While Kelly and I were being amused by a charming Frisian couple at a German language meet-up, Peter was being accosted by a Michael Moore fanatic in Fry’s.
He’d gone to Fry’s to buy some memory, and on the way out, he and Neil were passing through the DVD section, and while browsing saw a Michael Moore movie. Peter took it as an example to teach Neil on the importance of critical thinking. After all even (sane) Michael Moore fans will admit Moore plays fast and loose with his editing, and often presents stuff out of context. It makes for an entertaining movie, but if you want to discuss gun control, socialized health care, or any other subject Moore’s touched upon you need to explore less biased discussions of the issue, or you will come across as an idiot to those in the know. If you still believe passionately, in say, socialized health care, the arguments against it won’t blow up your mind, and they almost certainly won’t change your point of view. But you will be able to talk about it far more intelligently than if you just follow the lines of Sicko.
So, anyway, Peter was telling Neil that Moore’s documentaries can be deceptive (without actually trashing Moore), when some guy just butted in. No “excuse me, I couldn’t help overhearing…” or “If you don’t mind, I’d like to point out…” He just pushed in and started ranting about how Peter needed to go to Michael Moore’s web site for The Truth. Peter was understandably taken aback, and pointed out that he was having a private conversation with his own son.
Worse yet, even after Peter pointed out to him that he was unwelcome in the conversation, the Michael Moore fanatic wouldn’t let it go, and kept up insisting that Peter needed to go to Moore’s website. I would guess that it’s a whole lot like Moore’s documentaries, and if we were ever curious, having strangers walk up to us telling us how important the web site is makes us want to go there even less. By the way, we don’t want to take your Scientology personality quiz, or read the latest issue of Watchtower either.
Peter had found a True Believer in Michael Moore, but unfortunately the True Believer would never understand how much he has in common with other religious zealots.