Michael Moore -- The Really Big Winner of 2004

This just in.

I really wish a lot of people would drop the concept that Michael Moore is the chief reason for the loss of the election and is, by extension, one of the 'Big Losers' of 2004. Nothing could be further from the truth. Moore is one of the biggest winners of 2004 and I am sure he'd have it no other way.

Look at it this way: Playing to the obvious hates of the Democrats: Big Corporations, Outsourcing, Guns, George Bush, and Pets Sold As Meat has been a cornucopia for Moore that just keeps getting bigger. So big, in fact, that Moore has, in the last year alone, gone from being your average millionaire to a man of real wealth.

The grosses tell the story. Here's the estimate of revenues and costs of 911 from Box Office Mojo

World Boxoffice Gross: $218,000,000
Budget and Marketing Costs: $21,000,000

Say that half the gross comes back to you and you are looking at a net profit to be split between Moore and his partners of around $88,000,000. If Moore pockets even half of that, and his split is probably more, he takes in $44,000,000. Assuming he pays the standard 'Heinz-Kerry' tax rate of 12%, he nets something north of $38,000,000. And that's before we even start into record shattering rentals and DVD sales of 911:

Moore's eagerly anticipated video of Fahrenheit 9/11 turned 1.36 million copies and earned more than $4.7 million on DVD alone in its first week.
-- Box Office Mojo

Oh yes, let's not forget the sales from all his previous films, the book deals, and the speaking fees of $30 to $50K that he's racking up from wounded associations and colleges around the country.

On top of that, you have the lionizing awards from the French and the Oscar from the "Academy." Put it all together and you have one fat and happy winner who is, first and foremost, looking forward to continuing this streak now that he has helped keep the Democrats out of power.

After all, if they had won, Moore's streak would have been severely curtailed. It was in his interest to do everything he could to make sure this would not happen. We can't blame him if the Democrats helped him along.

All in all, a brilliant performance by a genius at manipulation. I'm sure that every morning, Moore looks deep into his mirror and says, "I'd like to thank all the little people for four more years! Oh, yes, and not forgetting those stupid white men, John, John, Teddy and Jimmy."

Posted by Vanderleun at November 13, 2004 08:12 PM | TrackBack