After Sicko --- What's next?

My husband and I went to see Sicko the other night. It was an unbelievably powerful movie. In fact I have to agree with the BlueCross V.P. who wrote in a (leaked) confidential memo that made its way to Michael Moore via an employee at Capital Blue Cross:

"You would have to be dead to be unaffected by Moore's movie," he writes. "Sicko" leaves audiences feeling "ashamed to be...a capitalist, and part of a 'me' society instead of a 'we' society."

This movie hits its mark. It’s a true “Bulls-eye”. Now with that said, I must make a confession. I was never a Michael Moore fan. I didn’t dislike him personally, but I always felt he did more harm than good to the cause about which he had set out to rectify. And I questioned whether he was really getting the result he had hoped for or scoring one for the Gipper (so to speak).

I realize now that much of that “damage” I was seeing was the result of the powerful “Slime and Demean” machine that the Right would set into motion with an amazingly perfected coordination each time Michael Moore would release a movie. And with a lot of shame, I must admit, it affected my opinion of Mr. Moore’s work.

But what makes this latest movie so very powerful, and so very very scary to the Right, is that it is a lot less political in the sense that it is about a subject that affects everyone equally, not just Democrats, not just Republicans, not just Independents, not just the poor and uninsured, but everyone. And this is what is scaring the Republicans right on down to their JC Penny 3-pack skivvies. Not even low-key, soft-spoken, sweet little Wolfie Blitzer and Dr. Sanje Gupta are going to be able to put any sizable chinks in this movie’s armor. This movie is resonating with people.

After Sicko ended and my husband and I were walking out of the theater, I said to him, “I think I am going to write Michael Moore and ask him to consider making his next documentary about gay rights and the gay-demonization going on in so many Churches and in the Republican Party right now.” My husband replied, “Do it”.

I cannot think of a subject more suited to Michael Moore’s style than this one. No sermonizing, no lecturing, no fudging the facts. Just walk in to a church or a Republican Political gathering with a hidden camera and film. What would be more powerful than catching the bigotry and horror on film?

Well, I guess Michael Moore agrees with me. Look what I just read this morning:

Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore has revealed that he might take on homophobia and the anti-gay movement in his next documentary.

“I think it’s a very ripe subject for someone like me to make a movie about,” he admitted, in an interview with The Advocate. “Simply because we are not there yet and it remains one of the last open wounds on our soul that we are not willing to fix yet.”

Now I know (from looking at comments and reactions) that there are many who are genuinely worried about Michael Moore doing more harm than good to this cause. I respect that. I used to be one of those people, but I don’t think any more harm can come to this cause than has already been inflicted by the Churches and the Republican Party.

Would I be saying this if I had not seen Sicko? Maybe not. So if you are one of those who fears more harm than good can come from Michael Moore’s entering the fray, please go see Sicko and see if that changes your mind. And do let me know. I am genuinely curious to see what others think.