July/August 2002

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

Taking On a Bothersome Group

Michael Moore, Stupid White Men. New York: HarperCollins, 2001

Many readers of Peacework will be surprised to find us reviewing a book that has been number one on the New York Times' bestseller list. Well, we have not taken leave of our senses. We simply discovered a book that made sense for us to review given its politics and its timely, humorous inspiration. Michael Moore--filmmaker, author of Downsize This, creator of TV Nation--is at it again. In his current righteous tome, Stupid White Men, he tackles a bothersome, extremely pesky group of ultraconservative characters that is the root cause of most of our pain and strife, both nationally and globally. As an African American woman, I was intrigued. I wondered if he, as a white male, could willingly recognize the not-so-hidden subtleties of white privilege, racism, and chauvinism and turn them on their heads. He does and makes you think too. He also delights in poking fun at the absurd condition we find ourselves in today.

The first chapter begins with Moore's dissection of the Presidential "election" of 2000. Thoroughly detailing events leading up to the Supreme Court's intervention, he takes to task Florida's Katherine Harris and her corporate friends who assisted her in the process. (She becomes, as does Condoleezza Rice, an "honorary stupid white man.") I learned more than I already knew about the election fiasco and while Moore was quite funny in his descriptions, it was rather depressing in the scope of the deception played on the American people. We were hoodwinked and bamboozled so easily and he pulls no punches in showing us how. He backs his opinions up with documented facts. Say what you want about his tirade, he is as passionately concerned about the loss of democracy as anyone on the left and about what happened in 2000 when arrogant people in power hijacked the political process.

"President" Bush is shown no mercy here. Throughout the book you will find that he is referred to as "Idiot-in-chief" or "the thief." Chapter Two goes into what Bush had done in his first few months as president. It isn't pretty. From cutting $39 million in funds to libraries to slashing $200 million towards workforce training programs, to the more sinister and inane opening up of our national monuments for foresting, oil and gas drilling. Moore refers to the state of our nation as being equal to that of a "banana republic," with a corrupted political process and economic, environmental and social policies which benefit none but the rich and powerful.

Moore's point of views on race are interesting. His views are similar to those of comedian George Carlin's, yet Moore is less harsh in his racial critique. In the chapter titled, "Kill Whitey," he hysterically warns the reader to be wary of white people in their "gang colors of Gap turquoise and J. Crew mauve" and creates an amusing and educational section of survival tips for white and black America. For instance, he advises black people seeking to avoid the 'driving while black' phenomenon to place in the front seat of their car, a life-size, inflatable white doll. Moore's rationale is that "the cops will think you're a chauffeur and leave you alone."

Consider this a small warning: Michael Moore's sense of humor may not appeal to everyone. He could get on some readers' nerves because at times, he seems a bit full of himself, a bit pretentious. Some readers may be suspicious at such frank commentary because, while he may be politically progressive, as a white male, he surely has benefited from the economic and social privileges that come with those designations. I beg of you to be patient. He is uncommonly refreshing and even when he sounds smug, he is sincere. He is no phony knee-jerk liberal. Michael Moore endeavors to grab readers by their minds and souls and entreats us all to become actively engaged in changing the present paradigm.

Influenced by the working class struggle in Flint, Michigan with the auto industry has given Michael Moore a personal perspective on labor relations that seems to have helped in broadening his ideology. He fashions himself as a kind of Joe Everyman, one voice among the voiceless, attempting to cross racial and class barriers in working class communities everywhere. It is in this spirit that he attacks the current state of the Democratic Party in the chapter titled, "Democrats DOA." He is particularly angry with the party that has claimed to be the "party of the people." Those progressive readers who feel guilty for voting for Ralph Nader should particularly enjoy this chapter. Moore defends Green Party candidate Ralph Nader against angry Democrats, who blame Nader for Gore's loss of the election. Moore refers to these angry liberals' beliefs as the "Baby Boom Code of Sell-Out Ethics." Blaming Nader for the outcome of the election in 2000 is, according to Moore, a weak attempt to cover up the fact that the Democrats long ago sacrificed working class people and values in exchange for corporate support. He further examines what happens when people compromise their values for power and shows how they have no one to blame for the party's woes but themselves. The best chapter in the book.

Stupid White Men sets out to inform, to anger, and to make readers laugh. He encourages all of us to speak truth to power. I am recommending this book because it is funny, thought-provoking, and intelligent. I believe that keeping and maintaining a sense of humor, even in the midst of the horrible things happening daily, keeps us all sane. I think humor helps us realize that society's institutions are quintessentially human and therefore, changeable.

--Frances Jarvis is a freelance writer who serves on the board of the Cambridge Peace Commission.

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