Here we go again. Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore is going offer his solution to societal ills through one of his documentaries.
If Moore's past movies are any indication of the coverage he will get, it is sure to be a media hit. Already, Huffington Post blogger and MSNBC daytime anchor Carlos Watson is praising praised Moore's early promotion of the flick.
"Michael Moore, the filmmaker, is back and this time he was taking aim at Wall Street," Watson said on June 15. "[H]e did a very funny thing, Sarah, this weekend when you showed his documentary in some of the movie theatres. It was very interesting. He had ushers walk along, trying to take up money for CEOs and Wall Street banks."
Newsweek's Sarah Ball explained how Moore's stunt was carried out in theatres over the weekend.
"He is bringing his typically sort of factitious tone, having these guys ask for alms as though they're begging for charity, but of course on behalf of impoverished Wall Street CEOs and shouldn't we pity them," Ball said.
The trailer that aired in theatres over the weekend included actual ushers with collection containers, according to some reports. Moore took aim at five financial institutions in particular, two of which - Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), have made efforts to repay the TARP bailout funds with some resistance from the federal government.
"Hi, I'm Michael Moore," he said. "Instead of using this time to tell you about my new movie, I'd like to take a moment and ask you to join me in helping our fellow Americans. The downturn in the economy has hurt many people. People have had no choice but to go on government assistance. Yet, our welfare agencies can only do so much. That's why I'm asking you to reach into your pockets right now and lend a hand. Ushers will be coming down the aisles to collect your donations for Citibank, Bank of America, AIG, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and a host of other needy banks and corporations."
Moore continued to mock the bailout premise, although he has been an advocate of government intervention of the auto sector - at the expense of the taxpayer.
"Won't you please give generously?" Moore said. "Now, I know what you're thinking - I already gave with the bailout, and I know you did. But even if you've given in the past, give some more. It'll make you feel good."
