King Moore in Germany / König Moore in Deutschland

(English translation at end of post)

Michael Moore besucht Deutschland... Korrektur: König Michael Moore läßt sich dazu herab, das deutsche Publikum und die deutschen Medien PERSÖNLICH über die Untaten von George Bush und die Dummheit der Amerikaner zu belehren. Michael Moore ist tatsächlich König in Deutschland - König der Bestsellerlisten. "Stupid White Men" verkaufte sich hier 1,3 Millionen mal, weit mehr als in den USA. Von seinem neuen Buch "Volle Deckung Mr. Bush" ist bereits eine erste Auflage von 200 000 gedruckt.

Für 12 Euro pro Person dürfen seine Fans ihm zuhören (rund 3000 waren es in Berlin zum Beginn seiner Deutschland-Österreich-Tour, die ihn noch nach Hamburg, Köln, Augsburg, München und Wien führt), und in den Medien liest sich das so:

"Er hat verdammt viele Witze gemacht, den ganzen Nachmittag über. Es ist ja auch zum Totlachen. Dass die Amerikaner so dermaßen blöd sind. So was von blöd. Ignorant. 85 Prozent der 18- bis 25-Jährigen finden den Irak nicht auf der Landkarte! Wäre das nicht eine gute UN-Resolution? Bevor George W. Bush ein Land bombardieren darf, müssen seine Landsleute erst mal einen Test machen. Und wenn sie nicht wissen, wo sich dieses Land befindet, müssen sie sich selbst bombardieren. Wäre das nicht was?

Michael Moore spricht jetzt in tiefer Lage, überzeugt, aber dumm, er parodiert den Durchschnittsami, es ist lustig, er kann das wirklich gut."

Wenn Moore über seine amerikanischen Landsleute irgend etwas Gutes zu sagen weiß, dann ist es ihre Unschuld - ihre Regierung verblödet sie:

"It's our national policy to keep the people stupid."

Moore nutzt seinen Auftritt auch dazu, den Begriff des Terrorismus umzudeuten:

"An die Grenzen des Erlaubten rüttelt der mitunter auch singende und tänzelnde Polemik-Bär, wenn er vom 11. September 2001 sagt, dass dort eine militärische Aktion stattgefunden habe. Und auch, wenn er die Wall Street als den eigentlichen Hort des Terrorismus bezeichnet."

""Nine eleven was not a terrorist attack, it was a military attack."

Seine Hauptbotschaft:

"Dieser Krieg ist falsch! Bush ist falsch!".

Henryk M. Broder faßt im SPIEGEL die Essenz seines Deutschland-Besuches zusammen:

"Er ist ein Abzocker, ein Konjunkturritter, nicht besser und nicht schlechter als Billy Graham und andere Wanderprediger. Seine Fans aber sind Gläubige, die 12 Euro ausgeben, um an einem Feldgottesdienst teilnehmen zu dürfen. Moore ist ein kluger Amerikaner, stupid white men sind die anderen."

Moore erntet in Deutschland, was unsere Medien an anti-amerikanischen Vorurteilen gesät haben. "Bush" ist in Deutschland zu einem Synonym für grenzenlosen, weltweiten Machtanspruch eines Landes geworden, das von dummen, gewaltorientierten Menschen bewohnt wird. In diesem Vorurteil spiegelt sich die Naivität unserer eigenen Medien-Kultur.

English translation

King Moore in Germany

Michael Moore is visiting Germany ... Correction: King Michael Moore is stooping down to PERSONALLY educate his German audience and the German media on the misdeeds of George Bush and the stupidity of Americans. Michael Moore really is king in Germany - king of the bestsellers. "Stupid White Men" sold 1.3 million copies here, many more than in the USA. His new book "Dude, Where's My Country" in German "Volle Deckung Mr. Bush" has already been printed in its first edition 200,000 times.

His fans are allowed to listen to him for 12 Euro per person (around 3,000 were there in Berlin for the beginning of his Germany-Austria tour that will continue in Hamburg, Cologne, Augsburg, Munich and Vienna), and in the media it reads like this:

"He made a damn lot of jokes, all afternoon. One could have died of laughter. The Americans are so stupid. Completely idiotic. Ignorant. 85% of 18 to 25 year olds can't even find Iraq on the map! Wouldn't that be a good UN resolution? Before George Bush can bomb a country, his countrymen need to first take a test. And if they don't know where the country is, they have to bomb themselves. Wouldn't that be something?

Michael Moore is now speaking in a low position, convinced and stupid, he parodies the average American, its funny, and he is really good at it."

If Michael Moore does know how to say something good about his people it is about their innocence - he makes fun of their government:

"It's our national policy to keep people stupid."

Moore also uses his appearance to redefine terrorism:

"The singing and dancing polemic bear rattles the boundaries of what is allowed when he says a military action took place on 11 September 2001. He also pushes the limits when he calls Wall Street the real terrorist haven."

"Nine eleven was not a terrorist attack, it was a military attack.

His main message:

"This war is wrong, Bush is wrong!"

Henryk M. Broder summarizes the essence of his Germany visit in SPIEGEL:

"He's a money-grubber, a business man, not any better and not worse than Billy Graham and other televangelists. His fans are true believers willing to spend 12 Euros to take part in a stadium mass. Moore is a smart American and the others are stupid white men."

Moore is reaping in Germany what our media has sewn in the way of anti-American stereotypes. "Bush" has become a synonym in Germany for the limitless, world-wide claim to power of a land inhabited by stupid, violence-oriented people. In this stereotype is reflected the naivety of our own media culture.

Translation by Ray D..

Comments

In gewisser Hinsicht schon lustig, aber wie viele deutsche 18-25 Jährige würden den Irak auf einer Weltkarte finden? In anbetracht dessen was sich heutzutage Erdkundeunterricht nennt, habe ich da meine Zweifel...

[Gabi]

Ich weiß nicht, ob es lustig ist, wenn viele Deutsche Spaß daran haben, daß Amerikaner angeblich dumm und ungebildet sind. Es wirft ja das Licht zurück auf denjenigen, der das glaubt. Und wie sicher leben wir mit so viel Dummheit in Deutschland? Ich fand schon das Sommertheater nicht mehr lustig, als Schröder nicht nach Italien fuhr. Witze machen und lachen in positiver Weise, wenn es das wäre, aber hinter diesem Lachen steckt so viel Häme, Spott, Verachtung, da ist gar kein Bezug mehr zu Fröhlichkeit. Die Menschen werden dadurch gegeneinander aufgehetzt. Was an Schimpfe über Italien (und umgekehrt) zu lesen war, fand ich erschreckend. Und die jetzige Gleichsetzung von Bush, Blair, Sharom und Saddam als Kriegsverbrecher zeigt die Geisteshaltung dieser Menschen. Die Medien tragen hier große Verantwortung. Diese Geisteshaltung haben offenbar selbst viele Journalisten. Das ist das Gefährliche.

[J.P. M]

What's to say about micheal moore! He's doing more damage to german-american relations than a 50 kilo-ton nuclear bomb could ever hope to achieve! And he's not even an elected offical.

I would have never had guessed a film director could possibly add more mind-boggling myth to reality, than he could ever hope to achieve in his film! Thanks to micheal moore my german grand parent is spinning in her grave!

[Germans smart, Amis dumm]

I'm not so sure if people from a country where 88% don't know what a Scud missile is should be making fun of other peoples' knowledge.

[J.P.M.]

While i refuse to be baited. My comments were not an attack on germany.

I don't put my trust in public polls. And honestly have never heard any town in america being concerned to the point of making scuds missles the prority topic of the century.

It's fine and dandy if you think my country is full of idiots, however i'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt!

[Erik Eisel]

I keep hearing about how Michael Moore is so funny. I don't get it. I'm still waiting to hear him say something remotely funny.

If I want funny, I'd rather spend 8 dollars on a Mike Myers movie than watch Bowling for Columbine.

By the way, I saw Bowling for Columbine. Please, someone tell me where I can find one funny scene in that movie.

Ambushing an old man, like Charlton Heston, who's suffering from Alzheimer's, was that supposed to be funny?

Otto is funny. Beppo Brehm was funny, but Michael Moore?

[One funny scene]

One scene I did find funny in BFC was the series of images leading up to Bush (or Ashcroft) announcing a "blanket alert". This was well done, I thought.

[J.P.M.]

Please pardon me, seeing that i haven't seen BFC.
But what was bush or (ashcroft) doing in BFC.
Seeing that bush didn't get into office until janurary of 2000'. Maybe i am just nitpicking but micheal moore won an academy award For the documenterary BFC. Columbine massacre occured in april of 99'.

While i'm not going to go into the politics of left or right, it is not relevant to the real issue. Which is that the massacre had taken place at all. Why would any sensible person use that movie to prove a political point.

The guy has a fundamental right to voice his opinions in this country. He can protest against the government all he wants. I don't deny him of that. But the thing that has got me upset, is that in using a community's suffering, just so he can twist it into his version of reality to prove a political point is not very deserving of an oscar in my book.

Tragedies, dramas, and human interests are a normal part of life, and the morals & ethics some use to further their own ends is disgusting. In essence, if you don't like it then turn it off. That is one reason why i don't bother to watch t.v. or go to the movies these days. Hollywood is way too politicized these days to be entertaining.

And hollywood celebrities are not my spokespersons. That is, unless of course, they are qualified or the people are just fed up with the way things are going and are elected to national office in a general election!

[The funny scene in BFC]

So here's the scene I thought was funny (this is all voice over, with images from local news from somewhere:)

Remember all the Y2K scares...or the Africanized bees?
Remember when someone hid a razor in an apple for Halloween?
Kids were no longer to go trick or treating in a stranger’s home.
A fox darted out of the woods and attacked his riding mower.
A warning about a popular weight-loss supplement; what you don’t know may kill you.
An escalator can mangle you or a loved one.
Keep a low profile.
One in five Americans suffers some sort of mental disorder; The Surgeon General pleads with people to seek help now.

and the last scene is Ashcroft saying

The Justice Department did issue a blanket alert... it was in recognition of a general threat we received.
Given the attitude of the evildoers, it may not be.

Well, that's funny. For me at least. Reminds me of the SNL episode where Seinfeld announces: "The president was assassinated today. The president of what? --- we'll tell you at the end of the hour."

If that means what Moore thinks it means I don't know.