Fall Arts Books - Michael Moore

by Marty Demarest


Thank goodness for Stupid White Men. In a world increasingly given to soft-sell punditry and less-than-forthcoming leadership, a few pudgy, sloppy and self-righteous white guys have decided to take back a portion of the political dialogue (if they ever lost it in the first place). Chief among them is the author of the previously mentioned best-selling book, Michael Moore.


Perhaps better known as the auteur behind the raucous documentaries Roger & amp; Me and Bowling for Columbine, Moore is also a passionate speaker, as any viewer of the Academy Awards can attest. (He won the award for Best Documentary of 2002 for Columbine and sharply divided the Oscar audience with his anti-Bush harangue.) Whether you view his works and actions as mere stunts -- a Rush Limbaugh for the left -- or as serious political and social agitation, it's hard not to acknowledge Moore as a growing cultural force.


This Oct. 24, he'll be speaking for Dad's Weekend (followed the next day by Jay Leno) at the Beasley Performing Arts Center in Pullman. There's a good chance that he'll regale audiences with tales of his exploits, which include some of the nerviest confrontations of power in American media. Perhaps he'll dodge questions about the plush lifestyle he leads in Manhattan. Maybe he'll even drop a few clues about his next film -- which is rumored to explore the alleged business links between the Bush family and the Bin Laden family. But one thing that audiences can expect from Moore, without fail, is a sharp focus on keeping them entertained. After all, if nobody is paying any attention, what good does it do to say anything -- fact or fiction -- at all?





Publication date: 09/11/03