Posted on 05/22/2004 3:49:48 PM PDT by areafiftyone
CANNES, France (Reuters) - After winning the top prize at Cannes for his anti-Bush documentary, American filmmaker Michael Moore said he hoped the President had not been eating a pretzel when he heard the news.
Moore admitted to one regret after accepting the Palme d'Or on Saturday -- he forgot to thank George W. Bush for providing the funniest lines in "Fahrenheit 9/11", a blistering attack on Bush's handling of Iraq and the war on terror.
Moore hopes to release the film this summer and spark heated political debate with his searing diatribe in the run-up to November's presidential election.
Asked what he thought Bush's reaction might be to the award, he told a packed news conference: "He is probably choking on a pretzel or something. I hope nobody tells him that I have won this award while he is eating a pretzel."
Bush fainted in 2002 after choking on a pretzel while watching a football game on television.
"He has the funniest lines in the film. I am eternally grateful to him," Moore said.
The Oscar-winning director mocked leading members of the Bush administration, saying: "I believe them to be actors.
"I forgot out there on the stage to thank my cast. So if I could do that now, I want to thank Mr Bush, Mr Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld. I thought the love scene between Cheney and Rumsfeld brought a tear to my eye."
Moore predicted that some right-wing media in the United States would portray the award as being given by France, one of the staunchest opponents of America's war in Iraq.
"The jury was not a French jury. This was an international jury dominated by Americans," he said.
Angered by the way Americans had reacted against the French over its resistance to the conflict in Iraq, he said: "We owe the people of this country an apology for the way they were debased in our media."
Moore, who won an Oscar for his anti-gun lobby film "Bowling for Columbine", was fiercely proud that a documentary had now won the Palme d'Or, one of cinema's greatest accolades.
"Non-fiction is taking itself out of its own ghetto," he said.
And then he proudly quoted what cult director Quentin Tarantino -- the Cannes jury president -- had told him.
"He said: 'We want you to know that the politics of your film had nothing to do with the award. You were given the award because you made a great film.'"
And I would tell any grocery store manager to watch the frosting aisle if moore went into his/her or store.
I'm sure George W. is shaking in his shoes contemplating the popularity of a film given an award by the French....
As if President Bush didn't have anything better to do than sit around and breathlessly await the decision of a bunch of entertainers. Man, talk about an ego trip!
I don't think Michael Moore could win anything but a French award.
we should just do a michael moore blackout. In essence a Moore shunning. He will not exist. Tell all the advertisers that if moore appears in a news story we change the channel.
He is a niche monger and that is all. A idiot who feeds the french image of fat stupid american.
I'm sure President Bush could care less about this boob, his lies and his "prizes".
Don't go there.
How long has it been since he saw his feet?
Is this the best that he can do? That is such old material.
Boy, isn't that the truth!
I don't think anyone on this planet needs dietary advice from you, Moore.
General Moore the great war strategist; the only thing you instill is projectile vomiting. Hope it hits its' mark.
Moore once ran a race with a pregnant woman and finished third. His stomach looks like a Joey Pouch and his ugly looking face rivals the picture logo for Boars Head Meats. My parents taught me never to wish sickness or disease on anyone but this time he's gone too far. I hope this guy's guts rot with the worst case of cancer known to man.
Well most of the judges weren't actually French, but from Hollywood and such. Not that there's a difference. They seem to like to pander to the French audience anyhow.
In Mikey's world shouldn't there be something wrong with that?
If they ever did a Heimlich on Mikey, an 8 pound canned ham would pop out.
Ummmm, I think that human blimp is the one who needs to watch his pretzel intake.
Feet? His penis disappeared in 1971.
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