Lost in Showbiz would like to begin this post by stating two things. 1. The healthcare system in America is clearly screwed and venal. 2. This blog never responds to, among many other human sub-categories: students, vulgarians, people who take stuff seriously, people who use the word Bliar (even if it's true), those who do not understand that human existence is a slow and ultimately futile crawl toward death, anyone interested in anything other than simply posting Team America quotes.
Now that's out of the way, there is news that Michael Moore is to make another satirical point. To wit: the Fahrenheit 9/11 director is to visit Iran, where he will show his new documentary Sicko at the Tehran film festival.
Sicko is his attack on the US medical system, and though we don't have as much word from the ground as we'd like on account of Iran being an oppressive regime with a slightly iffy human rights record as far as journalists are concerned, we're sure that the Iranians will be both shocked and amused as the limits of American healthcare are exposed, even if the the US health system's performance rating sits 60 odd places higher than Iran's in the World Health Organisation's most recent rankings.
But this is a side issue. Michael's journey to the heart of an oppressive regime to make a point about America's total dumbness appears to directly echo his role in Team America, the hilariously brilliant puppet movie by the South Park creators. In this film, you'll recall, Michael is just one of those members of FAG, the Film Actor's Guild, who fall for Kim Jong-il's trap and accept his invitation to take part in a peace concert in North Korea.
It doesn't end very happily for the marionette Moore - he gets shot to pieces by the eponymous Team America - but of course, it's only a movie.
Back in real life, Lost in Showbiz urges you to pay close attention to Sicko, particularly the end bit where Michael tells people to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and take exercise. Which finally buries the lie that celebrities are by and large self-regarding hypocrites.
