Townshend brands Moore 'a bully'

[Mr Grimsdale]

Townshend brands Moore 'a bully'
The Who's guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend has accused film-maker Michael Moore of being a "bully" in a letter posted on his website.
Moore had wanted to use Townshend's song Won't Get Fooled Again on the soundtrack to his anti-Iraq war film Fahrenheit 9/11.

After Townshend refused, the guitarist, 59, claims Moore accused him of being in favour of the war.

Townshend said he resented the comments made by the documentary maker.

"I have nothing against Michael Moore personally... but I greatly resent being bullied and slurred by him in interviews just because he didn't get what he wanted from me," said Townshend.

"It seems to me that this aspect of his nature is not unlike that of the powerful and wilful man at the centre of his new documentary.

"He says that I refused to allow him to use my song Won't Get Fooled Again in his latest film, because I support the war, and that at the last minute I recanted, but he turned me down.

"I have never hidden the fact that at the beginning of the war in Iraq I was a supporter. But now, like millions of others, I am less sure we did the right thing."


Film request

Townshend added that his publishers originally refused the request to use the song as film producers Miramax offered "well below" the usual rate for music used in a film.

But despite offers to increase the rate, Townshend said he refused to let the Oscar-winning director use the song, because he was "not convinced" by the director's previous film Bowling For Columbine.

Townshend added: "I wish him all the best with the movie, which I know is popular, and which I still haven't seen.

"But he'll have to work very, very hard to convince me that a man with a camera is going to change the world more effectively than a man with a guitar."

Moore was reported on music website MTV.com as suggesting that some of Townshend's anger stemmed from when Moore turned down a request to make a film about The Who.

[BigBadBrian]

Pete Townshend is an artist.

Michael Moore is a pig.

[BigBadBrian]

Also, the thought of MM's "movie" being a documentary is a joke. Save the documentarys for PBS and the History Channel. The only thing I'm spending my hard earned $$$$ on is entertainment. If MM wants to 'educate' us "stupid" Americans, he should offer to show his so-called documentary movie for free.

[FORD]

Funny that Pete Townshend will whore his songs out to car companies, pharmaceuticals, CBS cheesy cop shows or anyone else who waves a check in front of his large nose.

[Sgt Schultz]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
Pete Townshend is an artist.

Michael Moore is a pig.

I was going to post something similar but your post sums it up much better than I could have.

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by Mr Grimsdale
"But he'll have to work very, very hard to convince me that a man with a camera is going to change the world more effectively than a man with a guitar."

So he thinks child pornography songs are more effective than child porno films?

[Wayne L.]

Rock legend Pete Townshend of the Who has more balls & more brains than liberal left loony Michael Moore ever will have unlike the idiots who actually believe his documentary Fahrenheit 9/11!!!

[BigBadBrian]

Originally posted by FORD
Funny that Pete Townshend will whore his songs out to car companies, pharmaceuticals, CBS cheesy cop shows or anyone else who waves a check in front of his large nose.

Man, Capitalism is Grate!!!!

[Big Train]

Why is that funny Ford? The man has the right to license it to whomever he wishes. Obviously, Mr. Moore's work he didn't want to be associated with. Wait a minute, though, he licensed to CORPORATIONS. Ford, let me say it for you, PLLLLLEASSSSSSEE : PETE TOWNSEND IS A CARD CARRYING MEMBER OF THE BCE.......wow, that was easy to accuse....

The other thing is Moore's response. "He's just mad cause I wouldn't make a film about the Who". PLEASE..That is such a high school locker room statement "Dude, she is crazy. She is just mad cause she wanted to suck my cock, and I was like, no bitch, not now..." The arrogance in his statements gives him away. The man will only drive limos for chrissakes, which all "man on the street" do...

[FORD]

Pete Townshend has lost all credibility as an artist. As I said, not only has he whored out half the Who songbook to corporations, but he's still cashing in on the name and touring as "The Who" with half the band dead. When he started touring again before Entwistle's corpse was even cold, I lost any respect I had for the man. Talk about arrogance... there would be no Who without the Ox and Moon the Loon.

I never said he was a card carrying member of the BCE. Though he's probably qualified to be a Catholic priest by now.

[twonabomber]

Originally posted by FORD
Funny that Pete Townshend will whore his songs out to car companies, pharmaceuticals, CBS cheesy cop shows or anyone else who waves a check in front of his large nose.

also funny that Pete gets investigated for child porn...then writes and releases a song called Real Good Lookin' Boy.

[Rikk]

Originally posted by twonabomber
also funny that Pete gets investigated for child porn...then writes and releases a song called Real Good Lookin' Boy.

That's pretty fucking low. The guy was not only proved not guilty, but innocent. He didn't do it!! The police acknowledged that he is no pedophile and his actions (although wrong) were well-motivated. So leave that shit out. That's the same kind of stance Moore has taken, and it just clouds the issue and is useless mudslinging.

Look, I loved the new Moore movie. I thought he could have edited a few things a little more carefully, and spent too much time with the dead soldier's mother. But it was still excellent and a much-needed movie.

But as far as I'm concerned, Townshend not using the song should have been it. But instead, Moore arrogantly attacks the guy in the press for not letting him, THE Michael Moore, use the song. Give it up! It's up to Pete and nobody else...and it has nothing to do with whether the movie is right or not.

I think the war is disgusting. I think anyone who personally attacks a man (but conveniently avoids attacking his facts) for making a movie asking that we make our country more democratic and hold our leaders more accountable is an idiot. Seriously. Bush is a corrupt, lying, murdering fuck. Any idiot can see that. The evidence is all there. The media conspired with him to contrive a wartime situation. Wolf Blitzer wouldn't even admit on The Daily Show the other night that CNN fucked up. The media blames the government, the government blames the intelligence...and in the end, every one somehow escapes accountability when they're all accountable.

But Michael Moore has to take his own fat arrogance by attacking a man for not offering his song. It's disgusting, and it takes power away from Moore's worthy cause.

Townshend just wants to make music. I liked the new songs. And frankly, he is just not that consistent without Roger Daltrey as a mouthpiece. And if he wants to call it THE WHO, well, it's kinda weird. But what else are you going to call it?

[Mr Grimsdale]

Originally posted by Seshmeister
So he thinks child pornography songs are more effective than child porno films?

i wondered who'd be the first the bring that up

seriously though, he hardly gives a ringing endorsement of bush either

i believe the phrase is killing two birds with one stone

[BigBadBrian]

Originally posted by FORD
Pete Townshend has lost all credibility as an artist. As I said, not only has he whored out half the Who songbook to corporations, but he's still cashing in on the name and touring as "The Who" with half the band dead. When he started touring again before Entwistle's corpse was even cold, I lost any respect I had for the man. Talk about arrogance... there would be no Who without the Ox and Moon the Loon.

I never said he was a card carrying member of the BCE. Though he's probably qualified to be a Catholic priest by now.

You just don't like him anymore because he didn't whore himself out to your look alike donut eating filmmaking idol.

[Seshmeister]

Moore is by no means whiter than white.

Stupid WHite Men had a few interesting chapters at the start and then descended into a load of nonsense. His research is sloppy and he exagerates for effect weakening his arguments.

HE stood up at a lecture here last year and said that if there were more black guys on the 9-11 flights then they wouldn't have hit the towers because black guys would have done something about it.

He also has a 'corporate jet' and I've seen articles by middle of the road writers who say he is money obsessed.

What I will give him is that he is getting the debate out there in the open which really doesn't seem to have been happening properly in the US up until now.

Cheers!