoyed great commercial and critical success for a film of its type, and has since gone on to be considered one of the greatest documentary films of all-time. At the time of ''Columbine''s release, it was the highest-grossing mainstream-released documentary (a record now held by Moore's '' Fahrenheit 9/11'').
''Fahrenheit 9/11''
Moore's film, '' Fahrenheit 9/11'', released in 2004, examines America in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
, particularly the record of the George W. Bush Administration and alleged links between the families of George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden. ''Fahrenheit'' was awarded the '' Palme d'Or'', the top honor at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival; it was the first documentary film to win the prize since 1956. Moore later announced that ''Fahrenheit 9/11'' would not be in consideration for the 2005 Academy Award for Documentary Feature, but instead for the Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categor ...
. He stated he wanted the movie to be seen by a few million more people via television broadcast prior to Election Day. According to Moore, "Academy rules forbid the airing of a documentary on television within nine months of its theatrical release", and since the November 2 election was fewer than nine months after the film's release, it would have been disqualified for the Documentary Oscar. Regardless, ''Fahrenheit'' did not receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. The title of the film alludes to the classic book '' Fahrenheit 451'' about a future totalitarian state in which books are banned; according to the book, paper begins to burn at . The pre-release subtitle of the film confirms the allusion: "The temperature at which freedom burns."
As of August 2012, ''Fahrenheit 9/11'' is the highest-grossing documentary of all time, taking in over US$200 million worldwide, including United States box office revenue of almost US$120 million. In February 2011, Moore sued producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein for US$2.7 million in unpaid profits from the film, claiming they used " Hollywood accounting tricks" to avoid paying him the money. In February 2012, Moore and the Weinsteins informed the court that they had settled their dispute.
''Sicko''
Moore directed the 2007 film, '' Sicko'', about the American health care system, focusing particularly on the managed-care and pharmaceutical industries. At least four major pharmaceutical companies
The pharmaceutical industry discovers, develops, produces, and markets drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered to patients (or self-administered), with the aim to cure them, vaccinate them, or alleviate sympto ...
—Pfizer
Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfize ...
, Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly (July 8, 1838 – June 6, 1898) was an American soldier, pharmacist, chemist, and businessman who founded the Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical corporation. Lilly enlisted in the Union Army during the American Civil War and r ...
, AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca plc () is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, England. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includ ...
, and GlaxoSmithKline—ordered their employees not to grant any interviews or assist Moore. According to Moore in a letter on his website, "roads that often surprise us and lead us to new ideas—and challenge us to reconsider the ones we began with have caused some minor delays." The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
on May 19, 2007, receiving a lengthy standing ovation, and was released in the U.S. and Canada on June 29, 2007. The film is currently ranked the twelfth highest grossing documentary of all time and received an Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
nomination for Best Documentary Feature
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporation, ...
.
''Captain Mike Across America'' and ''Slacker Uprising''
Moore takes a look at the politics of college students in what he calls "Bush Administration America" with ''Captain Mike Across America
''Captain Mike Across America'' is a film written, directed and narrated by Michael Moore. It was filmed prior to the 2004 election, when the polling margin between candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry could have tipped either way. It debuted ...
'', which was shot during Moore's 62-city college campus tour in the months leading up to the 2004 presidential election. The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
on September 7, 2007. It was later re-edited by Moore into ''Slacker Uprising'' and released for free on the internet on September 23, 2008.
''Capitalism: A Love Story''
Released on September 23, 2009, '' Capitalism: A Love Story'' looks at the financial crisis of 2007–2008
Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of ...
and the U.S. economy during the transition between the outgoing Bush Administration and the incoming Obama Administration. Addressing a press conference at its release, Moore said, "Democracy is not a spectator sport, it's a participatory event. If we don't participate in it, it ceases to be a democracy. So Obama will rise or fall based not so much on what he does but on what we do to support him."
''Where to Invade Next''
'' Where to Invade Next'' examines the benefits of progressive social policies in various countries. The film had its premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
. Godfrey Cheshire
Godfrey Cheshire III (born June 3, 1951) is an American film critic, film writer and director.
He was instrumental in the founding of Raleigh's ''Spectator Magazine'' in 1978. He served as chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle.
In 2001 an ...
, writing for Roger Ebert.com, wrote that "Moore's surprising and extraordinarily winning ''Where to Invade Next'' will almost surely cast his detractors at Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ...
and similar sinkholes into consternation".
''Michael Moore in TrumpLand''
In ''Michael Moore in TrumpLand
''Michael Moore in TrumpLand'' is a 2016 documentary film by Michael Moore about the 2016 United States presidential election campaign. The film is based on a one-person show that Moore originally wanted to perform in Midland Theatre in Newark, ...
'', Moore talks about the 2016 Presidential Election Campaigns. It is a solo performance showing Moore on stage speaking to a seated audience. The film consists of Moore's opinions of the candidates and highlights the Democratic National Candidate Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...
's strengths and also features a lengthy section on how the Republican National Candidate Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
could win. It was filmed in Wilmington, Ohio, at the Murphy Theatre over the course of two nights in October 2016. The film premiered just eleven days after it was shot at the IFC Center in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
.
''Fahrenheit 11/9''
In May 2017, it was announced that Moore had reunited with Harvey Weinstein to direct his new film about Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
, titled ''Fahrenheit 11/9
''Fahrenheit 11/9'' is a 2018 American documentary by filmmaker Michael Moore about the 2016 United States presidential election and presidency of Donald Trump up to the time of the film's release. The film is a follow-up to Moore's ''Fahren ...
'', which was released in approximately 1,500 theaters in the United States and Canada on September 21, 2018. Sexual assault allegations against Weinstein prompted Moore to revoke the plan to work with The Weinstein Company, which stalled production. The title refers to the day when Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
officially became President-elect of the United States. In a column for ''Variety'' responding to the film's low opening weekend, "How Michael Moore Lost His Audience", sympathetic film critic Owen Gleiberman wrote "He's like an aging rock star putting out albums that simply don't mean as much to those who were, and are, his core fans". According to Glenn Greenwald, "what he’s trying is of unparalleled importance: not to take the cheap route of exclusively denouncing Trump but to take the more complicated, challenging, and productive route of understanding who and what created the climate in which Trump could thrive."
''Planet of the Humans''
Michael Moore was executive producer of the documentary, '' Planet of the Humans'', which was directed by Jeff Gibbs and released on July 31, 2019. The film makes the argument that since the first Earth Day, the condition of the planet has worsened, and questions whether mainstream approaches adopted by industry to mitigate climate change entail environmental impacts whose costs are comparable to or even possibly outweigh the benefits. The film received criticism from a number of climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
experts and activists who disputed its claims and the accuracy of figures cited in the film and suggested that the film could play into the hands of the fossil fuel industry.
Michael Moore, Jeff Gibbs, and co-producer Ozzie Zehner responded to the critics on an episode of ''Rising
Rising may refer to:
* Rising, a stage in baking - see Proofing (baking technique)
*Elevation
* Short for Uprising, a rebellion
Film and TV
* Rising (Stargate Atlantis), "Rising" (''Stargate Atlantis''), the series premiere of the science fiction ...
''.
Writing
Moore has written and co-written eight non-fiction books, mostly on similar subject matter to his documentaries. '' Stupid White Men'' (2001) is ostensibly a critique of American domestic and foreign policy but, by Moore's own admission, is also "a book of political humor". '' Dude, Where's My Country?'' (2003), is an examination of the Bush family’s relationships with Saudi royalty, the Bin Laden family, and the energy industry, and a call-to-action for liberals in the 2004 election. Several of his works have made bestseller lists.
Acting
Moore has dabbled in acting, following a supporting role in '' Lucky Numbers'' (2000) playing the cousin of Lisa Kudrow's character, who agrees to be part of the scheme concocted by John Travolta's character. He also had a cameo in his '' Canadian Bacon'' as an anti-Canada activist. In 2004, he did a cameo, as a news journalist, in '' The Fever'', starring Vanessa Redgrave in the lead.
Television
Between 1994 and 1995, he directed and hosted the BBC television series '' TV Nation'', which followed the format of news magazine shows but covered topics they avoid. The series aired on BBC2 in the UK. The series was also aired in the US on NBC in 1994 for 9 episodes and again for 8 episodes on Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
in 1995.
His other major series was '' The Awful Truth'', which satirized actions by big corporations and politicians. It aired on the UK's Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, and the Bravo network in the US, in 1999 and 2000. Moore won the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award The Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award is an award created in honor of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. The Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards were established in 1979 to honor individuals who have made significant contributions in the vital effor ...
in Arts and Entertainment for being the executive producer and host of ''The Awful Truth'', where he was also described as "muckraker, author and documentary filmmaker".
Another 1999 series, ''Michael Moore Live
''Michael Moore Live'', is a 1999 television show featuring political advocate Michael Moore, that ran for one six-part series. It was shown on Channel 4 and aired in the United Kingdom only, though it was broadcast from New York.
The show h ...
'', was aired in the UK only on Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, though it was broadcast from New York. This show had a similar format to ''The Awful Truth'', but also incorporated phone-ins and a live stunt each week.
In 2017, Moore planned to return to prime time network television on Turner/TNT in late 2017 or early 2018 with a program called "Michael Moore Live from the Apocalypse". In February 2019, however, the network announced the show would not be produced.
Music videos
Moore has directed several music videos, including two for Rage Against the Machine for songs from '' The Battle of Los Angeles'': " Sleep Now in the Fire" and " Testify". He was threatened with arrest during the shooting of "Sleep Now in the Fire", which was filmed on Wall Street; and subsequently the city of New York City denied the band permission to play there, even though the band and Moore had secured a federal permit to perform.
Moore also directed the videos for R.E.M. single " All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" in 2001 and the System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, v ...
song " Boom!".
Appearances in other documentaries
* He appeared in ''The Drugging of Our Children'', a 2005 documentary about over-prescription of psychiatric medication to children and teenagers, directed by Gary Null, a proponent of alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and ...
. In the film Moore agrees with Gary Null that Ritalin and other similar drugs are over-prescribed, saying that they are seen as a "pacifier".
* He appeared on fellow Flint natives Grand Funk Railroad's episode of '' Behind the Music''.
* He appeared as an off-camera interviewer in ''Blood in the Face
''Blood in the Face'' is a 1991 documentary film about white supremacy groups in North America. It was directed by Anne Bohlen, Kevin Rafferty and James Ridgeway. It features many interviews with various white supremacist leaders, and archival foot ...
'', a 1991 documentary about white supremacy
White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...
groups. At the center of the film is a neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and racial supremacy (often white supremacy), attack r ...
gathering in Michigan.
* Moore appeared in the 2001 documovie '' The Party's Over'' discussing Democrats and Republicans.
* He appeared in '' The Yes Men'', a 2003 documentary about two men who pose as the World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and ...
. He appears during a segment concerning working conditions in Mexico and Latin America.
* Moore was interviewed for the 2004 documentary, '' The Corporation''. One of his highlighted quotes was: "The problem is the profit motive: for corporations, there's no such thing as enough."
* He appeared in the 2006 documentary '' I'm Going to Tell You a Secret'', which chronicles Madonna's 2004 Re-Invention World Tour. Moore attended her show in New York City at Madison Square Garden.
* He appeared briefly in the 2016 documentary '' Cameraperson'', directed by Kirsten Johnson, who was one of his camera operators in Fahrenheit 9/11
Theater
Moore's Broadway debut, ''The Terms of My Surrender'', an anti-Trump dramatic monologue, premiered on August 10, 2017 at the Belasco Theatre. Donald Trump tweeted his dislike for the show and falsely claimed that it closed early. In the first week the production earned $456,195 in sales and $367,634 in the final week, altogether grossing $4.2 million, falling short of its potential gross. It lasted 13 weeks with 96 performances until October 2017, grossing 49% of its potential. Fox News gave it a negative review, in line with Trump's comments. The show was unenthusiastically praised by The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
, which said he only wanted to "preach to the choir". A spokesman for "The Terms of My Surrender" suggested that the production might have a in San Francisco in early 2018, which didn’t materialize.
Honorary degree
He was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humanities
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles ...
from Michigan State University in Fall 2014.
Political views
Although Moore has been known for his political activism, he rejects the label as redundant in a democracy: "I and you and everyone else has to be a political activist. If we're not politically active, it ceases to be a democracy." According to John Flesher of the Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. n ...
, Moore is known for his "fiery left-wing populism", and publications such as the '' Socialist Worker Online'' have hailed him as the "new Tom Paine". In a speech, he said that socialism
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
is democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which people, the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choo ...
and Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...
. However, he later said that economic philosophies from the past were not apt enough to describe today's realities.
Moore was a high-profile guest at both the 2004 Democratic National Convention and the 2004 Republican National Convention, chronicling his impressions in ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
''. He was criticized in a speech by Republican Senator John McCain as "a disingenuous film-maker". Moore laughed and waved as Republican attendees jeered, later chanting "four more years". Moore gestured an L with his index finger and thumb at the crowd, which translates into "loser".
During September and October 2004, Moore spoke at universities and colleges in swing states during his "Slacker Uprising Tour". The tour gave away ramen and underwear to students who promised to vote. One stop during the tour was Utah Valley State College
Utah Valley University (UVU) is a public university in Orem, Utah. UVU offers master's, bachelor's, associate degrees, and certificates. Previously called Utah Valley State College, the school attained university status in July 2008.
History ...
. A fight for his right to speak resulted in massive public debates and a media blitz, eventually resulting in a lawsuit against the college and the resignation of at least one member of the college's student government.[''This Divided State''](_blank)
official website. Accessed July 9, 2006. The Utah event was chronicled in the documentary film ''This Divided State
''This Divided State'' is a documentary film
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, hist ...
''.
Moore urged Ralph Nader not to run in 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
so as not to split the left vote. On '' Real Time with Bill Maher'', Moore and Bill Maher knelt before Nader to plead with him to stay out of the race.
Moore drew attention in 2004 when he used the term "deserter" to describe then president George W. Bush while introducing Retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark
Wesley Kanne Clark (born December 23, 1944) is a retired United States Army officer. He graduated as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford, where he obtained a degree ...
at a Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire. Noting that Clark had been a champion debater at West Point, Moore told a laughing crowd, "I know what you're thinking. I want to see that debate" between Clark and Bush – "the general versus the deserter". Moore said he was referring to published reports in several media outlets including ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' which had reported that "there is strong evidence that Bush performed no military service as required when he moved from Houston to Alabama to work on a U.S. Senate campaign from May to November 1972."
In 2007, Moore became a contributing journalist at ''OpEdNews
''OpEdNews'' is a United States-based progressive/liberal news, antiwar activism, and opinion website founded by Rob Kall in 2003.
It is a hybrid news, community blog and article aggregation site that publishes opinion-based articles, news sto ...
'', and by May 2014, had authored over 70 articles published on their website. Moore was an active supporter of the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City and spoke with the OWS protesters on September 26, 2011. On October 29, 2011, he spoke at the Occupy Oakland protest site to express his support.
Moore praised '' Django Unchained'', tweeting that the movie "is one of the best film satires ever. A rare American movie on slavery and the origins of our sick racist history."
Moore's 2011 claims that "Four hundred obscenely wealthy individuals, 400 little Mubaraks – most of whom benefited in some way from the multi-trillion-dollar taxpayer bailout of 2008 – now have more cash, stock and property than the assets of 155 million Americans combined" and that these 400 Americans "have more wealth than half of all Americans combined" was found to be true by PolitiFact and others.
After Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...
n President Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician who was president of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013, except for a brief period in 2002. Chávez was also leader of the Fifth Repub ...
died in March 2013, Moore praised him for "eliminating 75 percent of extreme poverty" while " rovidingfree health and education for all".
2000 presidential election
Moore supported Ralph Nader in the 2000 presidential election. Moore was critical of Al Gore and George W. Bush. Moore criticizes Gore for the loss of thousands of jobs during his time as Vice president, voting to confirm Antonin Scalia
Antonin Gregory Scalia (; March 11, 1936 – February 13, 2016) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2016. He was described as the intellectu ...
, proposing more funding for the pentagon, and proposing to expand the War on drugs. Moore reportedly told Bush “Your possible victory on Tuesday is a threat to our national security". Moore also called Bush “a banal, despicable, and corrupt human being".
Barack Obama
On April 21, 2008, Moore endorsed Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
for president, stating that Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...
's recent actions had been "disgusting". Moore criticized the 2011 military intervention in Libya. After the US troops launched 110 Tomahawk missiles at military targets in Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Su ...
, Moore suggested that President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
should return his Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...
and tweeted in his official Twitter account, "May I suggest a 50-mile evacuation zone around Obama's Nobel Peace Prize?"
In an op-ed piece for ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' published on December 31, 2013, Moore assessed the Affordable Care Act, calling it "awful" and adding that "Obamacare's rocky start ... is a result of one fatal flaw: The Affordable Care Act is a pro-insurance-industry plan implemented by a president who knew in his heart that a single-payer, Medicare-for-all model was the true way to go." Despite his strong critique, however, Moore wrote that he still considers the plan a "godsend" because it provides a start "to get what we deserve: universal quality health care."
2016 Presidential election
In December 2015, Moore announced his support for Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the ...
Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 United States presidential election
The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
. Moore called Sanders a "force to contend with". In January 2016, he officially endorsed Bernie Sanders for president. He also described democratic socialism as "a true democracy where everyone has a seat at the table, everyone has a voice, not just the rich". After Sanders lost the 2016 primaries, Moore urged Americans to vote for Clinton while also correctly predicting that Trump would win the election because the post-industrial Midwestern states would vote for Trump. After Trump was elected, Moore called Trump a "Russian traitor", saying his presidency had "no legitimacy".
In October 2016, Moore criticized Julian Assange and WikiLeaks for publishing leaks from the DNC's emails, saying: "I think WikiLeaks and I think Assange, they're essentially anarchists and they know, just like a lot of people voting for Trump know, that he's their human Molotov cocktail and they want to blow up the system. It's an anarchic move."
In November 2016, right after Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
was elected President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
, and inspired by Bertram Gross Bertram Myron Gross (1912 in Philadelphia – March 12, 1997 in Walnut Creek, California) was an American social scientist, federal bureaucrat and Professor of Political Science at Hunter College (CUNY). He is known from his book '' Friendly Fascism ...
's 1980 book, '' Friendly Fascism'', Moore reportedly stated: "The next wave of fascists will not come with cattle cars
In railroad terminology, a stock car or cattle car is a type of rolling stock used for carrying livestock (not carcasses) to market. A traditional stock car resembles a boxcar with louvered instead of solid car sides (and sometimes ends) for the p ...
and concentration camps, but they'll come with a smiley face and maybe a TV show ... That's how the 21st-century fascists will essentially take over." On November 12, 2016, Moore participated in a NYC anti-Trump rally which was later (in 2018) alleged to have been organized by Russians who were indicted by Robert Mueller
Robert Swan Mueller III (; born August 7, 1944) is an American lawyer and government official who served as the sixth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2001 to 2013.
A graduate of Princeton University and New York ...
for meddling in the 2016 election.
Donald Trump
Moore started the website TrumpiLeaks in May 2017, to encourage whistleblower
A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whi ...
s to provide information about Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
. Moore was inspired to create the site after witnessing the firings by Trump of three law enforcement officials, specifically: United States Attorney Preet Bharara, former acting United States Attorney General
The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...
Sally Yates, and former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation James Comey. Moore posted a message to his personal website, explaining the motivation of the new venture and that he wanted any information related to: "crimes, breaches of public trust and misconduct committed by Donald J. Trump and his associates". He asserted, "Trump thinks he's above the law". Moore stated it was his view that Trump had engaged in obstruction of justice, falsehoods to the United States citizenry, promoted violent behavior, and violated the Constitution of the United States.
In March 2018, Moore criticized the "corporate media", saying "You turn on the TV, and it's 'Russia, Russia, Russia!' These are all shiny keys to distract us. We should know about the West Virginia strike. What an inspiration that would be. But they don't show this".
In April 2018, Moore taunted Trump by ironically asking him why he had not already fired Robert Mueller
Robert Swan Mueller III (; born August 7, 1944) is an American lawyer and government official who served as the sixth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2001 to 2013.
A graduate of Princeton University and New York ...
. After the Russia–United States summit of July 2018, Moore called for Trump’s impeachment, saying "Congress needs no more proof than Trump's admission yesterday that he sides with Putin to impeach and remove him."
Moore compared Trump to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
's dictator Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
. On August 10, 2019, Moore tweeted: "I guess they think a country dumb enough to elect Trump is stupid enough to believe Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide."
In October 2019, he announced his political endorsement of Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. After Sanders lost the primaries, Moore urged Sanders supporters to vote for Joe Biden in the general election.
Personal life
Moore married film producer Kathleen Glynn on October 19, 1991. He filed for divorce on June 17, 2013. On July 22, 2014, the divorce was finalized.
Moore was raised a Catholic but disagrees with traditional church teaching on subjects such as abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
and same-sex marriage. In an interview with '' The A.V. Club'', when asked if there was a God, he stated, "Yes, there is. I don't know how you define that, but yeah."
Following the Columbine High School massacre
On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, twelfth grade, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and ...
, Moore acquired a lifetime membership to the National Rifle Association (NRA). Moore said that he initially intended to become the NRA's president to dismantle the organization, but he soon dismissed the plan as too difficult. Gun rights supporters such as Dave Kopel said there was no chance of that happening; David T. Hardy and Jason Clarke wrote that Moore failed to discover that the NRA selects a president not by membership vote but by a vote of the board of directors.
In 2005, ''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...
'' named Moore one of the world's 100 most influential people. Later in 2005, Moore founded the Traverse City Film Festival held annually in Traverse City, Michigan. In 2009, he co-founded the Traverse City Comedy Festival, also held annually in Traverse City, where Moore helped to spearhead the renovation of the historic downtown State Theater.
Work
Filmography
Bibliography
*
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** 2012 ( Audible: 2011): ''Here Comes Trouble: Stories from My Life'' ( audiobook, read by Michael Moore), Grand Central Publishing,
Video shorts
* '' Rage Against the Machine: Sleep Now in the Fire'' (2000)
* '' Rage Against the Machine: Testify'' (2000)
* '' R.E.M.: All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)'' (2001)
* '' In View: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003'' (2003)
* ''System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, v ...
: Boom!'' (2003)
Television series
* '' TV Nation'' (1994)
* '' The Awful Truth'' (1999)
* ''Michael Moore Live
''Michael Moore Live'', is a 1999 television show featuring political advocate Michael Moore, that ran for one six-part series. It was shown on Channel 4 and aired in the United Kingdom only, though it was broadcast from New York.
The show h ...
'' (1999)
Podcasting
* ''RUMBLE with Michael Moore'' (2019–present)
References
Further reading
* Benson, Thomas W., and Snee, Brian J. (eds.): ''Michael Moore and the Rhetoric of Documentary''. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2015. .
External links
*
Michael Moore
at ''The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
''
*
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*
Rumble with Michael Moore
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Michael
1954 births
Living people
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