1. I discovered something very interesting today. Presumably owing to my recent experiences with “altered states of mind,” I am now more keenly aware of the way I feel or my state of mind. What brought on this realization was the way I felt after draining a double espresso this morning. Although I’ve done this numerous times before, I noticed today the way that the sudden rush of caffeine made me feel– I could sense that the caffeine put me in an altered state of mind. It felt as though the neurons in by brain were firing just a little faster, and even when I wasn’t thinking about anything it seemed that my mind was trying to race. I couldn’t concentrate as well as I normally do. This feeling wore off after about 20 minutes. The point of all this is that my self-awareness has been increased and I am now more aware of being sober because I’ve been not sober.
2. I watched Roger & Me today in my film class. I’ve come to a conclusion: I really like Michael Moore. I’ve heard him criticized for various reasons, but for me it comes down to this: he’s someone who sees things in the world around him that suck, and he tries to make it a little better. I think that’s commendable. Some people don’t like his methods of going about it. Fine. At least he’s doing something. I don’t think I’ve ever met a naysayer who has done anything positive or constructive for the world around him/her.
Roger & Me (4/5 stars) was a typical Moore film, wrought with sardonic humor, interesting facts, and (of course) lots of Moore’s voiceover. It chronicles the economic impact of General Motor’s decision to relocate many of their major production plants from Moore’s home town, Flint Michigan, to Mexico. The film also makes commentary on the place and responsibilities of a the idea of a corporation in regards to communities and society as a whole. If one enjoys Moore’s other works, one is sure to like Roger & Me. Likewise, if Fahrenheit 9/11 failed to endear itself to you, Roger & Me is likely to fail as well.
3. There was definitely a third subject for me to write about, but for the life of me I can’t remember it. I was amazingly tired this evening, and ended up sleeping in several interesting places in the Quad dining room for almost 6 hours. Maybe this whole “sleeping-every-now-and-then” thing is catching up. Lord only knows.
4. It’s come to my attention that Blog! looks really bad in Internet Explorer. For those who still haven’t converted to Firefox I’m attempting to fix things for IE users. For the best viewing experience, however, I recommend Firefox.
5. Is it Saturday night yet??
I can’t speak on behalf of Roger and Me but my rationale for disliking Moore’s films are exactly that he ISN’T offering a solution. He ISN’T trying to make things better. The world sucks, he makes fun of it and is simply a naysayer. There was NO point to Bowling for Columbine. There was no POINT to Fahrenheit 9/11 except that Bush sucks… But we didn’t need a movie like that to show us did we? Additionally, the man manipulates the facts like a bastard and tries to play it off as truth.
Au contraire, each of Moore’s films has accomplished something positive. In Roger & Me, it was a stipulation of the distribution contract that Warner Brothers give $25,000 to the five families who were documented being evicted in his film. Sure, it’s only $5,000 per family, but for an unemployed family in Flint, MI I have no doubt that it means a lot. Furthermore, it placed pressure on Roger Smith, General Motors, and corporations abroad to fulfill their obligations to communities that formed them.
Although Bowling For Columbine didn’t solve the problem of school shootings, it accomplished several positive things as well. First, it raised national awareness of what actually happened, rebutting claims that Marilyn Manson and video games were to blame. Furthermore, it created a strong case for national, centralized gun control, which I’m a firm support of. Secondly, Moore managed to stop the sale of ammunition at K-Mart stores, which admittedly isn’t the panacea to stopping violence or shootings, but at the very least it’s a step in the right direction.
Lastly, Fahrenheit 9/11 (although admittedly poorly done in places) raised national awareness of issues surrounding the War in Iraq, many of which even I was unaware of at the time. Granted, it wasn’t enough and Bush was re-elected, but again, it’s a step in the right direction.
I think many people take Moore entirely too seriously– more seriously than he takes himself. I’m not espousing him to be some sort of god or christ-figure; he’s not. What I am saying, however, is that rather than merely decrying the system and hating it, he’s doing something to try to change it. Maybe his methods aren’t particularly effective, or maybe they are. I can’t say. What I can say, however, is that I find it commendable that he’s willing to give it a try in the first place.