I was telling my boss, Robert Sloan (former Baylor president and
current president of HBU), about Michael Moore's new film
Capitalism: A Love Story. We briefly discussed an
interview of Moore by the Wall Street Journal yesterday
in which Moore asserted that the auto workers should own 100% of
the auto companies.
Sloan responded, "The interviewer should have asked Moore if the
crews on his films own the projects they work on for him."
That would be a nice question for the filmmaker, wouldn't
it?
"Mr. Moore, do you pay your workers a wage to perform their
functions or -- consistent with your philosophy -- do they own
the films you make along with you?"
I suspect we know the answer to that one. Michael Moore
probably places a premium on his own intellectual property,
creativity, and personal drive and thus maintains ownership of
the fruits of his own labor. He likely thinks his unique
work product and his unorthodox and risky career as a filmmaker
should benefit him personally and that he should own and control
his projects.
Why not believe that for all the other capitalists, Mr. Moore?
Reporters, we need the answer to this one, please. "Mr.
Moore, do your crews own your film projects or are they simply
paid a wage?"
I wonder how much the key grip made on Fahrenheit 9/11?
