The Awful Truth - The Complete First Season (1999)

'The Awful Truth" - List of all episode segments

There's no middle ground when it comes to liberal activist Michael Moore-- you either love or hate him. Moore's 24-part half-hour humor/investigative journalism series "The Awful Truth" aired on the BRAVO network from April 11, 1999 to August 9, 2000.


PROGRAM CONTENTS for "The Awful Truth, Season #1":

EPISODE #1 - (4/11/99)--
Segments: "A Cheaper Way to Conduct a Witch Hunt" and "Funeral at an HMO." (guests: James Carville and 5 Congressmen)

EPISODE #2 - (4/18/99)--
Segments: "Beat the Rich" and "The Sodomobile." (guest: Trent Lott)

EPISODE #3 - (4/25/99)--
Segments: "Crackers vs. Mickey Mouse" and "The Voice-Box Choir." (guest: Paul Wellstone)

EPISODE #4 - (5/2/99)--
Segments: "Sal, The Bill Collector" and "Duck and Cover."

EPISODE #5 - (5/9/99)--
Segments: "The Awful Truth Man of the Year," "TV Pundits?" and "150 Feet from NBC." (guest: Conan O'Brien)

EPISODE #6 - (5/16/99)--
Segments: "Work Care!," "LucyCam" and "Air-Drop TVs on Afghanistan." (guest: Sally Struthers)

EPISODE #7 - (5/23/99)--
Segments: "William Sebastian Cohen," LucyCam #2" and "Manpower."

EPISODE #8 - (5/30/99)--
Segments: "Montana Shacks," "Joe Camel Gets a Job" and LucyCam #3."

EPISODE #9 - (6/6/99)--
Segments: "Hail Turdonia," "Teen Sniper School" and Hitler Makes a Withdrawal."

EPISODE #10- (6/13/99)--
Segments: "Crackers Goes to Buckeye Eggs," "The Michael Moore Playset," "American Apartheid" and "Bill Gates' Housewarming." (guest: Willie Nelson)

EPISODE #11- (6/20/99)--
Segments: "Weapon Inspectors," "The Make a Wish Foundation" and "We Find Hillary a Date." (guest: Rosanne Barr)

EPISODE #12- (6/27/99)--
Segments: "NAFTA Mike," "Strikebreakers" and "Mergers." August 23, 2008

Satire for the bold and the brave

I had never heard of this series before and, being a fan of Michael Moore, I decided to buy this earlier this year.

If I could rate each disc, I'd give the first disc 5 stars and the second 4 stars.

There are many memorable and bizarre moments in the series, and some of the skits are so simple and effective that I kept saying, "why didn't I think of that?". As you'd expect, the first season is overflowing with the populist, blunt, political and social satire that has made Michael Moore famous.

If it weren't for some of the distasteful skits, such as "Teen Sniper School" (not funny), I'd give this five stars, as it's otherwise a low-budget, but very straightforward and eye-opening series. I recommend this set to fans of Michael Moore or people looking for some good and funny exposés on corporate America. December 14, 2007

Embarrassing

I had to stop watching this after episode 8 because I was overwhelmed with sympathetic embarrassment for Mr. Moore (since he obviously doesn't have the sense to be embarrassed for himself.) I knew he was a reactionary dribbler before I watched the tape but I thought it might be entertaining anyway. Too bad it was just sad. I only liked the first two episodes because he actually attempted to help people (the guy who needed an organ transplant, and the guy who was layed off,) but otherwise it was uninteresting and unfunny. His early episodes attempt to deal with issues which are mildy interesting (tobacco industry, homophobia... same old same old, but still noble) but in later episodes it becomes more about just lampooning the "bad people" (aka rich people) and not actually doing anything proactive. This would be fine if he were actually funny, but he's not, and his comedy bits sound more and more like leftist diatribe as the show goes on... And no, I'm not a republican, but I know garbage when I see it (GIGO.) November 15, 2004

A look into the underbelly of America

I caught a few episodes of The Awful Truth on the tele and must say it is a pretty mixed bag. I liked the episode on guns, where Moore went to the NRA with his new idea for a mascot, a walking talking gun. Needless to say they wanted no part of it, but it was much more to the point than was "Eddie the Eagle," or whatever the NRA calls its stuffed bird which tries to warn tots of the dangers of guns while at the same time it fights any and all legislation on the hill to combat the proliferation of handguns. But, at other times Moore sounds pretty sanctimonious, such as when he is wheeling through New York in his rented Taxi refusing to pick up white folks. In other words it is the Michael Moore many have grown to love, not afraid to take on the big boys, and at the same time pointing out the many inherent weaknesses in our society. May 16, 2004

Awful... but truthful too

Michael Moore is one of the few journalists out there who understands and acts on the need to present the story as it stands, regardless of the consquences. He refuses to sell his soul in order to satisfy media magnates, and this means we get a combination of (a) the hidden reality behind the big media stories, and (b) a rather irreverent look at the way many large US corporations operate. Both of these are tackled in humourous ways (Crackers the Corporate Crime-Fighting Chicken taking on Disney was an absolute classic), but can also be alarmingly sober (e.g. cold-hearted insurance company refusing to pay out to save a client's life). The Awful Truth is thus social conscience as well as great entertainment.

We need Michael Moore - he helps to keep things honest. If he does something you disagree with (e.g. anti-war speech at the Oscars), just put your prejudice on the back-burner for a minute and think about the issue from another angle. As the great Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn said (in 'Maybe The Poet'), "...maybe you will not agree, but you need him to show you new ways to see." This is, after all, the essence of free speech. January 6, 2004

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