Michael Moore – an evangelist for truth

As great a documentary filmmaker as Moore is, he is just as great a marketer of himself and his brand.  You can't look sideways these days without being hit with a Michael Moore interview or news story. He's been on Larry King, the Colbert Report and Good Morning America. He's on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. He writes a regular newsletter, which is well written and wide-ranging. 

Moore understands the power of mass media and social media in promoting himself and massaging his brand. What other modern filmmaker generates more buzz than Michael Moore prior to releasing a new film? Certainly not Tarantino, Scorsese or the Coen brothers. For the past two weeks, Michael Moore has owned the airways.

Capitalism: A Love Story opens across North America next week, and I expect the subject matter will resonate with audiences of all ages. The movie examines the greed and corruption at the heart of the U.S. banking industry, in the aftermath of the collapse of Bear Stearns and other prominent financial institutions.

I don't think that Moore's marketing punch would be nearly as effective if he couldn't deliver the goods. But his films pack a heavy punch indeed. They ruthlessly examine subjects that many filmmakers are too timid or afraid to tackle: gun culture in the U.S. (Bowling for Columbine), the U.S. health care system (SiCKO), the Bush administration's response to 9/11 (Fahrenheit 9/11). 

Although I haven't seen the Capitalism: A Love Story yet (I intend to), it seems from the trailers that Moore is asking some tough questions with regard to the banking industry: Where is the accountability? Why aren't the individuals responsible for the collapse of the banks behind bars? Where did all the bailout money go? Indeed, the big banks seem to have pulled a fast one at the expense of American taxpayers. 

At a time in our culture when so many films are about pure entertainment, escapism and diversion, Michael Moore has the courage to tell us that the emperor is wearing no clothes. He's not afraid to pull back the curtain and reveal the inner workings of corporate and political America and to air its dirty secrets. 

With all of his TV appearances and media interviews, Michael Moore is flexing his marketing muscle for all the right reasons. If the message he's trying to convey seems tiresome or trite at times, or hopelessly naïve, think again: Truth is, we need more Michael Moores in this world. We need more filmmakers, writers, journalists and artists who aren't afraid to use their influence not for purposes of spin or amusement, but to challenge the status quo.