Michael Moore’s Stupid White Men has made a very large impact on today's society. It has remained in the New York Times’ Nonfiction Bestseller List for weeks on end, even while attracting practically no media coverage. No media conglomerate would dare tackle this mildly controversial book, mainly labeled so because of its criticism of George W. Bush, in a time where it is unstylish to question our government’s actions. The book is now going into its thirty-fourth printing, after it was almost never released due to its subject matter and Mike’s reluctance to change anything in the book. He was asked by publishers to change about half the book after 9-11, but Mike knew his rights and would not back down. Due to such stubbornness, Moore’s book hit the shelves and has been met with great success.
One of the most profound topics covered here are those explaining connections between Enron and the Bush family, long before the Enron scandal and bankruptcy ever broke into the papers. It’s all there, from every Enron-sponsored Bush campaign stop to every Enron-controlled energy commission. It becomes glaringly obvious that Enron and Bush have been bed buddies from way back, and that this is only one of the ways corporations are controlling our government today. Mike also delves into the role of corporations in the school districts, as they flood children’s minds with advertising bunk masked to look like education. He also covers the manner in which the 2001 election was stolen by George W. Bush, and when exposed under Mike’s light, this also becomes obvious. Mainly focusing on Florida, Mike forces us to ask whether this could have happened in our own state, as he recalls how the Bush clan worked together in screwing over black voters in Florida (who overwhelmingly voted Al Gore), counting votes for Bush which never should have been counted (including 19 people who voted twice and 183 overseas ballots which were postmarked in the US), and then publicly climaxing with another Bush declaring his relative the winner on national television. These are only a few of the ways Bush unjustly stole the election in our very own, sacred “democracy”.
Conservatives were up in arms after this book hit the stores. They have attempted in many ways to silence the book (flooding Amazon.com with bad reviews, quieting the press, refusing to carry it in number or denying they carry it at all), but still it has sold fast as hotcakes. People may be realizing what kind of farce they are living in, and that the democracy they call their own may not be so democratic after all. Race relations are also covered, as well as gender relations, all in Mike’s own brand of biting sarcasm. Hopefully more people will catch on to his message, and Bush won’t rob us of another democratically elected leader. The Cannes Film Festival has recognized Michael’s new film “Bowling for Columbine”, one of the few documentaries even invited. It outlines American gun culture and the brutality of our country’s mindset, and has received excellent reviews.