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Michael Moore’s ridiculous SiCKO was apparently not anti-American enough for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The political fashion plates at AMPAS let the porcine provocateur languish on the waiting list while awarding the best documentary Oscar to Taxi to the Dark Side:
[Moore’s] health-care study “Sicko” lost the documentary prize to “Taxi to the Dark Side,” a war-on-terror chronicle that centers on an innocent Afghan cab driver killed while in detention.
I haven’t seen—-or even heard of—-this “documentary.” But, considering the Academy’s well-documented taste for BS, I’m willing to bet it’s an exercise in mendacity. One doesn’t have to speculate, however, on the chutzpah of Oscar night producers. Kyle Smith explains:
Given that the most recent statistics show that approximately 97.4 percent of all documentaries present America as a scary place and of those 97.4, most are meant to present the troops in Iraq as overmatched at best and as abusive, sadistic criminals at worst, it’s pretty cheeky of the Oscars to have troops serving overseas present the Oscar for best documentary short subject.
Nonetheless, the defeat of Moore’s schlockumentary offers no small amount of schadenfreude. SiCKO is, like its director, an egregious fraud. It makes claims about Cuba, for example, that have been repeatedly debunked. He makes equally dishonest claims about the socialized systems of Britain and other countries.
So, in the end, SiCKO was just too dishonest and smarmy even for the fantasy mongers of Hollyweird.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I am a Canadian living in the USA. I have watched the documnetary “SICKO” and in my Canadian life of 44 years, can honestly say that the portrayal of the health care system in Canada was reasonably accurate. they Canadian system cannot go without criticizm. The system is flawed but it does provide quality health care for all. I have to say, If I were to be diagnosed with an life threatening illness while living here in the United States, I would go home to Canada for treatment. I know there my treatment would not be motivated by any drug companies and that my illness would be treated expeditiously and appropriately by doctors who weren’t in it for the financial reward.
Americans refuse to believe that any other country could actually be doing something better. This arrogance is so unfortunate.
This isn’t a film that was made for Hollywood. This is a film that shows the truth. As much as Americans want to refuse to see that their systems are flawed, the country and its citizens are reaching out in deperation for answers.
This election will be very interesting. I think for the first time in many years, Americans are afraid and humbled. The economy is in the tank, thier children are dying in a country they don’t understand and for reasons they don’t remember. They can’t afford to get sick and they are losing their homes.
What a mess.
February 26th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
David Catron, what evidence do you have to make those claims?
“I haven’t seen—-or even heard of—-this “documentary.” But, considering the Academy’s well-documented taste for BS, I’m willing to bet it’s an exercise in mendacity. One doesn’t have to speculate, however, on the chutzpah of Oscar night producers”
So if you haven’t seen or heard of this documentary, what makes you claim that it’s BS or an exercise in mendacity?
What kind of work do you do? Are you in health care? In health policy? Are you a practicing physician? If so, I’m sure you can enlighten us all with some facts to back up your claims.
March 7th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
I hope you have seen Sicko. Like the man from Canada says, we are simply apalled when someone can do something better than we are doing it. Better that is, if you are not making a killing in healthcare. I can see very well why the Insurance and Drug Companies like it, they are making a killing. Answer the main question, why does this group think spending 17% of GDP, some 2.2 trillion dollars last year according to Mike Leavitt HHS Sec. under Bush, for coverage of 80 to 85% of the people, when most other countries only spend 11% or less and insure or cover, everyone?? That is the main question isn’t it? Why are we spending so much, and getting so little, and why do you people seem to think that is a good thing? Unless you are involved somehow in the making all that money, I don’t get it.