Michael Moore really didn’t like the BuzzFeed article that asked, “Was Michael Moore’s Dramatic Rescue Of An Oscar-Nominated Director Just A Publicity Stunt?”
https://twitter.com/SeeTac7/status/306220665277657088
So naturally he delivered an ultimatum to BuzzFeed on Monday night: “I’ll give you an hour to correct” … or else.
Dun-dun-DUUUUN!!!
Liberal titans collide: Michael Moore vs. BuzzFeed in Twitter death match http://t.co/MtOGPyq6ac Which liar should I root for?
— China is lying (@jtLOL) February 26, 2013
Moore’s implied “or else” turned out to be more clawing and spitting at BuzzFeed on Twitter. As we mentioned last night, no matter who loses this slap-fight, America wins. And luckily we have plenty of popcorn left.
Pop.Corn. with BUTTAH! RT @TwitchyTeam: Liberal titans collide: Michael Moore vs. BuzzFeed in Twitter death match http://t.co/Hz6g00IXgT
— BarbaraMcMahon((?)) (@southsalem) February 26, 2013
Here’s the latest installment of Moore’s hissy fit:
Time's up. Buzzfeed today tried to raise doubts that Oscar nominee, Palestinian filmmaker Emad Burnat wasn't really detained at LAX on Tues.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
Buzzfeed quotes a "source" at LAX who said that Burnat was simply asked to produce his ticket to the Oscars and when he "couldn't" he was…
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
…moved "to a secondary inspection area where he (Burnat) found his ticket" to the Oscars & was then "immediately allowed" into the US…
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
Well, there's just one little problem with this story – and if Buzzfeed had bothered to ask any of the 6,000 Academy members…
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
…they would have learned how they were played by the "source" from Homeland Security…
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
You see, Buzzfeed, there was no way for Emad Burnat to show Customs an Oscar ticket on Tuesday because there were no Oscar tickets on Tues!
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
Nobody, no nominee, had their tickets on Tuesday because the Academy didn't release them to Oscar-goers until 2 days later — on Thursday.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
It's that way every year. Oscar tickets are available only on Thursday through Saturday, the day before the Oscars…
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
But your "source" says Burnat finally produced a ticket 2 the show while they were detaining him & his family on TUES & then they let him in
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
So that's just an outright lie. Completely fabricated and easy to disprove with 1 call to the Academy. But why do that?…
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
When the intent of your "story" was to cast doubt on this Palestinian who was being threatened with deportation last Tuesday night at LAX…
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
So he stepped up to the Customs desk, said he's a Palestinian olive farmer-& an Oscar nominated director. Oh, & his wife is wearing a hijab
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
And then he was held & questioned & threatened with being sent back to the Middle East. He texted me, and I told him we'd get right on it…
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
Buzzfeed went w/this story b4 finding out the facts or talking 2 me. "We tried to" is lame and shoddy. I was on a plane all day fr LA to NY.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
One lousy unnamed source at Homeland Security (apparently unnamed because, um, the Oscars are a national security threat?) fed BF some BS.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
Sorry you guys had to go through this. I did not want to publicly embarrass you. I like Buzzfeed.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
No accounting for taste.
As 4 the Palestinians, I guess its always open season 2 F w/them. At the airport or the internet, make sure 2 humiliate them @ every chance
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
PS. An Academy official just emailed me: "Absolutely no one had physical possession of an Oscar ticket on Tuesday." Not Clooney, not Burnat.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 26, 2013
Wouldn’t it have been easier to just, you know, respond to BuzzFeed’s request for comment?
Seems odd that Michael Moore spent two hours tweeting responses to this story instead of just calling the reporter http://t.co/gVKbPonNLw
— Dan Berman (@DHBerman) February 26, 2013
Hey, BuzzFeed, you just gonna sit back and take this? Your mud-spattered reputation is at stake!
Buzzfeed’s Los Angeles Bureau Chief Richard Rushfield did a little slapping back at Moore, complete with sneer-quotes around the word “proof.”
https://twitter.com/richardrushfield/status/306230148183781376
https://twitter.com/richardrushfield/status/306239218286465024
https://twitter.com/richardrushfield/status/306240311200452608
https://twitter.com/richardrushfield/status/306241315576877056
https://twitter.com/richardrushfield/status/306241522070859776
https://twitter.com/richardrushfield/status/306241880570617857
https://twitter.com/richardrushfield/status/306242424634744833
https://twitter.com/richardrushfield/status/306248124106678273
Tessa Stuart, who wrote the article, was a bit friendlier to Moore. She didn’t quite offer him a foot rub, but hey, this slap-fight isn’t over yet (we hope).
@MMFlint As I've already said, I would love to include your response.
— Tessa Stuart (@tessastuart) February 26, 2013
@MMFlint Please help me tell both sides. I've called and emailed the director, called 2 of your agents, emailed & tweeted to you for comment
— Tessa Stuart (@tessastuart) February 26, 2013
.@MMFlint The post has been updated to include your response, and we've followed up with our sources. Thanks! http://t.co/0fovSywjAx
— Tessa Stuart (@tessastuart) February 26, 2013
C’mon, guys. Hug it out. That’s what Breitbart would do.
@BuzzFeedBen @MMFlint @tessaestuart Looks like some hugging Moore is in order – https://t.co/qM8b9faqz0
— Tania Gail (@TaniaGailPhotos) February 26, 2013
Update:
The Buzzfeed article now includes this correction:
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article referred in its deck and first sentence to “sources” at LAX; in fact, as the body of the story made clear, the criticism of Moore’s account came from a single airport official.
Still no correction regarding the Oscars ticket the article says Emad Burnat produced for Customs officials.
By the way, Tessa Stuart’s most recent tweet references her “sources” (plural):
.@MMFlint The post has been updated to include your response, and we've followed up with our sources. Thanks! http://t.co/0fovSywjAx
— Tessa Stuart (@tessastuart) February 26, 2013
Meanwhile, Richard Rushfield says the story is still developing:
https://twitter.com/richardrushfield/status/306466039204556800
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