The Des Moines Register Finally Sells Out Completely
Box-office capitalism
By REGISTER EDITORIAL BOARD
July 8, 2004
R. L.
Fridley is not showing Michael Moore's “Fahrenheit 9/11” in his
theaters. It might not be so noticeable if he were not the owner of
movie theaters in about 30 Iowa towns. Some Iowans have to drive to
another city to see the show, and they're upset about it. An e-mail
campaign has started. One man canceled his contract to advertise at a
Fridley theater.
Every
theater can't show every movie. Theater owners make decisions all the
time about which ones to show, but Fridley took the unusual step of
issuing a statement that reflected his thoughts about the movie.
“Our
country is in a war against an enemy who would destroy our way of life,
our culture and kill our people. These barbarians have shown through
9/11, the recent beheadings that they will stop at nothing. I believe
this film emboldens them and divides our country even more,” he wrote.
Fridley gets to decide which movies play in his theaters. That's fine. That's the way it should be.
Some
stores won't sell CDs with explicit lyrics. Some won't sell cigarettes.
Business decisions frequently reflect the values of their owners. It's
an owner's prerogative to refuse to carry certain goods or even show a
certain film because he or she finds it disagreeable.
Likewise, it's a consumer's prerogative not to patronize establishments they find disagreeable. It's called the free market.
Blog for Iowa says:
Well, how very unexpected that the Des Moines Register would come down
on the side of big business and censoring all but the conservative
viewpoint. True democracy leaves the choices up to its
citizens. Decisions made for political reasons or out of fear
hurt us all because they stifle the debate that real democracy thrives
on. It can scarcely be defined as a true free market when one
company has a monopoly on all the theaters in small-town Iowa.
Don't know why they didn't think of that. Too busy being smarmy,
I guess.
Send your letters to the Des Moines Register here: letters@dmreg.com
This was a post in the comments section of Blog for Iowa the other day on the subject:
The
decision of R.L. Fridley, owner of the only theatres in almost 30 small
towns in Iowa and Nebraska, not to air Michael Moore's movie is
bizarrely paternalistic, and his reason for his decision obviously
false. If the movie incites terrorism, as he says, then our country
would be awash in it right now, given the number of people who have
seen the film all around the country. Those people include soldiers and
church groups, none of whom have been incited to violence as a result.
I wish the Register had said whether or not Mr. Fridley had seen the
film before reaching his conclusion. I have seen it, and don't
understand how someone could come to the conclusion Mr. Fridley did.
Moore shows the human cost, in maternal, familial grief, of going to
war. I've never found that to be a compelling reason for acts of
violence.
It
is a deeply and openly partisan film. Perhaps Mr. Fridley is terrified
of disagreement with a pResident he likes, and he defines such behavior
as terrorism. For those who are tempted to see this movie, and cannot
resist the temptation on their own, Mr. Fridley denies them even the
possibility of seeing the film. I trust they are grateful for his
protection.
For
citizens who do not fear dissent, they can go to the Varsity in Des
Moines, the Campus 3 in Iowa City, the Showcase in Davenport, the
Cinema 4 in Cedar Falls,the Carmike in Sioux City, the Cinemark in
Ames,the Carmike in Ankeny or Johnston, the Cinemark in Boone, and the
Carmike in Dubuque, and make up their own minds. Mr. Fridley might do
better to worry about violence from outraged customers who have
wandered into White Chicks after paying their hard-earned money for a
movie.
Sincerely,
John McAndrew
1978 graduate of Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, IA
Blog For Iowa 
First, I'm proud to be a faculty member at an institution that graduated such a thoughtful and articulate person as John.
Second, I wanted to note that Fahrenheit 9/11 is also showing at the Collins Road Theatres in Cedar Rapids. This great, independently-owned set of theatres has kept ticket prices very low ($3 for matinees and $4 for evening shows).
Sue Astley
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