I'm annoyed by the mainstream "Farenheight 9/11" reviews

[JackDragna]

..for one damned reason. They're all pretty much positive except for every single reviewer getting after the movie for being slanted or "one-sided." Even the general review at rottentomatoed.com refers to the movie being political. It's as if reviewers feel Moore should issue some kind of mea culpa, apologizing for arguing strongly for a particular viewpoint.

What irks me about such criticism is that those sorts of comments are always leveled against leftist creative endeavours and never rightist ones. When the right puts something out, be it a book or even some radio blowhard's screed, the right expects the left to take an even-handed, intellectual approach. They'll still expect us to disagree and will call us unpatriotic for disagreeing, but they have the general idea we'll disagree with the stuff on factual merit alone and not ideological merit. When the left does something, on the other hand, the right screams "bias!" and complains about why both sides aren't represented.

The idiocy of such comments, other than being logically fallacious in terms of the truth of the item in question, is that it comes from a position where the right automatically assumes its stances are correct. What it puts out isn't "biased" because they know they're right. They have no need to include leftist opinion in their material except as something to be discredited. We leftists, on the other hand, are supposed to always be fair. When we're not perceived as fair, the right brings out the "bias" sling and accuses us of being hypocrites.

I am tired of the accusations. I am tired of the whining about bias. Bias doesn't mean jack when it comes to determining who's right. I am heavily biased in favor of my own opinions about politics because I believe my opinions are backed by the best information available on particular subjects. Moore's film is biased because no accurate film about the aftermath of the terrorist attacks could portray Bush's actions in any kinder of a light. Sorry, righties, but your day to roast has come.

[Kimber Scott]

1. Michael Moore said the film was not fair.

On the Daily Show. He said, there are facts and then there are his opinions about the facts in the movie. It's his movie, his opinion. Nothing wrong with that. Remember a lot of people believe "The Passion" is biased as well. Mel Gibson is as entitled to his version of the truth as Moore is, or as Spike Lee is. It is their purpose to give you a glimpse of their truth. They are artists.

When all is said and done, the reality is relative. We will believe what we will believe.

[DeadHead67]

2. Even CBS . . . .

which I switched to after becoming sick of Tom Brokaw's skewed reporting, seemed to be looking for flaws. They did, however, show the 'Nero fiddles while Rome burns'/Bush makes a brief plea to other nations to fight terraism, then tees off', sequence.

[Democat]

3. That is a big problem with the left - wanting to be fair - look at Salon!

For some reason, those on the left often feel like they have to be "fair" to the right while the right never feels they have to be fair to the left.

Look at right wing websites then look at Salon. Salon usually has to try to balance their reporting (they have a positive and negative review of Moore's movie, they hire right wing columnists, etc.) where the right wing websites never try to balance anything.

The right wing websites are proud of their bias, the left often seems ashamed of their bias.

Michael Moore is someone on the left who is proud of his bias and the media doesn't know what to do about him, so they slam him for it.

[izzie]

4. I think it is just basic thinking of the two groups.

One side will say, it is true because I say it is true. The other side say it is true if you can give me proof it is true and until then I will think how I wish. Well hand those two groups a small problem and it will be a fight. Some trouble if it is just two people.

[Quahog]

8. I agree

Sometimes I find myself thinking that we on the left should be as single-minded, inflexible and blinkered as those on the right, that this would somehow level the playing field. Of course, this is a stupid notion. It is in the nature of our ideology to seek truth, to explore all of the facets of an issue, to relish nuance and to make up our own minds. It is the nature of the right to latch on to a text supplied by someone else and quote it endlessly without any serious consideration of its content.

We simply CAN NOT be like them in this regard. And I thank God for that!

[Cronus Protagonist]

5. 101 Dalmations is one-sided

I didn't see any scenes supporting Cruella deVille.

ANYBODY BUT BUSH

Click here for "ANYBODY BUT BUSH", and other fair and balanced yet stunning buttons, magnets and stickers

[KayLaw]

6. Local TV station

A reviewer just called it a propaganda film, then went on to say it. He also said there was really nothing new in it for people who have been paying attention.

[Junkdrawer]

7. Today's Pgh. Post Gazette: MOORE PROPOGANDA....

And they used the largest type I've ever see in the film review pages to say that.

I wonder if Pravda's book review of "The Gulag Archipelago" was any different....

[Junkdrawer]

9. Here's what I sent as a LTE...

Today, in headline type, you proclaimed "Moore Propaganda". You went on to say that the film only presents one side of the story.

Well, if Michael Moore had followed the standards of the Post-Gazette, he would have presented both sides of the story - Bush's side would have been one paragraph shown after the credits.

[trumad]

10. They had a beat reporter review the film in the Olando Sentinel

A Beat Reporter? Anyway, the guy starts off by comparing Moore to Rush Limbaugh and then goes on with the usual "facts are doubtful" routine. I read several reviews from Florida Papers and they all have that same statement...

OK... If the facts are doubtful, then tell us which doubtful facts you are referring too and refute them.

[Junkdrawer]

11. This is coordinated alright...

http://www.georgewbush.com/

Rove is trying to spin this a "Democrat's slinging mud"...

[Enraged_Ape]

13. Great LTTE

Short, to the point, with a nice rimshot at the end.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

12. NPR had a great review n/t