Fahrenheit DRM: Michael Moore's iTunes playlist

Sucking up to The Man

Well, well, well. Michael Moore - the corpulent crusader - appears to be a bigger lackey of The Man than he would have you believe. Yes, friends, the attacker of big media has his very own iTunes celebrity playlist. Think of it as a gift-wrapped suggestion package for leading music fans right into the decaying arms of the pigopolists.

Moore, you'll remember, went to great lengths to pull his documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 from Disney's clutches. It was only with the help of the independent-minded Weinstein brothers at Miramax that Moore got his film into theaters. And now he is bending over for the big labels and Apple just to plug himself one more time.

The DRM (digital rights management)-infected tunes that Moore recommends include "Chimes of Freedom" by The Boss, "Masters of War" by Pearl Jam and, slit my throat now, "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley. These artists should surely send thanks to the tubby one for the few pennies that the labels send back to them for every track downloaded from iTunes. (Yes, we know Buckley is dead. Thanks for all the letters.)

"When I make a film, I take my portable CD case and place in it a series of albums which contain music that reflects the mood I am in and the reasons that are motivating me to make this film," Moore writes. "I play these CDs for myself or for my crew."

Naughty, naughty, Michael. Music isn't for sharing. Or maybe you didn't get the memo from the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).

Moore, however, is quick to remind everyone that he's a real rebel. He writes the following as his reason for picking John Fogerty's "Fortunate Son":

"Says it all. Bush, the fortunate son who didn't have to go to Vietnam, now sends the sons, not of the fortunate, but of the poor and working class. I would love to play this song at full blast outside the White House some night. And don't think I won't."

Apple seems to have left off the "When I get my fat ass through the buffet line" end to this statement. In other places, Moore suggests that people in the Bush administration will likely go to hell. Is that really the type of message Apple needs to push in its music shop?

All of the children who have been sued by the RIAA are sure to appreciate Moore's support for DRM crippled music. Americans should be kept in their place and learn that sharing culture is not a right, it's a privilege the media moguls give to us.

Those of you without iTunes can see the playlist here.®

Related stories

Fahrenheit 9/11 gets web airing
Bush beats Gollum to Movie Villain of the Year award
Archive.org suffers Fahrenheit 911 memory loss