Ray Bradbury Burns Michael Moore Over "Fahrenheit"

[Bhaisahab]

Michael Moore's anti-Bush documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 may have scored the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, but there's one person who isn't too thrilled with the picture: celebrated sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury, whose 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451 gave Moore the inspiration for his title in the first place.

"No. 1, he didn't ask (permission), and, No. 2, he took it -- period," Bradbury tells PEOPLE. " Even if he did ask, what he has done is a crime."

Speaking from his Los Angeles home Wednesday, the 83-year-old author said he never would have allowed Moore to use the name, " because it doesn't belong to him. It belongs to me. I have several new editions of the book coming out this summer. I have a new film version of Fahrenheit 451 with Mel Gibson starring, and it is going into production sometime in the next six months."
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NOTE: The article appeared in People@AOL, it seems. But the freepers have it here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1155616/posts
I am linking it to the freepers' site coz that'll give you some laughs too. i mean, their commentary! hee hee!

[Democat]

1. This has been posted before - Politically,Bradbury is an Ann Coulter clone

He wrote some great stories, many years ago, but when you hear him speak about politics, he says nothing but stupid right wing lies about Clinton and he worships GW Bush as if he was a god.

[stevebreeze]

2. Sorry Ray but you can't copyright titles.

There are some very funny letters from Groucho Marx on this from the Marx Brothers movie "A Night in Casablanca." The producers of Casablanca objected.

[QC]

3. A has been like Bradbury should be glad to get any publicity at all. n/t

[Doug Decker]

4. Does Bradbury own the word "fahrenheit"...

in all it's uses? Isn't satire immune from limitations of other medium?

Thanks.

[buycitgo]

7. hey, RAY! anything been happening to sales of your 451 book

recently?

huh?

want to check your mail for royalties?

most people thought you were DEAD

like your career

[beyurslf]

26. Thank you! When I saw this post, I thought...isn't he dead? How is he

objecting? :)

[NCLib23]

12. You saying F911 is satire?

[buycitgo]

13. ?

what I AM saying is that F9/11 is the BEST thing that's happened to Bradbury's moribund career in several decades

what a hack

I read him when I was a pre-teenager......after that, his stuff seemed, uh, lame?

[Democat]

15. Bradbury took the title for his book "Sing the Body Electric" from Whitman

What do you say about that, Bradbury defender?

[NCLib23]

16. Leap of faith

I believe F911 is a documentary, not satire. I was pointing that out.

Hey but at least you got to jump on somone's case about nothing...

[Democat]

18. Bradbury used a title for a title, Moore used a similar title, hypocrisy?

Bradbury didn't even change the Whitman title he used for a book title, Moore only used a similar title, not the same one as Bradbury.

Don't you agree that Bradbury's hypocrisy is undeniable in light of the fact that he stole someone else's title exactly and yet he's complaining about Moore using a similar title?

[NCLib23]

19. I DON'T CARE!!!!

I DON'T CARE ABOUT BRADBURY!!!

Where did you get the impression I was defending him?

I was right, admit it and move on.

[Democat]

24. Not defending him?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1809960#1810207

:)

[NCLib23]

25. Where did I defend him

Edited to include: that post was after I was accused of defending him, nice try though. Also, pointing out an omitted (purposefully?) fact in someone's argument, isn't a defense of Bradbury.

I pointed out that without a time of the interview, it tended to misrepresent him.

That has no bearing on his impression of W now, much has changed sin 08/01. It is clear he thought W had potential, which plenty of people did. Writing him off for that is unfair.

[mn9driver]

29. But are you really, really, really, really,really, really,

really, really, really, really, really,really, really,really, really, really, really,really, really,really, really, really, really,really, really,really, really, really, really,really, really,really, really, really, really,really, really,really, really, really, really,really, really sure that you're not defending him?

I'm not really sure.:evilgrin:

[NCLib23]

38. whatever n/t

[stickdog]

27. And I have it on good authority that Whitman told Bradbury to shove the

book up his ass!

[Peregrine]

5. The most outrageous part is

Mel Gibson in Fahrenheit 451.

Otherwise, Bradbury is either:
a) looking for a cut of Moore's profit
b) has been put up to it by Repubs, filing a suit next week to prevent release.

[TeeYiYi]

34. All of the above . . .

. . . he sounds like a greedy old stepford codger.

Attempting to make a dime on Mel Gibson's coattails while angling for a lawsuit with Moore; all the while taking marching orders from Rove/Cheney. What a moran. I hope Michael Moore reminds him to 'shove Whitman's book up his ass!'.

TYY

Thanks for the line stickdog.:thumbsup:

[thebigidea]

6. well, at least Vonnegut has aged gracefully

what a disturbing spectacle he's making of himself, I guess he needs the publicity.

[buycitgo]

9. Vonnegut writes for In These Times

don't imagine they pay him a whole lot

[leftistagitator]

8. I told you guys Bradbury was a freak

They made me read his crappy book in high school. And some of Rand's crap too. I guess they're probably having the kids read "Treason" and Reagan's biography now.

[Democat]

10. Bradbury has stolen titles for his books from other authors!

According to DU user Raskolnik, Ray Bradbury took the title for his book "Sing the Body Electric" from Walt Whitman.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1749278#1749702

[Dogmudgeon]

11. Gabriel Fahrenheit is outraged!

Ray Bradbury used to be a liberal's liberal. I guess he got that "Second Thinker" bug that so many nwo-Cons claim to have.

--bkl

[AndyTiedye]

23. I Thought it was called Senility

[DeadHead67]

14. Who's Ray Bradbury?. . . .

Oh! THAT Ray Bradbury. FUCK HIM!!!!

[Sweetpea]

17. Ray Bradbury Quote

What do you think of President Bush?

He's wonderful. We needed him. Clinton is a shithead and we're glad to be rid of him. And I'm not talking about his sexual exploits. I think we have a chance to do something about education, very important. We should have done it years ago. It doesn't matter who does it -- Democrats or Republicans -- but it's long overdue. Our education system is a monstrosity. We need to go back and rebuild kindergarten and first grade and teach reading and writing to everybody, all colors, and then the whole structure of our education will change because people will know how to read and write.

Ray Bradbury in a Salon.com interview....

For him to say Bush is wonderful means he has lost his mind.

[NCLib23]

20. Out of context much

When was the interview? Sounds like very early in the administration, probably pre-9/11.

Things were very different then.

[Sweetpea]

22. August 2001 was when the interview was done.

[Diogenes2]

21. Bradbury's decline

Very sad. Has he been checked for Alzheimer's or Mad Cow? A true disgrace to his profession. And he used to be so good...

[Columbia]

28. Ray Bradbury will be remembered long even after

All that is left of Michael Moore is a large pile of ashes.

<dons flamesuit>

[Sweetpea]

30. I take it you don't like Michael Moore

[Columbia]

31. I agree with most of his views

But I think he is a detriment to the party.

[Sweetpea]

32. Geez...if Ann Coulter isn't a detriment to Republicans

I think we can survive with Michael Moore.

[Columbia]

33. You just better hope he stays far away from Kerry

Or we'll have him to thank again for another 4 years of Bushco.

[Democat]

37. Without Michael Moore's help, Kerry probably wouldn't have a chance

Do you happen to remember the attitude toward Bush in America before Stupid White Men was published?

Michael Moore was a major, if not the major, person who helped start the tide turning back against Bush after 9/11.

We should all be thanking Moore for what he did when most other high profile people, including our own elected officials, dared not challenge Bush.

[NCLib23]

40. I think this is giving Moor too much credit

[sendero]

41. I couldn't disagree more....

... when did Bradbury ever stick his cojones on the chopping block for a political belief?

This movie will likely be seen as a turning point in political discourse in this country. For once the left will get ITS version of events in the public eye rather than the usual right wing view. It's been 15 years since that has happened.

It's driving them crazy, and they are doing every thing they can think of to stop it, but their efforts will simply make things worse for them.

Bradbury is transparent in his feigned outrage, his claim to "own" the term is ludicrous in both legal and cultural terms. He can go straight to hell, and kiss MM's ass on his way.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

42. That's YOUR opinion.

[RebelOne]

45. Yes, I agree there. Even though I don't agree with his politics,

he is the greatest science fiction writer ever. I have always been a fan of his.

[genius]

35. Bradbury would be laughed out of court if he tried anything.

Or else the estate of Fahrenheit could sue him. He was ridiculously egotistical when I last saw him, upst because he was only one of my favorite SCIFI writers as opposed to my favorite. Clearly, he has now gone completely bonkers.

[JPJones]

36. This calls for a book burning

Let's burn Ray Bradbury's books.

Does anyone know how hot you have to get paper before it burns?

[Nihil]

39. Ummm ...

... 911 Fahrenheit?

Goshdarnit, so that's why he's upset!

(BTW, what happened on the 51st of April?)

:evilgrin:

[EstimatedProphet]

43. I find it very hard to believe

that the man who wrote "A Sound of Thunder" which accurately predicts the attitude of the population about Bush and his thuggery (talking about after time travel here) could support Bush.

[soothsayer]

44. bwa ha ha, now mel gibson will forever be associated w/ Michael Moore's

film.