Small crowd checks out ‘Hype’

Blake Ellington

In response to the campus screening of Michael Moore’s controversial film “Fahrenheit 9/11,” the College Republicans sponsored a showing of “Fahrenhype 9/11” Oct. 28 at the Hinde Auditorium in the University Union.

Members of the College Republicans spent three days advertising for the event.

“‘Farenhype 9/11’ is a rebuttal to the lies that were portrayed in Fahrenheit 9/11,” said Adam Willoughby, chairman of Students for Bush and member of the College Republicans.

The film is narrated by individuals such as director Dick Morris, a consultant to former President Bill Clinton, and Zell Miller, a Democratic senator from Georgia.

The movie points out fallacies in Moore’s researching, defends President George W. Bush’s vacation time in his first 100 days of office, links Clinton to the lack of air security and shows Clinton’s money connections with Saudi Arabia.

Nearly 30 people attended the screening, including parents who amused their young children with coloring books so they could see the film.

“It is nice to see both points of view, and it was a good counterargument, but I do not think it changed my view of the issue,” senior Democrat Steven Schwartz said. “I had a pretty good idea that ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ was made for shock value.”

For some, the film reinforced a lot of previous knowledge.

“I had already known a lot of what was in the movie, but it was good to hear some actual experts talk about it and I thought it provided a convincing counter argument,” sophomore Republican Rick Morin said.

“Fahrenhype 9/11” was released on Oct. 5 in select theaters. The DVD was released on the same day as “Fahrenheit 9/11.”

Democrats say that the smaller release nationwide is not the only reason “Fahrenhype 9/11” will not be as successful as Moore’s film.

“‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ made over $125 million worldwide and they tried to recreate a conservative version,” said College Democrats President Robbie Abelon. “It won’t be as effective because there is no way a documentary criticizing another documentary will be successful.”

Willoughby felt that the difference between the two films was the lack off partisan bias that gave “Fahrenheit 9/11” its shock value.