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Bashing burns Ken (Defends Michael Moore)
Toronto Sun ^ | July 9, 2004 | Bill Brioux

Posted on 07/09/2004 5:52:30 AM PDT by YourAdHere

Get off Michael Moore's back.

That was the message yesterday from fellow documentarian Ken Burns, fed up with right-wing carping against Moore's anti-Bush rant Fahrenheit 9/11. "Of course he's entitled to express his opinion --that's what this country is all about," says Burns, best known for epic documentaries The Civil War, Baseball and Jazz. "You're supposed to be able to stand up here and say, 'This guy is a schmuck.' "

Burns concedes that Moore has an agenda, but so what? "Whatever your argument about his methodology, this is a man with a deep, abiding sympathy for the working man," he says.

Burns was on the press tour promoting his upcoming PBS project Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise And Fall Of Jack Johnson. The unblinking portrait of the first African-American heavyweight champion -- who so dominated white opponents he inspired race riots in the early 20th century -- will air next January on PBS. Samuel L. Jackson, Billy Bob Thorton and Ed Harris provide narration for the film. Burns hopes to bring it to Toronto this September for the International Film Festival.

While he defends Moore's right to make the films he wants, Burns did take issue with his math. With a $70-million U.S. box office and counting, Moore claims Fahrenheit is already the most successful documentary of all time.

Burns figures that means roughly 7 to 10 million people have seen the film. "That's a good night for us on PBS," he says, arguing that, while his The Civil War never had a feature release, far more peole have seen it.

Burns told a story about meeting Moore two years ago at a film festival where they were joined by European filmmaker Werner Herzog. Herzog sized up all three documentarians this way: He was after the estatic truth, Burns went for emotional truth and Moore was after physical truth. "Just look how he puts his big belly right up on the screen," Herzog said of Moore.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: fahrenheit911; kenburns; michaelmoore
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To: The Scourge of Yazid

Jack Johnson is one of my heroes.Considering the time period it took a lot of ba**s to walk down the street with a white woman.And kick the s*** out of the moron who got in his face.He would dare whole crowds to try him. I'm sure Burns will ruin it.


41 posted on 07/09/2004 6:41:51 AM PDT by SirLurkedalot (God bless our Veterans!!! And God bless America!!!)
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To: zarf
I think Herzog got it right on this one.

Actung!

The Germans got it right?(!)

Vill vonders never cease?

42 posted on 07/09/2004 6:42:31 AM PDT by The Scourge of Yazid (Call me stupid. Call me lazy. Just don't call me a lightweight. Post #756 coming up folks!)
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To: Sunshine Sister

Thanks.Glad to be here.


43 posted on 07/09/2004 6:45:46 AM PDT by SirLurkedalot (God bless our Veterans!!! And God bless America!!!)
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To: SirLurkedalot
Don't forget.

He was also the only black Heavyweight champ before Joe Louis won the title and defended it with an unblemished record-with the exception of a singular defeat to Max Schmelling-until his first retirement from the "sweet science."

Yup.

Burns'll blow this one.

Big-time!

44 posted on 07/09/2004 6:46:00 AM PDT by The Scourge of Yazid (Call me stupid. Call me lazy. Just don't call me a lightweight. Post #756 coming up folks!)
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To: Dilbert56
He's laughing all the way to the hot dog stand...

Hee Hee!


45 posted on 07/09/2004 6:46:23 AM PDT by SquirrelKing ("I have to march because my mother could not have an abortion." - Maxine Waters (D - California)
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To: dirtboy
John Kerry - Hillary without the fat ankles and the FBI files..

You gotta admit, that is an improvement.

46 posted on 07/09/2004 6:47:40 AM PDT by murdoog
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To: The Scourge of Yazid

Shoot, I did forget that.


47 posted on 07/09/2004 6:47:57 AM PDT by SirLurkedalot (God bless our Veterans!!! And God bless America!!!)
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To: SquirrelKing
New thought.

We submit the name of Michael "Munch" for next year's annual "Nathan's, Coney Island Hot Dog-Eating Contest."

Kobayashi will be shaking in his socks!

48 posted on 07/09/2004 6:49:28 AM PDT by The Scourge of Yazid (Call me stupid. Call me lazy. Just don't call me a lightweight. Post #756 coming up folks!)
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To: SirLurkedalot
That's what I'm here for.

Schmelling?

Humbug!

And Hamburg.

49 posted on 07/09/2004 6:50:39 AM PDT by The Scourge of Yazid (Call me stupid. Call me lazy. Just don't call me a lightweight. Post #756 coming up folks!)
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To: The Scourge of Yazid
Kobayashi will be shaking in his socks!


I can't do it! He's...he's...a machine!

50 posted on 07/09/2004 7:06:43 AM PDT by SquirrelKing ("I have to march because my mother could not have an abortion." - Maxine Waters (D - California)
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To: SquirrelKing
That's an interesting point.

Something like the hot dog eating contest, i.e. an event that actually requires intensive training, focus and determination, would probably be beyond the reach of someone like Michael Moore.

Though, if the two ever had a sit-off, I think that Kobayashi would be in deep s***!

51 posted on 07/09/2004 7:16:45 AM PDT by The Scourge of Yazid (Call me stupid. Call me lazy. Just don't call me a lightweight. Post #756 coming up folks!)
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To: YourAdHere
"Of course he's entitled to express his opinion --that's what this country is all about," says Burns

The film would be less treasonous if it were just presented as "opinion"... but it's presented as a "documentary" and ignorant voters are buying the lies as outright fact.

52 posted on 07/09/2004 7:53:41 AM PDT by Tamzee (Flush the Johns before they flood the White House!)
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To: BuggyOwen
The Ken Burns method of film making:
1. Film a photograph

2. Have someone talk over it

3. Film a landscape

4. Use the same music over and over and over again.

5. Print and show on PBS

53 posted on 07/09/2004 8:00:04 AM PDT by Charles Martel ("Who put the Tribbles in the Quadrotriticale?")
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To: YourAdHere
Burns concedes that Moore has an agenda, but so what? "Whatever your argument about his methodology, this is a man with a deep, abiding sympathy for the working man," he says.

Michael Moore is a man with a deep abiding sympathy for Michael Moore, and no one else as far as I've been able to determine.

54 posted on 07/09/2004 8:04:20 AM PDT by SuziQ (Bush in 2004/Because we MUST!!)
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To: MplsSteve
I wish the media would stop calling Fahrenheit 911 a documentary. It's anything BUT a documentary.

Quite right, however it fits the definition of PROPAGANDA just perfectly!

55 posted on 07/09/2004 8:07:55 AM PDT by SuziQ (Bush in 2004/Because we MUST!!)
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To: YourAdHere
Burns: " "Whatever your argument about his methodology, this is a man with a deep, abiding sympathy for the working man,"

Yeah, until he visits a European country and calls those same Americans the "most stupid people on earth".

56 posted on 07/09/2004 8:09:33 AM PDT by two23
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To: YourAdHere

Who cares about Ken Burn's opinion is? This is the guy who manufactures history according to the acceptable version of truth funded by Foundations that support PBS! Burn's cut and paste TV docudrama history is nothing more or less than the historical fiction Hollywood manufactures.


57 posted on 07/09/2004 8:20:33 AM PDT by eleni121 (Mt. Rushmore welcomes the Gipper!)
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To: The Scourge of Yazid
...sit-off...

That, or an intense session of repetitive butt-scratching or first person mirror-ranting.

58 posted on 07/09/2004 8:27:42 AM PDT by SquirrelKing ("I have to march because my mother could not have an abortion." - Maxine Waters (D - California)
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To: SquirrelKing
All competitive sports where Moore comes from, i.e. Hollywood.
59 posted on 07/09/2004 8:34:01 AM PDT by The Scourge of Yazid (Call me stupid. Call me lazy. Just don't call me a lightweight. Post #756 coming up folks!)
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To: YourAdHere

Damn...I'm going to be sad throwing out my Civil War tapes. Oh well, buh bye. Ken Burns, you have been voted onto left wing island.


60 posted on 07/09/2004 8:35:58 AM PDT by Stag
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