Not Supporting Something You Hate 

I hate Michael Moore. Please understand something. I am loathe to use that word. People I know throw around that word more often than I think they should. Hate is a strong word. It conveys awful feelings, terrible feelings. Most of the time when people say they hate someone or something, I really interpret it to mean that they dislike something. Now then, with that said:

I hate Michael Moore.

Ever since the release of Farenheight 9/11 to film festivals and reviewers, I have seen articles about the movie, reviews of the movie, and even trailers for it on TV. Every time I do I literally get sick to my stomach. I get a disgusted look on my face, even when nobody is around to see it. To think that someone like that takes pride in what he says, and what he believes, makes me sick, sad, disgusted, angry, and a dozen other emotions that I can't even begin to enumerate. I'm not even going to bother linking to said reviews. They are far too numerous, and they're really not the point of this particular rant.

I have not seen the movie. I won't see the movie. I've had a couple people actually tell me that I should see the movie. Why? Because how can I make a judgment on something I've never seen? Of course that is an excellent point. It is a point that normally I would agree with, and often times make to someone who holds an opinion about something myself. However it begs a very important question. After I've seen the movie, and Michael Moore has gotten my money... What are the odds that I can go to the theater owner and successfully demand a refund? This is not about my feeling that I will have wasted my money. This is about my not wanting Michael Moore to make movies any more. This is about not wanting to contribute one penny to the statistics that show that this movie is successful.

I'm sure, plenty of people will see the movie. I'm sure that Michael Moore will wave the money in the air as proof that the American people approve of the lies and hatred that he spreads. But here's the thing... Money is agnostic. Money has no memory. Money has no opinion. A dollar simply shows that someone sat down in a theater, and stared at a screen. A dollar doesn't convey what someone thought after they left. But I'm sure Moore and his media moguls will show those dollars as a sign of approval of this movie, without even a glancing thought that maybe a large majority of theater goers left the theater utterly sickened by what they saw. I don't want to encourage that. It's not worth my being open minded in order to support him. Maybe if Michael Moore distributed his film like someone playing guitar at a train station I would go. If there was a bucket at the theater exit that says: "If you liked this movie, please pay $8 dollars." Maybe then.

When you think about it, movies like this are really at cross purposes with capitalism in many ways. People tout free speech. They should. I believe free speech is one of the corner stones of our society. But should I have to listen? Should I support your speech even when I disagree with it? Some would say yes. These are the people who support the National Endowment for the Arts. But if I don't agree with what you say, should I help fund your speech? Doesn't that go against everything capitalism stands for? The pure capitalist in me says that if people don't like Michael Moore's movies, then eventually he won't be making money from them, and then he'll stop making movies. Free market decides. But if people go to his movies, and hate what he's done... he still makes money, and gets to make more movies. So if you disagree with Michael Moore, if you hate what he stands for, don't go. Don't support him. Don't worry about people calling you close minded. It's ok. I'm going to live with it, and so can you.