Pulling a stunt like that wouldn't make him anymore likely to get nominated, so they wouldn't pull one.

I'm not saying it is a stunt. I'm saying that they are letting this story loose to all the press because it generates more word of mouth about the controversial film. I can see the headline now: "The film that is sooo CONTROVERSIAL that some people want the director DEAD!!!"

What difference does a trivial death threat make? Why leak it to the press? That's only going to encourage the nut. That's exactly what they want to do, because it make the film look "dangerous" and the filmmaker look "controversial". All of this will culminate in an oscar nom. It's guerilla tactics. And Michael Moore is a Big Fat Gorilla

while it'd be ironic if Moore died from being shot, i think it'd be more ironic if charlton heston was shot.

If its going to encourage the nut, wouldn't it be detremental to Moore to leak it to the press - after all, one of those nuts could succeed and fat lot of good an Oscar nom does him then.

Moore didn't need this publicity to win an award at Cannes and the NRB thing from earlier this month.

you're right, yet they ran with the story anyway. Furthur proof that this is being put out there in order to attract attention to the film.

Or, you're right it wasn't put out there to garner more publicity for the film. It was in fact run in all the newswires and papers because it is of critical importance to the entertainment industry.

1. The threat is real, yet they run the story anyway because they want the hype

-or-

2 The threat is benign but they run the story anyway because they want the hype

Either way it's just a bunch of guerilla marketing tactics. "Comming up at 11:00...The film that extremist groups are willing TO KILL OVER!!!"

unless this is a fake death threat, i don't think it's a publicity stunt. anyone in the public eye, in the same situation, would get a lot of attention if they received a death threat under the same circumstances. if mathew broderick walked into his dressing room at 'the producers' and found a death threat note and papers ran the story, would you assume it was a publicity stunt for the tony awards? i have a feeling there's just a lot of hatred, in general, for moore and everything he does or gets involved in is going to be scrutinized by his detractors.

What really ironic is that Charlton Hesston's family will probably be taking his guns away from him very shortly, if they haven't already.

The problem with your scenarios is the 'they' who run the story is not the 'they' who want the hype. And last I checked, Bowling for Columbine didn't exactly portray the media in a good light, so why would 'they' be helping each other?

why because he's too old? getting senile?

No they wouldn't. They would keep it a secret so as not to mess up any investigation. Look how long no one in the public was told about Spielberg's stalker. Obviously Moore and his people don't feel this threat is anything to be taken seriously, therefore they are spinning it to their bennefit.

Yes, but the newswire will run any story they are given.

Pants....so can you provide one example of this media collusion to hype BfC with this story? You seem to be just floating airballs out there with some theory based on nothing. Monkeyboy is right....they reported it because it happened...just like when Russell Crowe was getting death threats at an awards ceremony - the example that immediately jumps to mind. I haven't personally seen or heard this mentioned anywhere but in this thread, so i can't exactly buy your rather paranoid take on the reporting of a moderately interesting news item. are you saying that the newswire you got this from ran it because Moore or 'his people' told them too? I highly doubt it....they don't run every story they are given, just the ones they think people will be interested in. And believe me, just like a few here, I'm sure there were just as many "ha ha ha wouldn't that be rich" responses as sympathetic ones.....hardly a media coup.....

Yeah Pants you don't know what you're talking about. This reminds me of last year with all the reporting about John Nash being gay and anti-semitic. Everyone thought those stories were put in the press as a spin campaign against the film A Beautiful Mind. Everyone accused rival studios of planting those stories as a way of discrediting the "authenticity" of the film. Now that the smoke has cleared we all know that the truth is that those were actually very interesting public interest articles that reflected something the people really wanted to know about. Everyone was so foolish to think that there were guerilla tactics being used. Jesus Pants lighten up.