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LifestreamMini review: Bowling for Columbine (2002)
I finally got a chance to see it. Wow, I’m speechless and quite frankly don’t know where to begin. If you’re familiar with Michael Moore you will probably have seen some kind of angle on this stuff before, but this time the perspective is a bit wider and I’d like to think of this as a more complete and accurate image of todays America. Still, Michael has got so much to say that 120min is barely enough time.
As a social psychologist I am of course very familiar with both the Columbine incident AND the effect that guns in general have on our psyche. The fear arousing effects that media can have is also clear to me, but still all of this comes as a shock. I suppose it is the response to seeing and thinking about it all at once and not in little pieces as you are used to.
So, people keep saying that the movie presents a subjective truth. But that claim is in itself subjective and comes from people who do not agree with Michael Moore (obviously). From my point of view and with my knowledge of psychology and international affairs and history, the movie is surprisingly accurate. I mean, sure, the guy uses quirky metaphores and a somewhat corny, sarcastic sense of humour - but that doesn’t make the conclusions any less real and frightening. I am sure opponents see this as the work of a single man .. when they in reality are up against the entire scientific community in this field (behavioral sciences). I am quick enough to interpret this as a struggle between ignorance and knowledge, between experts and the people, between faith and fact.
Your home is your castle, right? And sure enough people think they can barricade themselves, install burglar alarms, put three locks on the door and get a gun (or preferably a couple of them together with enough ammo to last a Schwarzenegger movie).
The theme of the movie isn’t just guns however. It’s FEAR. And this is clear when Michael compares the situation in Canada. Despite the large number of guns there, the murder rate is no way near that of the US. Even if guns do kill, they are not the triggering factor. So, what is?
There are no simple answers of course but a couple of hints are given in the movie. One is the social problems in America today. Despite how bad parents try, society (= the government) keeps them them from fulfilling the needs of their children. And it ISN’T in fact violent fiction that produces a society like this, but rather a violent reality. Or should I say a portrayed reality. Media is largely responsible for the current situation by drumming up fear and anxiety. The movie raises the issues of y2k panic, killer bees, shark attacks and god knows what. Last but not least there is the issue of racial prejudice and the well known fact that the media is very selective when it comes to crime. It all builds on the “fact” that all assailants of violent crime are African-American males around 18-25 years of age. And since it makes good news, no one questions practise. Journalism isn’t about covering the truth any more but rather about what sells.
The question is of course if anyone is pulling the strings or if they “just” do it out of the greed for hot news. In either case modern media is certainly a cancer that feeds off and damages its host (society).
“After 9/11 social problems took a back seat to fear”, I couldn’t have put it better myself. And as we watch street scenes from 9/11, Michael goes on to ask if anyone would want these people, scared out of their wits as they are, to have weapons and ammo around.
All in all a total sociological blast. I just love when he asks the guy from Lockheed-Martin what the difference is between the killings at Columbine and the weapons of mass destruction that they help manufacture. He tries to discriminate between events and says that the US doesn’t just drop bombs on people because they are mad at them. Haha. Yeah right. Michael of course takes advantage of this blooper and then cuts to a series of clips from not so successful interventions during the last 50 year. From the Shah of Iran to the “Afghan sand box”.
I felt that this was so important that I made a series of VidCaps that I have uploaded and included in a separate page. US Foreign affairs over the last 50 year. How to not just bomb people because you are mad at them. Or why Columbine is SOOOO VERY different from what the US government does every day. Can anyone say “hypocrisy”?
Put simply. Michael points out two main reasons for the situation in America today: One is the fear induced by media (they keep crying wolf and it works every time!). The second reason is the government which sets a bad example when solving conflicts by carpet bombing. There is a general aggressive tone in their message that will influence people in a bad way. Kind of like how the death penalty is proposed to give the exact opposite effect that it was meant to.
The “gun culture” (the possible third reason) is a problem of course because it gives a false sense of security but it is not the cause of the problem.
GO WATCH THIS MOVIE IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY! And check out Michaelmoore.com!
1953: Mossadeq
1953: Shah instated
1954: Arbenz
1963: Diem killed
63-75: SE Asia
1973: Chile coup
1973: Allende killed
1973: Pinochet instated
1977: El Salvador
1981: Nicoragua Contras
1980’s: Afghanistan 1
1980’s: Afghanistan 2
1982: Saddam
1983: Ayatollah
1989: Noriega 1
1989: Noriega 2
1990: Kuwait
1991: Iraq war
1991: Kuwait
1998: Sudan 1
1998: Sudan 2
1991: Iraq
1991 - : 500K
2000-2001: Taliban
2001: WTC 9/11
