Michael Moore, oration, and anti-intellectuality in the University

Last night, I had the opportunity to hear Michael Moore speak to the university community at IUP. I have not seen Fahrenheit 9/11, nor have I seen its counter, Fahrenhype 9/11. I try to understand what is said, and see through possibly errant logic. The majority of people at the event on the other hand, seemed to agree wholeheartedly with the words of Moore on his "Slacker Uprising Tour".

Bush bashing flowed like water out of a fire hose, and every time, most people stood up and clapped loudly, seemingly expressing their pleasure. My mind traveled to religious revivals where after every statement, hallelujahs and amens are on the lips of followers. I then wondered if it was at all similar to Nazi rallies where anyone in opposition was quickly mocked and cursed. The sad part as I continued to imagine similar situations, is that I imagine that the Republican and Democratic National Conventions were probably no different. Dissent quickly shared from the speaker, who then harnesses the congregations attention and applause with sarcasm and bitterness toward the opposing party.

The feeling that scared me last night was the ethos of anger that rested like a mist over almost all in the building. People were yelling at each other because of disagreements and perceived lies or misappropriations. The chant of "WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!" chimed out as Moore thrust his fist in the air in defiance to Bush's decisions.

Some of Moore's questions are very legitimate. Why do we care more about countries with oil than we do about those without? Why do we quickly look over Iran to Iraq? Why did we leave Afghanistan so quickly? Where are the weapons of mass destruction? All these questions deserve to be answered.

Now, for a bit of reason. One common response to the conservatives shouting from the corners in support of Bush was: "If you support the war, here is a draft form. Go fight it!" To say that if one supports George W. Bush, one supports all of his policies is ludicrous. If this were the case, moderates (who make up most of America) could vote for no one. I did not support the war, but I do not support abortion either. I am left with no candidate. I support Bush in his pro-life position, but support Kerry in his position against the war. A vote for Bush would not mean that I suddenly have changed my mind and am pro-war, pro-outsourcing, and pro-free market enterprise. Nor does a vote for Kerry mean that I am suddenly pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and pro-big government in all areas of life. What Moore's statement does is further polarize an issue and makes any response seem feeble. The sad part is, the argument is flawed.

Another statement frequently made: "Hold Bush accountable to his actions: VOTE HIM OUT!" (capitals added for the emotional emphasis in Moore's voice). This seems fine and dandy, but it is the only option he gives. What if instead, states rallied together and gave the Senate a majority of Democrats, which would make Bush moderate his stances on any issue he actually wanted to pass? This is not an option to Moore, but may be to moderate America. Unfortunately moderate America has a hard time finding a voice in our culture due to our love of controversy.

Possibly my last and most appalling reflection on the evening was the following: A local bar was having a boycott of Moore by giving free drafts for unused tickets, and was the starting point for a march to the Fieldhouse where Moore was speaking for protest. During his speech, Moore, prodded by students, called the bar and asked if the Moore protest was still going. After finding it was done, he said, "That's too bad, because I really hate that Motherf*&$#% !" This caused the crowd to go wild once again with more ardor than ever.

I have seen this type of reaction before, and it was to Ben Folds, one of my favorite musicians, playing at Penn State a few years ago. Ben Folds being brilliantly satirical, dropped the F-bomb once, and got the loudest applause of the evening. He then continued to egg on the audience by saying it over and over, which warranted more and more applause. I think he was doing this to show the audience how dumb they really are. "LETS GET EXCITED ABOUT THE F-BOMB!" Idiocy.

Overall this is a sad commentary on the university. Granted, these students do not represent students everywhere, but the point is, why do people get so excited when someone curses in a speech, as if it is something they have never heard. It make a crowd easy to manipulate, and they seem to really care about the fact that a speaker is willing to "rebel" and curse. If you are going applaud something, applaud well thought out argument, peaceful speech, and bridge builders. Students want to hold onto something, yet they don't realize what they show themselves to be. The university needs to find itself as a place that fosters understanding and critical, peaceful discussion, where we try to dig out truth under the piles of dirt that have been cast on us by fully subjective information claiming to be objective.

-DEW