Bradbury:"Michael Moore is an asshole!"

[Touchdown]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/06/21/bradbury.fahrenheit.ap/index.html

"LOS ANGELES,
California (AP) -- Ray
Bradbury is demanding
an apology from
filmmaker Michael
Moore for lifting the title
from his classic
science-fiction novel
"Fahrenheit 451" without
permission and wants
the new documentary
"Fahrenheit 9/11" to be
renamed.

"He didn't ask my
permission," Bradbury, 83,
told The Associated Press
on Friday. "That's not his
novel, that's not his title,
so he shouldn't have done
it."

Now, check out WorldNutDaily's take on it. AP's wasn't filled with enough salacious verbiage for them...

"Judging by an interview with the author
conducted by the Swedish daily Dagens
Nyheter, Bradbury is steamed.

"Michael Moore is a screwed a--hole,
that is what I think about that case,"
Bradbury said according to an English
translation of the story. "He stole my
title and changed the numbers without
ever asking me for permission."

Continued the author: " is a
horrible human being - horrible human!"

When asked if he
agrees with
Moore's political
positions, Bradbury
replied, "That has
nothing to do with
it. He copied my
title; that is what
happened. That
has nothing to do
with my political
opinions."

Such a "fair and balanced" website they have.:eyes:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38776

EDIT: Knocked out 5th paragraph, and linked to WND, per forum rules.

[Warpy]

1. I guess Bradbury hasn't checked the sales figures

on his nearly forgotten novel. Since Moore's movie has been coming out, those figures have gone up. It's in the top 100 at Amazon.

Ungrateful old fart.

[liberalmike27]

45. Can't agree More

I never read much until the last ten years, with the exception of newspapers and the occasional sports magazine. But of late, as I've aged I've become a voracious reader. I read mostly political books, among them I've tried to read some of the classics, those I've heard about over the years like 1984, Future Shock, Animal Farm, and Brave New World. When I heard about Moore's movie, I rented the movie based on Bradbury's book, Fahrenheit 451. Maybe it didn't translate well to the movie screen, but it was a "terrible" movie. But the underlying concept of censure, was understandable and right. In effect Bradbury agrees with Moore, that information should be out. While the movie isn't strictly about this concept, it certainly is filled with information that has been virtually ignored by the media, thus is censured. As far as the movie, it was all I could do to not turn it off, I've never seen such silly trash.

But you are right, his book and movie sales were increased by Moore using the "word" Fahrenheit in his title, and rather than muck-raking the old-bastard should be grateful.

[LuminousX]

60. Celsius 488 - Satire

http://www.deadbrain.com/entertainment/article_2004_06_24_1030.php

[Shakespeare]

64. "nearly forgotten novel"???

Yeah, so forgotten that they're doing a new film adaptation with Frank Darabount directing.

:eyes:

Go right ahead and be pissed at the old fart's comments, but don't defy reality by suggesting F451 is somehow forgotten...

[robbedvoter]

75. Great. I promise to start a boycott. Based on his right wing agenda.

[Shakespeare]

76. "right wing agenda?" Oh good lord...

You do whatever floats your boat. But to suggest Bradbury has a "rightwing agenda" is pretty fucking ridiculous.

[Ganja Ninja]

2. I think Bradbury needs a nap.

as if he owns the rights to the name/word Fahrenheit. Nobody is going to confuse his book with this movie and his book isn't putting anyone in the theaters.

[Eloriel]

80. I think he needs to research copyright law

His title isn't sacrosanct. Titles can't be copyrighted. And I rather doubt he bothered to Trademark it (if that can even be done). He's got no leg to stand on. But I'm sure Moore appreciates the publicity.

[truthspeaker]

3. Is he still alive? When's the last time he published a novel?

[SheepyMcSheepster]

4. what i find a bit funny, is Bradbury also "barrowed" names from others

in Fahrenheit 451 two of the characters names are barrowed:

quote:

Faber: Faber is the name of a pencil manufacturing company. Bradbury also chuckles about this in his afterword. In many ways, Faber, the instructing professor, is like a pencil, writing on Montag’s notepad. On a metaphorical level, Faber symbolizes the tool (as his name implies) of learning.

Montag: It’s interesting to note that the name Montag is actually the name of a paper manufacturing company. In many ways, Montag is a blank slate who picks up bits of knowledge from Clarisse, Faber, and finally Granger. Bradbury chuckles about this “coincidence” in his afterword to Fahrenheit 451.

http://www.novelguide.com/fahrenheit451/metaphoranalysis.html


but i guess it is ok for him to use names without permission because he is special?

this is like the 5th time i have seen this same story

[opihimoimoi]

70. Anything to satisfy the ATTENTION WHORE

The Lunaresque EGO threatens with excessive pressure risking an explosion of sorts. Spittle is flying and smoke from the ears pours out confirming the danger pressure point has been reached.

Check out his gauges. The man is over the Top.

5. Can't copywrite titles anyway

and Bradbury knows that I'd be willing to bet money.

[AP]

6. This guy is making way too much about a title...which isn't even copy-

rightable!

[MrBenchley]

7. Wonder what Shakespeare would have to say

about Bradbury swiping "Something Wicked This Way Comes"?

Or Whitman about Bradbury swiping "I Sing The Body Electric."

[jobycom]

16. Very good points. He lifted several Poe quotes for Pillar of Fire, too.

Good points, Mr. B.

[bkcc]

8. I can't really fault Bradbury.

He's pissed Moore stole his title...and that's all he's bitching about.

He could easily attack Moore's political views as well, but he's staying on point. It's an artistic issue.

[QC]

23. Well, I can certainly fault him.

What Moore did here is something that authors do all the time: make allusions to other texts. In fact, even Bradbury has done it--he did not create the title "I sing the body electric." That was Walt Whitman. Did Bradbury "steal" that from Whitman? Did T.S. Eliot steal all those references to Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" that we find in "Prufrock"? Did the Coen brothers steal the plot of "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" from Homer?

What we have here is a has-been egotist in his twilight years grasping desperately at whatever publicity he can get.

[zbdent]

34. You know what's going to be funny?

A few weeks after M.Moore's video comes out on DVD, it will be to the Right (pun intended) of Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451", and at least one person will rent it by accident.

I guess that he'll bitch about the royalty check coming in.

[wtmusic]

36. Nonsense

He stole the temperature of burning paper. Petty, and about as insignificant as Bradbury's career.

[bkcc]

42. "as insignificant as Bradbury's career"??

Bradbury is one of the most accomplished Science Fiction writers of all time.

If you don't agree with his stance on the movie, that's fine. But if you're going to attack him at least know what the hell you're talking about.

[wtmusic]

51. Yeah, yeah, yeah

I mean now. He hasn't written anything of worth in years. :eyes:

[bkcc]

56. And neither have The Beatles.

I guess that makes them "insignificant" as well.

:eyes:

[wtmusic]

71. Wow you're right

Bradbury was a very good author--so he gets to own the word Fahrenheit forever!! :eyes: :eyes:

[bkcc]

81. This argument is so stupid at this point.

Please read some of my other posts in this topic.
I'm not saying the guy should own the rights to the word.

See you on the boards.
Bye.

[Touchdown]

50. Whoa there! Bradbury has had a brilliant career.

He's right up there with Azimov, Heinlein, Clarke and some would say Orwell. I'd put his work right below Wells and Verne in the annals of SF writing.

This little tantrum he's having has nothing to do with his talent as a great SF author.

[onecitizen]

46. IT ISN'T HIS TITLE!!!

Does he think "Fahrenheit" ought not be used by anybody but him? This is the same argument that O'Reilly had with with Al Franken. Let him take it to court. He will lose.

[liberalmike27]

49. Bkcc

Moore didn't steal his title. He used a word that Bradbury used in his title. You will find hundreds of millions, perhaps billions of incidences of people using the same word in titles.

The guy should be grateful, he's selling more books now, he's getting the movie rented and purchased, and some old-man attention that he's not likely gotten in a while. He's the classic "Grumpy Old Man."

[bkcc]

55. Gotcha.

I understand that completely. My point has been that I understand WHY Bradbury could be pissed. It's a PERCEIVED slight by Moore that is causing the whole brouhaha.

What I'm absolutely floored by is how many DUers have just decided that Bradbury is an awful person for being pissed in the first place. It's sad to watch the herd mentality as people pile on the guy for speaking his mind. And keep in mind that Bradbury hasn't spoken out about the politics of the film at all (at least from what we're seeing in the news)...just that he's pissed someone used his title.

And YES, I understand that Moore didn't steal the title...just used a variation of it. It's an artistic thing.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

59. "The Grumpy Old Man and the Sea"

Shouldn't somebody be suing somebody else?

[wurzel]

78. Why do these writers think they own the language?

I can understand concern about plagiarism which is really about the stealing of ideas. But writers still don't own the language in which those ideas were expressed. Did Bradbury coin the word "Asshole"? or did he borrow it? This has all gone overboard.

[Vickers]

9. Hey Ray, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit called...

..he said fuck you, asshole, and wants an apology from YOU for using HIS temperature scale for such a POS two-bit rag novel, mmmm-kay?

:eyes:

Dickhead.

[tom_paine]

10. Here's yer apologies Bradbury. FUCK YOU!

I cannot believe I ever used to like him.

I saw him on an interview once talking utter bullshit so disconnected from the insightful brilliance of Fahrenheit 451 that I must conclue he destroyed his brain with drugs in the 60s or has Alzheimer's.

[jobycom]

11. Well, he probably is an asshole, but...

Bradbury is raising a fuss over nothing. No copyrights were violated, no financial harm was caused, no intellectual property was stolen. If anything, Moore's use of his title in parody is flattery. It proves how powerful Bradbury's novel was, that its title can be used in incomplete parody to evoke a certain image that Bradbury tried to create in his own book.

Why didn't Moore ask permission, though? Are Bradbury's politics different than his? Was there a bit of a snub factor? It seems just good manners to ask first, or at least to return Bradbury's call.

[Bertha Venation]

12. Ray Bradbury patented the word "Fahrenheit?"

News to me.

[GiovanniC]

13. You Can't Copyright a Title

Plus, it's not like Moore called the movie "Fahrenheit 451". He called it "Fahrenheit 9/11". Does Bradbury think he owns the word "fahrenheit"? If so, maybe he could start by going after our local weatherman -- he says that word all the time, and it's not like he's ever right anyway, so no big loss.

But maybe Bradbury should start by asking Bill O'Reilly and Fox News about attacking people because you think you own words in the English language.

[Heddi]

21. heh. Read my reply below---we're on the same wavelength

dig your sig as well

[TWiley]

54. It is a republican thing

they always bristle with aggressive stupidity

[Lex]

14. He stole the title and changed the numbers?

1. It's not your title if the numbers have been changed.

2. Your title isn't copyrightable anyway.

3. Cheer up, your book is flying off the shelves dude.

[GumboYaYa]

15. Something wicked this way comes?

Bradbury is a hypocritical asshole.

[qb]

17. ftbc: Bradbury's senile.

What a moron. He should hire a publicist to screen what he says before something this idiotic gets out.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Heddi]

19. Does Ray Bradbury have legal right to copyright the word

"Fahrenheit"?

He doesn't.

Should the weather channel get permission from Bradbury any time they want to use the word "fahrenheit" when giving weather forecasts?

My employee number at work is 0451. Do I have to get Ray Bradbury's permission before I type in my employee ID? Or refer to myself by that number? Or use that number on internal documents?

You cannot copyright a book title, etc. That is why parodies are allowed.

[Comicstripper]

69. Copyright on 'Fahrenheit'?

No, he doesn't. From a legal perspective, titles cannot be copyrighted. Someone could probably write a book and call it "The Shining." They'd catch a lot of flack, but from what I've heard titles can't be copyrighted; intellectual copyright applies to ideas/characters only, not words.

[redqueen]

24. Unbelievable

How many posts in this very thread illustrate that Mr. A-Hole Bradbury himself lifted from Shakespeare and Poe.

And I don't know if you noticed or not, but porn production companies rip titles ALL THE FREAKIN TIME. Have you noticed any other people feigning mock outrage at such a stupid transgression? Geee, now I wonder why THAT is!

:eyes:

[GiovanniC]

39. No Kidding

"Backside to the Future"
"On Golden Blonde"
"Edward Penishands"
"Pulp Friction"
"Forrest Hump"
"American Booty"
"Titty Titty Bang Bang"
"The Sexorcist"
"Hi Infidelity"
"Honey, I Blew Everybody"

Not that I would know...

[Heddi]

41. my favourite porn-flick rip off name:

Edward Penishands

:)

[GiovanniC]

43. And Look...

It made my top 10! We must be on the same wavelength.

[Heddi]

65. Ah! I didn't even see it on your top-10

I saw you had Forrest Hump....which can NOT be as .... er.. ASStounding as Forrest Rump :evilgrin:

[bullimiami]

53. edward what????

LO freaking L. literally

i immediately had to go do a search for it.

There is edward penishands 2 and 3 "the next generation"...


that is funny as can be.

[Touchdown]

48. That's all you got?

What about...

Hannah does her Sisters
Good Will Humping
Silence of the Gams
Indiana Joan and the Temple of Poon
Blackdraft
I Dream of Weenie
Jur' ass in the Park
Shaving Ryan's Privates
I Know who You Blew Last Summer
Top Buns
The Good, The Bad, and the Horny
Riding Miss Daisy
...the list goes on...LOL!

[Vickers]

26. Actually, Moore is a big porn afficionado

:eyes:

[GiovanniC]

30. Like It Or Not

There's not a damn thing he could do about it.

Someone could make a porn flick called "Dude, Where's My Stupid White Men?" and there's nothing Moore could do about it.

[Generic Other]

37. You can't stop another author from making a literary allusion!

Who the fuck does Bradbury think he is? Bush? Oh yeah, maybe the Bush administration thinks they can stop others from referring to their works and deeds, but Bradbury is an asshole who will lose those few fans he still has with this tactic.

The truth is this has nothing to do with Moore's choice of title, it has to do with the fact that Bradbury hopes to cash in on his stupid book by letting Mel Gibson "interpret" it. I for one will NOT watch or read anything put out by this duo of literary hacks.

For Bradbury to whine about the use of a literary allusion in Moore's work takes the cake. Fuck you Bradbury. We will be watching Moore's film when your memory is a distant speck of space debris. Moore took risks like Bradbury's character Montag. He didn't take the position of the book burners like Bradbury has.

Some sci-fi writer. Take the side of the forces of evil and expect sci-fi fans to flock to you?

Farenheit Zero.

I will no longer teach Bradbury's book in my classes, since I would obviously distort Bradbury's pro-fascist message.

[Nikki Stone 1]

84. Farenheight 911 is both a literary allusion and an homage

According to Moore on David Letterman last week, the title Farenheight 911 comes from the title of an email sent by a fan. It's actually a great compliment to Ray Bradbury that his book has become so much a part of the national psyche--not to mention so many high school curricula--that someone immediately alluded to it describing events almost half a century later.

I actually think the allusion is entirely appropriate. While no one is actively burning books, corporations ARE actively shaping the information we get. We live in an era in which getting "real" news or "relevant" interpretations of facts is quite difficult unless you know where to look. The bulk of the population, like that in Farenheight 451, is watching interactive TV instead of reading. (In the book, all four walls of a house were video/TV screens and the viewer could affect certain programs by interacting with them.)

The general idea behind the book is that everyone was being entertained and no one was thinking, except a small group who preserved books. This is entirely appropriate to a country ignoring their government while watching "American Idol" and "The Bachelor".

[Downtown Hound]

20. Fuck Bradbury!

I love his books but he's always seemed like a cranky old shit whenever I've seen him on TV in person. Writers borrow from each other all of the time in terms of titles and in the names of characters and so forth. Bradbury just needs to get the bug out of his ass. If anything, he should be flattered that his book has made such a powerful impact that it is now being paid homage to.

And one more thing, for Bradbury to write a novel about censorship and then not mention anything at all about the politics behind Moore's new movie kind of indicates to me that he cares more about his own ego than the actual issues behind what he wrote his book about. That makes me have a lot less respect for him as a writer.

[Moderator]

22. Hi Touchdown

Per message board rules, please post no more than four paragraphs and a link to copyrighted material.

[Raskolnik]

25. What would Walt Whitman say about "Sing the Body Electric" ?

When reached for comment, Walt Whitman said he didn't necessarily disagree with Mr. Bradbury's message, but was instead upset that "He copied my title; that is what happened."

Mr. Whitman then proceeded to call Mr. Bradbury a "self-important douche...without any sense of irony whatsoever."

[WFF]

82. Good point

I wish someone would bring this up with Bradbury.

[indigobusiness]

27. Bradbury was an asshole long before Moore was even born

...so it seems a tad hypocritical, don't you think?

At least Moore has a sense of humor...it is a play on words after all.

You can't copyright titles anyway. If I were Moore I'd change the

title to Fahrenheit 511....just to watch Bradbury go fully apoplectic.

[The Sushi Bandit]

28. OLD NEWS!!!

Get over it Ray!

[HootieMcBoob]

29. HootieMcBoob:"Ray Bradbury is an asshole!"

:thumbsup:

[terrya]

31. Is Bradbury still on about that? Does he own the word "Fahrenheit"?

No? Then maybe he should just shut the fuck up about it.

[Tyler Durden]

32. Ray Bradbury is a mindless, senile OLD rePuke bastard.

Proof positive that we aren't evolved enough yet to extend the lifespan of humans.

Get real excited, Ray. With the FEC getting ready to halt F-911 ads as electioneering, Mike Moore can probably use the puplicity, and your foaming at the mouth stroke would also be fun to watch.

[LoZoccolo]

33. Go to Amazon and check out the sales rank on /Farenheit 451/.

Then tell me that would've happened without this movie.

[gauguin57]

35. Aw, let the old guy bitch.

He wrote a great book, which generations can use as a cautionary tale (god, and don't we ever need those kinds of cautionary tales now). And his book provided the perfect, catchy title for Moore's movie.

So let him bitch if he wants. Record ticket sales aren't going to be affected by Ray Bradbury's public pique.

[sendero]

40. Isn't it ironic..

... that he's basically defending an administration that has come closer to realizing the nightmare scenario of F451?

The irony seems to be lost on him. It must suck to get old.

[bkcc]

44. It's not ironic, because he's not defending *.

He's just pissed about the title. Read the article.

He's a cranky old man. And he's pissed about a perceived slight by Moore. Period.

Everybody needs to chill out and let it go.

[dansolo]

58. Unless he's looking for royalties

How can it be viewed as a slight? The allusion in the title, considering the subject matter of Bradbury's book, is more of a complement. I get the sense that either he disagrees with Moore's politics, or it is some sort of ego thing. On top of that, Moore's movie has probably introduced a lot of new people to read Bradbury's book.

[robbedvoter]

74. He is defending *. Google your "hero" He is against First amendment.

He was always a wingnut. His book was...about Russia. Only damn liberals can censor books. W is the edumacation preznit, he may even edumacate ten coloreds (Bradburry's views).
Sorry. I was disappointed too. But it's not about art. It's politics.
And if they remake his movie, I'll be leading a boycott.

[name not needed]

38. Give it up, Ray

You don't have copyrights on the word "farenheit". If you did, that would be a different story. However, you don't. Go take a nap, spend time with your family, then shut up. There's enough crotchety old men babbling on as is. We don't need more.

[Cat Atomic]

47. Bradbury is a fantastic writer. Personally, I think he's helping

Moore get more press exposure.

I mean really, he can't possibly be concerned that Moore's film will eclipse his classic. That's like Shakespeare complaining that the porn movie "Blow me, O Juliet" would overshadow Romeo and Juliet.

No offense to Michael Moore- I love his work.

[Geo55]

52. Bradbury is just a cranky old fool now

don't know what happened in that old man's brain....rant on Ray

[cureautismnow]

57. Did Bradbury Ask G.B. Fahrenheit's Family for Permission?

It seems that he owes the descendents of Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit an apology for stealing their patriarch's name for the title of Bradbury's work.

Perhaps, Daniel himself will call Mr. Bradbury a few German expletives to his face in the near afterlife future for RB's larcenious, thoughtless, and disrespectful act. :spank:

[rniel]

61. Ray Bradbury is an Asshole

and I demand an apology from him.

Can we copywright words now? If so I want to reserve the word "and" and anyone using it will be sued by me from now on.

[Redleg]

62. Big f@ckin' deal, Bradbury. "Moore stole my title!" Meow meow meow!

What a wuss.

[Quahog]

63. Quahog: "Ray Bradbury is a has-been!"

Ray should be grateful, maybe somebody will buy a copy of his book because of publicity by association.

[Book Lover]

66. It is really a great shame

that one who had been so great has fallen so. I cried at the end of "Dandelion Wine" because of its beauty, but that was over 20 years ago now. I have kept up with Mr. Bradbury's work, but his quality truly has fallen away. Now this tantrum. Did something happen to the idea of a dignified elder while I wasn't looking?

[Shakespeare]

67. A few things (and this is why I'm inclined to shrug off his comments)

In the past few years, he's been recovering from a major stroke.

Within the past six months, both his beloved wife and his brother have passed away.

Competing interests are playing nasty get-even games with the rights to adapt more of his stories, and Bradbury is frequently caught in the middle.

The man has not had an easy time of things lately, and he's in his mid-80s now.

Bradbury has given us a lot of great stories--and for that I'll be forever thankful. His rants against Moore--which are the byproduct of a bruised ego--won't harm Moore's film or our cause, so let him rant. I'll still read his books, and I'll still go see him at book signings (which are becoming fewer and farther between).

Ann Coulter he ain't. You don't have to agree with him on this, but some of the attacks on him I've read here have really been despicable.

[Book Lover]

68. Thank you for the info

I did not know about his wife and brother, though I did know about the stroke. In my book, grief excuses much.

[bkcc]

79. Thank you for the level-headed response.

It's been increasingly frustrating to read the vicious anti-Bradbury posts throughout the course of the day.

Just because the guy is mad at Moore doesn't suddenly make him into Hitler.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

72. Bradbury sucks. L Ron Hubbard was much more accomplished.

Elron invented a cult that made him millions and even after his death thousands of dickheads worship him to this day.

[robbedvoter]

73. Old story recycled over and over. Not enough dumb freepers?

[genius]

77. Good word to describe Bradbury. Bradbury really is one.

I've met him. He's a complete egotist.

[Still_Loves_John]

83. I don't think Bradbury is attempting to make a legal case

It's more of an etiquette thing. He would have liked Moore to at least ask for his blessing or something.

On a different note, Ray Bradbury is an accomplished author and I think the vitrol some of you are showing him is disgusting. It's fine to disagree with him, but that doesn't automatically make him a right wing hack. Have some respect.