Michael Moore’s new target

October 11, 2005

Love him or hate him, filmmaker Michael Moore seems to have a knack for making conservatives nervous, angry, and usually both. Moore hasn’t been in the spotlight very much of late, but as it turns out, it’s because he’s found a new target and is already working on his next project.

Any information about a new Michael Moore film inevitably gets the juices flowing and tongues wagging. This time around, months before he was to begin shooting his new film — about Americas’ ailing health care industry and provisionally entitled “Sicko” — a gaggle of pharmaceutical companies launched a pre-emptive strike against him and the film.

At least six of America’s largest pharmaceutical firms sent memos to their workers warning them to be on the lookout for “a scruffy guy in a baseball cap” who asks too many questions, the Guardian reported.

“We ran a story in our online newspaper saying Moore is embarking on a documentary — and if you see a scruffy guy in a baseball cap, you’ll know who it is” Stephen Lederer, a spokesman for Pfizer Global Research and Development, told the Los Angeles Times.

“Moore’s past work has been marked by negativity, so we can only assume it won’t be a fair and balanced portrayal,” said Rachel Bloom, executive director of corporate communications the Delaware-based firm, AstraZeneca. “His movies resemble docudramas more than documentaries.”

If recent history is any guide, Pfizer and AstraZeneca probably have reason to be concerned. If Moore is going to do a film lambasting corporate health care interests, it’s a safe bet Big Pharm isn’t going to be cast in the role of “hero.” But writing memos warning employees to be on the lookout for “a scruffy guy in a baseball cap” is probably unwise — the memo will inevitably end up in the movie.

Besides, acting terrified only makes matters worse for the industry.

[A]t a press conference during the film festival Moore was asked about the health care industry’s concern about his upcoming film. Bemused as he often is by his attackers, Moore pointed out that, strangely enough, the HMOs already seemed to be “totally discombobulated” even though he hadn’t yet shot a single frame.

I hope Moore really smacks the industry around. I’m already looking forward to the “watch this drive” line.

  • Definitely a “love him” person. I love how he uses shame as a tool to accomplish things for people. He’s got a big mouth and is always on the side of the regular people. I can forgive him that Nader business, even. He’s spent the last month down in the Gulf Coast, organizing relief efforts where FEMA hasn’t gotten to.

  • I’ve been waiting for this Pharma film. But it’s interesting, looking back over the past several years and assessing Michael Moore’s impact. Much as they’d hate to admit it, I think he’s had about as big an impact on conservatives as on everyone else. If his film spends enough time on the Pharma/Congress links and it comes out next year, it could really affect the elections.

    “Big Pharm”. Hmmm. I wonder if we could change that to Pig Pharm. Or is that too insulting to pigs?

  • While “Big Pharma” will take it lumps, Moore will bombard the HMO’s and health insurance industry, as well as all of the corporations that make political contributions to maintain the awful status quo of expensive and restricted health care in America.

  • Yeah if there helping me so much then why are they worried about a scruffy guy asking to many questions?

  • I love this man.

    He’s the quintessential American Capitalist Democrat. He is first and foremost a showman, and Americans want to be entertained, so Moore knows how to be successful. Moore understands that in a way that Noam Chomsky will never “get”. Moore understands that power is gained in America only through money and success, and he has figured out how to make money and be successful.

    The right-wingers hate him so viciously for the same reason they hated Clinton: he beats them at their own game. Clinton out-Reagan’ed Reagan, and the wingnuts are still hopping, spitting mad about that. And Moore has out-Limbaugh’ed Limbaugh, he’s out-Coulter’ed Coulter, in fact, he beats any right-wing showboater by a country mile. He’s a populist that would have fit in really well with the farm-progressives of 100 years ago.

    We need more Michael Moore’s, Bill Clinton’s, and other media-savvy Democrats who know how to work the system. And how to speak plain English to ordinary working people, because, at least in their upbringing, they *are* ordinary working people– who just happen to be very, very smart.

  • I would bet that the Big Pharma thing is all a dodge so he can investigate some other industry on the QT.

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