"Moore, Moore, Moore..."

“My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. And invaders r worse” - Michael Moore’s actual tweet

This week filmmaker and Liberal icon Michael Moore made an unguarded and ill-thought-out comment on Twitter (alert the media…someone on Twitter made an unguarded and ill-thought-out comment!) but the content of Moore’s tweet does not (quite) support the vehemence that has been directed toward him.

I have to agree that he didn't think very far ahead, and I can't (and don't) agree with his opinions on snipers, either ethically or historically. But whether I'm on his side or not, he deserves to have his side heard. Whether it's rejected or not is another matter, and personally I think that his side sounds like bad damage control, but it deserves to be heard.

The problem with "social media" (Facebook, Twitter, Instawhateverthefuck, et al, but in this case Twitter) is that its immediacy tempts people to type without thinking about the consequences of what they're saying. I think that's what happened here; I think better impulse control would have served Moore well.

I should point out that regardless of you're opinion of Moore (or mine, for that matter) he is a brilliant filmmaker, witty and unflinching in the face of whatever foes he chooses as his targets. That he also chooses to have his opinions shaped by family tragedy is something that most of us have done. But he should learn to think a bit before he tweets. And a bit of research into what snipers actually do would not go amiss.

Over all, while what he actually said probably had to do with Kyle/American Sniper the actual tweet wasn't specific, and I'm willing to give Moore a bit of the benefit of the doubt--but he doesn't get all of it. Moore stands somewhat diminished in my eyes.

Well, he could stand to be diminished a bit.

The Blues Viking
The opinions expressed here are mine and if you don't like them you can get your own damn blog.


One more thing...Referring to the quoted text below, I object to Moore's characterization of James Earl Ray (Martin Luther King's murderer) as a "sniper". He was an assassin. 

Michael Moore's comments on his original comment: 

A lot has been said about Michael Moore's remarks about "American Sniper". I thought it might be informative to hear what Moore himself had to say about the controversy. His opinions are *his*, and not necessarily mine.- MSR

Michael Moore
January 18 at 10:14pm · 

Lots of talk about snipers this weekend (the holiday weekend of a great man, killed by a sniper), so I thought I'd weigh in with what I was raised to believe about snipers. My dad was in the First Marine Division in the South Pacific in World War II. His brother, my uncle, Lawrence Moore, was an Army paratrooper and was killed by a Japanese sniper 70 years ago next month. My dad always said, "Snipers are cowards. They don't believe in a fair fight. Like someone coming up from behind you and coldcocking you. Just isn't right. It's cowardly to shoot a person in the back. Only a coward will shoot someone who can't shoot back."

So I sent out this tweet today: https://twitter.com/mmflint/status/556914094406926336

And then I sent this: https://twitter.com/mmflint/status/556988226486169600

But Deadline Hollywood and the Hollywood Reporter turned that into stories about how I don't like Clint Eastwood's new film, "American Sniper." I didn't say a word about "American Sniper" in my tweets. 

But here's what Deadline Hollywood posted (note how they changed "snipers" to "shooters" in their headline): http://deadline.com/…/michael-moore-american-sniper-oscars…/

Hollywood Reporter has since corrected their story: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/…/michael-moore-blasts-ame…

If they wanted to know my opinion of "American Sniper" (and I have one), why not ask me?

So here's what I think about "American Sniper":

Awesome performance from Bradley Cooper. One of the best of the year. Great editing. Costumes, hair, makeup superb!
Oh... and too bad Clint gets Vietnam and Iraq confused in his storytelling. And that he has his characters calling Iraqis "savages" throughout the film. But there is also anti-war sentiment expressed in the movie. And there's a touching ending as the main character is remembered after being gunned down by a fellow American vet with PTSD who was given a gun at a gun range back home in Texas -- and then used it to kill the man who called himself the 'America Sniper'.

Also, best movie trailer and TV ads of the year. 

Most of us were taught the story of Jesse James and that the scoundrel wasn't James (who was a criminal who killed people) but rather the sniper who shot him in the back. I think most Americans don't think snipers are heroes. 

Hopefully not on this weekend when we remember that man in Memphis, Tennessee, who was killed by a sniper's bullet.