Tammy Bruce
Wednesday, June 23, 2004

MPAA ratings are determined by a panel of parents, who in the instance of “Fahrenheit 9/11” found obscene language, piles of dead bodies, injured children and a beheading worthy of an “R” rating. Frankly, it sounds to me like it deserves an X. An R at least means no one under 17 years of age will be allowed into the film without a parent or guardian.

Story Continues Below

This is what so enraged Moore and his comrades at Lions Gate Films, the distributor of the film.

Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate, argued that the rating should be reduced to PG-13 because 15- and 16-year-olds should be free to see the film on their own because they could end up in military service in Iraq in the next few years. (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040622/ap_en_mo/film_fahrenheit_9_11_rating_2)

But he didn’t stop there. Here the obsession with getting to children becomes clear:

"I hope the R rating doesn't have a large impact on the box office," Ortenberg said. "I've spoken with many parents, including some on the appeals board, who absolutely said they are going to take their children to see the film. We'll just have to hope the teenagers we're encouraging to see this picture find their way in through parents or adult guardians."

While Ortenberg is being a bit subtle, his intent is clear. He makes this statement after declaring that 15- and 16- year olds should be able to see it, states they’re encouraging children to see it, and then adds, coyly, that kids should “find their way in.”

Still not convinced? Take it from Michael Moore, who would not know subtlety even if it came on a plate, commenting on the R rating in the same report:

“Moore urged younger teenagers to go see the film anyway. "I encourage all teenagers to come see my movie, by any means necessary. If you need me to sneak you in, let me know," he said.”

I was fascinated at the frenzy of these men to have access to children. This is in part because Leftists know, in order to control the future, they must get to your child’s mind without your interference.

I sent this note to my personal e-mail list and heard immediately from David Horowitz, president of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture and founder of Frontpagemagazine.com who, shed an even more frightening light on their agenda. David reminded me that a PG-13 rating also allows secondary school distribution for a film. Talk about unfettered access to a captive group of your children!

I’m sure they fantasized about thousands of DVDs being sent, at no cost of course, to high school history and civics teachers nationwide. This message would then have the legitimacy in your child’s eye of being presented in a school environment where they are to accept and “learn” whatever is thrown their way.

The agenda of Michael Moore and Tom Ortenberg is obvious. They know adults will and do see this film as propaganda, and will dismiss it accordingly. Children, on the other hand, do not have the critical thinking skills required to understand when they’re being taken for a ride by an angry and miserable man. And children must see it without that pesky parent who might actually put things in context or even provide a running editorial with the material.

That, my dear friends, they cannot have.

I wrote a letter to Mr. Ortenberg calling his attention to the shocking nature of what he was suggesting. I wrote in part:

The rating is there so parents can determine what their children see. Your encouragement is essentially suggesting that strangers, like you and Mr. Moore, have the right to go to people's homes and encourage children to ignore their parents and disobey them. Who are you to suggest this?

You have every right to release the film. How dare you, though, suggest that parents have lost the right to raise their children based on their values? Considering your attitude, I would think you don't have children, but think about the repercussions if a stranger approached children important to you and told them to ignore your instructions? Or if strangers walked into your office and suggested your staff follow their orders and not yours?

I think that's something you wouldn't appreciate. Please consider retracting that comment, and encourage children to respect what an "R" rating is for (whether you like it or not) and that respecting their parents wishes is of paramount importance.

If you don't agree with those two principles, I think that, too, would be fascinating to Americans. Please do the right thing.

During my tenure on the Left as a leader in NOW, I recognized how, in our zeal to promote our agenda, we became indecent. Here, too, you see the results of Groupthink and Malignant Narcissism jammed together. Not only do these people believe they have sole possession of the truth, they are so convinced they also think they know what’s best for your children. Your concerns, your values, your rejection of the propaganda of that film, the maliciousness, and the hate, is of no concern to them. They know what’s best and they are determined to access your children one way or the other.

And all this for a film which has been, amazingly, endorsed by the terrorist group Hezbollah! Unbelievable? Not quite. Melanie Morgan, one of the nation’s more important radio talk show hosts, has established www.moveamericaforward.org, a site which shows how to fight anti-Americanism here at home and abroad. She has compiled one of the more complete information bases about Moore’s agenda and the nature of his demagogic film, including background on the Moore’s Hezbollah support. I urge you visit her site.

Here’s a newsflash to Ortenberg and Moore — the American people may be silent a great deal of the time but they should not mistake that as us being empty vessels waiting to be told what to do by people of their ilk. We are tolerant, and care about freedom of expression, but that does not mean we will offer up our children to be guided by self-loathing malignant narcissists who, to say the least, do not have our, or anyone else’s best interest in mind.

It takes a lot for the American people to say enough is enough. Viacom and CBS provided one of those last straws with Janet Jackson and the Superbowl. Perhaps they should ask Mel Karmazin (who has since resigned from Viacom) what it’s like when we’ve had enough, what happens when the American people are underestimated by cultural gatekeepers who must think, well, we’re just a bunch of lemmings hoping for Michael Moore to lead us off his cliff.

Like the Super Bowl fiasco, Tom Ortenberg and his Lions Gate Films and Michael Moore should know we are awake, we are listening and we don’t like what we’re hearing. They can make and distribute whatever film they want, but going after children, and doing so blatantly and with complete disdain for parents in this nation, will wake up a giant they could never imagine. This is the least of the line we draw.

Would you like to remind Tom Ortenberg, Lions Gate Films and Michael Moore that you will be the determiner of you child’s values, not them? Here’s how you can, and remember, a message is heard only when presented with reason and logic, and respect. At the very least it will remind them what they lack.

Tom Ortenberg, the president of Lions Gate Entertainment can be e-mailed at tortenberg@lgecorp.com

The Lions Gate website is at: http://www.lionsgatefilms.com/index_flash.html

A variety of e-mail options for Michael Moore is at: http://www.michaelmoore.com/email/index.php

For more information please visit www.tammybruce.com

E-mail Tammy Bruce at heytammybruce@yahoo.com.

Receive news, actions and updates on important issues from Tammy Bruce. To subscribe, send an e-mail to: tammybruce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Please note:

Michael Moore Exposed in 'Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man' -- FREE Offer -- Click Here Now.