Either Michael Moore movies aren’t that profitable for him, or he’s having a real identity crisis.
During a live made-for-cable-television town hall event on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” Tuesday, Moore discussed the plight of those hurt by the current economy. When asked by host Piers Morgan to admit that he was a part of the so-called “1 percent,” the enormously successful liberal filmmaker and author flatly denied it. The IRS reports that the top 1 percent of income-earners make a minimum of $343,927 in annual adjusted gross income.
MOORE: Isn’t that amazing? Really, I’m here talking against my own interests.
MORGAN: What’s the matter with you?
MOORE: What’s wrong with me?
MORGAN: You crazy man. He makes a good point. You’re in the 1 percent?
MOORE: I’m not in the 1 percent.
MORGAN: Probably 0.2 percent?
MOORE: No.
MORGAN: You’re one of the most successful filmmakers in the country.
MOORE: No, I’m not. For a documentary filmmaker, I’m doing well.
MORGAN: You’re splitting hairs.
MOORE: There’s a big difference between a documentary and “Avatar.”
MORGAN: There is.
MOORE: I’m not that. Let me just say –
MORGAN: There are people watching that say “Michael Moore, rich guy.”
Watch:
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Moore justified his position by saying he was only able to earn large amounts of money because it was profitable for large corporations.
“Well, I’m able to do what I want to do and I have the money to make my films in exactly the way I want to make them. I don’t answer to anyone,” Moore said.
“I can’t be bought because these people have spent $10 at the movie theater to buy tickets to my movies or $3 at the old Blockbuster, when there was a Blockbuster. And as a result of that I get to keep making these movies. But here’s the thing – because I’ve also – I’ve had a peek behind the curtain because these books I write, these movies I make are made for essentially large corporations. The only reason they allow this to happen is because I make them a lot of money.”
And with that explanation, Moore continued to insist he wasn’t among the 1 percent.
“Of course I’m not,” Moore said. “How can I be in the 1 percent? No, that’s not true. I do really well. I do well, but what’s the point, though?”