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20 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :- Still the truth today, 28 September 2002 Author: lawlibrarian from Kansas City
Mr. Moore has a wicked sense of humor. Only Mr. Moore could take tragic situations and expose them for what they are: absurd.I believe that we have no choice but to keep Mr. Moore on-the-job because his humor presents facts in a form that the ordinary guy can relate to and learn from. This guy is a damn fine teacher who has found a way to spread knowledge and entertain all at the same time. His parents did a fine job with this young man.
11 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :- Season 1: CLASSIC! Season 2: PAINFUL!, 27 February 2002 Author: John Langbein (medrjel) from Dixie, USA
When I saw the first season of "The Awful Truth", I became totally engrossed. I didn't always agree with Michael Moore, but I enjoyed his humor and the way he tried to help the little guy. The First episode is the greatest of all when he helps a guy get coverage for a life-saving transplant. It has some low moments, but for the most part it was great.The second season, quite simply, stinks. He became so caught up in trying to shock and thrill people, he seemed to spend more time attacking the wrong people in the companies. He goes from helping the little guy to hurting the very people he's trying to help. Just because they work in a company doesn't mean they know all. A receptionist won't know why the President of her company is not serving time in jail for his crimes. Also, while I admire him looking out for the little guy, you can't condone an illegal immigration just because their boss "retaliated". The boss should be punished, but does that mean their crime should be forgiven? There are usually good reasons for restricting immigration. If everyone was allowed in , the problems they were running from would probably just follow them here. Bad causes and dumb skits fill this season. I dumped my second season DVD after watching it, disappointed I wasted so much money. There were a couple good moments, but not enough to make it worth my while.Conservative or liberal, if you get the chance to watch the First season, do it! It's great. As for the second season, unless you are an extreme bleeding heart liberal, you will probably just be disgusted like I was.
7 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :- Hard to stomach?, 28 February 2002 Author: Dr.Teeth from Edmonton, AB
When I was about 15 years old or so, I happened to come across a show on television called "TV Nation." I was completely enthralled by every episode I saw before my local station decided not to continue carrying the show, no doubt in favor of such quality shows as "Friends" or "Touched By An Angel." I thought that "TV Nation" was the best thing to ever happen to television, and I went out and watched as much Michael Moore as I possibly could.So when the complete first season of "The Awful Truth" came out on video, I knew I had to watch every episode, probably more than twice. I was completely confident that Moore would once again delight and inform me as he did eight years ago.I quite enjoyed the first episode, how to run a Witch Hunt and the invitation to the funeral. I think my favorite episode so far is the Beat The Rich/Soddomobile one-two knockout. Moore has always been brilliant at staging stunts to shock and embarrass.But the more I watched the show, the more I noticed: that's all he does. He doesn't really try to change anything, bring any new information to light, or challenge anyone's viewpoints. His documentaries seem to serve as either efforts to upset industrial and capitalist giants or slaps on the back to people of like mindset. "Oh, I'm so glad we're middle class/Liberal/gay-positive, because upper class/Republican/fundamentalist people are so dumb!"Being a middle class gay-positive liberal, I enjoyed every single episode of "The Awful Truth"s first season. I just wish it had a little more bite and merit as opposed to being a series of mostly impotent guerilla attacks on people and ideas that deserve more focused attention.Many of the segments are difficult to watch, such as the voice-box choir or Moore's awkward conversation with Lucianne Goldberg, and that gives the show merit. If it was a comfortable show to watch all the time, it'd be a Liberal "60 Minutes." Moore gets to focus our attention on the bad points in America, and hints at the possibilities behind our cold impersonal modernity. At this he succeeds: the shock value of correspondents such as Crackers The Crime Fighting Chicken force eyes to focus on problems that everyone knows about but ignores whenever possible. I congratulate the man on a mostly successful effort and hope that he continues his crusade proudly and does not become a caricature of himself in later years. Rating: 8/10.
11 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :- The Truth is out there!, 1 October 2004 Author: Andy (film-critic) from Bookseller of the Blue Ridge
Talk to anyone and you will find a mixed bag of opinions on this radical filmmaker's work. Some will literally hate Michael Moore for expanding the truth and others will love him for uncovering it. No matter which you feel, we can all agree that Michael Moore has done one great thing … he has changed the face of documentary film-making. He has kicked down the door for the possibility of others to release their 'unfundable' projects that studios now see as moneymakers because of Moore's success. He has introduced documentaries back into the mainstream cinemas, and perhaps our world is ready for it. I get tired of watching cartoons on the screen, and cannot wait to get my hands around a juicy documentary whenever it is released.That is why when this series was released on DVD I immediately ran to buy it. Not only do you get some great Michael Moore moments, but also you get to see avenues of our society that we do not take a moment and look at. There is a lot of wrong in this world, and especially in America. Those that are not honest sometimes use to media to change their image and therefore giving us a false sense of security. Moore, in his short lived series, takes random ideas and sets them in motion. One of my favorites is the FICA for Congress sketches. I think I enjoyed it so much because it showed America's reaction to his idea. He was not alone in this battle, and we knew it.As I stated before, Moore is not for everyone. He is for the open-minded individual that is not afraid to ask the question 'why'. This was a beautiful series that has made me happy to see on DVD. For those that cannot stand his longer films, this would be the perfect venue to view his topics. I do want to say that no matter how you feel about his work, you must first see it before you criticize. Never judge a book by its cover, and never judge a wealthy politician. While we will think that life is best here in America, sometimes it takes a lone voice to point out the obvious. Michael Moore has accepted the challenge, and is forcing Americans to look up instead of burying our faces in our day to day activities. We have the power to change everything … let us do it!Overall, this series was nothing short than Moore's brilliance in small snippets. I think this series should be on everyone's DVD must-see list. Grade: ***** out of *****
14 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :- How many shows can claim to be life-saving and mean it?, 17 May 1999 Author: Kyle Milligan (toldyaso@planeteer.com) from Toronto, Canada
Michael Moore's short lived "TV Nation" gets a long awaited resurrection and make-over with "The Awful Truth" which demonstrates the true power and potential of television. Michael Moore is the documentarian behind "Roger And Me" and "The Big One" and author of "Downsize This".The show aired in Canada for the first time on Sunday, May 16, 1999 at 8:30 pm EST and has already proved it's worth in less than thirty minutes. It's also hilarious, and funnier than anything that could ever be scripted.Two segments were featured in this program, one dealing with mock Witch Hunts in Washington, but the more moving piece, focused on 34 year old Diabetic Chris Donahue, father of a 4 year old girl, whose health insurance company (or HMO if you prefer), Humana, rejected his claim for an operation for a pancreas transplant. Without the operation, he would surely die, and so Michael Moore came to his aid.First Chris went to Florida's Palm Beach Post to place his own obituary. Then Michael invited Humana to come help the ailing man choose a coffin for Chris. Then he invited them to Chris' funeral party, with Chris displaying his bright red custom made T-shirt that read "I signed with Humana and all I got was this lousy t-shirt, but no pancreas". Then they had a rehearsal funeral outside Humana's offices. Finally, in less than a week, the company cracked, accepted the claim, thereby saving the man's life, and revised their policies on all claims for pancreas transplants.With an incredibly moving moment to end the show on, the grateful Chris showed his appreciation from the studio audience with his family to a rousing standing ovation.Do yourself a favour, catch this show, have a laugh, and watch an important crusader do what he does best, make slimy corporations very nervous, and improving the world a bit at a time.
7 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :- A Great Show, 13 December 2000 Author: Mr. Pulse from Syracuse, NY
The just released "Complete First Season of The Awful Truth" a wonderful collection of mini-documentaries not unlike Michael Moore's earlier films "Roger and Me" and "The Big One" and his old show "TV Nation."Highlights include a man inviting his HMO to his funeral, and a bunch of caroling tracheotomy victims. Moore's very funny, very smart, and very willing to make jokes in bad tastes in order to make his point. And very often, he succeeds.This show is at once hysterical, shocking, and very important. A must watch for fans of Michael Moore and social activism.
3 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :- Secondary Corruption, 30 January 2006 Author: tom_75252 from United States
Yes, Micheal Moore was viewed as corrupt himself with his pseudo-documentary "Fahrenheit 911". So maybe he was having a bad year when he screwed up and fell into the same class of people who thought that the USA didn't really land on the moon.But prior to that, in his second season of "The Awful Truth", Mr. Moore got his talent in a deserving spotlight. I especially enjoyed seeing his victims shy away from the camera, like in the episode where he exposed the Public Defenders Office in Nevada for sending 900 people to prison without a trial. Yep, without a trial. You gotta watch it to see the crap that a bureaucracy can pull on an unsuspecting person with regard to their rights.I don't know why there was no season after his 2nd, but Moore did a good job at exposing corruption in his short-lived series "The Awful Truth".And yes he did put his foot in his mouth with "911", but we can forgive him for that, because he has grown used to the idea of corruption.
8 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :- Awesome show, 31 May 2004 Author: filmfreak-5 from Denmark
Being a newer Michael Moore fan I was only recently tuned in to this show. Danish television who usually shows all kinds of reality crap these days somehow steered clear of this show - kinda typical, as I said, they only show fullblown tastewaster shows anyway, so I guess it isn't very strange..Anyways, I totally enjoyed this. It's kind of a talkshow but not really. Michael Moore raving on in the same fashion as we know him from Bowling for Columbine, but about other issues - in short, taking a lot of society's fundamental problems and turned them around with a humours blink the eye....I know a lot of Americans dislike Moore, but being an European I can only say that Moore's way of looking at his fellow Americans is a lot like how we europeans see the united states. This not being said to be hypocritical (sure we have our own problems..) nor racist or however you wanna turn it, but with a president like W., who can blame us.. BUT - that's a totally other review to be given once Fahrenheist 9/11 is released here in Denmark in August ;-)8/10
6 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :- Republican WASP wants more Moore, 13 July 2005 Author: Dire_Straits from United States
Big-time Republican here. My friends all hate Moore. I like him.THE AWFUL TRUTH, while not a consistently funny show, does have lots of laughs. I admire Moore for his ballsy approach to people. You see plenty of it in this series.He makes his points (usually) and even though I don't agree with 90% of his tripe, I like the show.My favorite show was when he put a Fica plant in an election. That's typical of something Moore would do; his sarcasm is over-the-top and it usually works well. Sometimes, there is way too much of it - but I'll take the bad with the good.I'd like to watch another series like this by Moore. I hope he does another one day.
8 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :- about Michael Moore's series "The Awful Truth", 16 February 2004 Author: maeva (maeva808@yahoo.fr) from Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Michael Moore is definitely one of the best communicators in this country comparable to the Dalai Lama, though in a different genre. Or perhaps not so different, after all. Isn't what he shows us all about compassion, share, justice, fairness, solidarity, tolerance, awareness, etc? And with the same soft and amused smile?What strikes me most is his absence of belligerence and the sense of grotesque with which he can bring the most unjust, painful, violent or tragic issues to our consciousness. Including the consciousness of some of those responsible for thriving on people's misery.In a country where freedom of speech is apparently granted to all, it is surprising how few people seem to have anything to say. Thanks to Michael Moore for having the courage to use and make good use of such a precious liberty. And let's hope that there are going to be more Michael Moores in the future. Great work. Bravo!
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