Moore: Please Don’t Ignore Us Pharma Bloggers OpEd by John Mack

I hear that your new documentary film SiCKO about the pharmaceutical-health-insurance-industry complex was a success in Cannes, France.

I would very much like to see this movie before its official opening in the US on June 29, 2007. Unfortunately, unlike many journalists with big travel expense accounts, I could not afford to go to Cannes. Also, I sent in my passport for renewal and didn’t get it back in time!

Anyhoo! I really think you should invite us pharma bloggers to a special screening of your movie. After all, Centocor, which is a member of the J&J pharmaceutical family, was nice enough to invite me to a special screening of THEIR movie “Innerstate” (see “Innerstate Private Screening: Philadelphia Style“). As a result, I’ve treated them really nicely and wrote an article praising the movie in my newsletter (see “Innerstate: The First Disease Awareness Documentary Film”), etc.

I can do the same for you! I am already a fan of yours.

If you don’t invite me, I’ll have no recourse but to compare your slight to bloggers with Centocor’s open invitation. Imagine the headline and story.

Moore Ignores Bloggers
“While J&J, one of America’s biggest pharma-ceutical companies, embraces bloggers, Michael Moore, self-proclaimed champion of the common man, ignores this influential group of industry critics.” You can avoid all that bad press by inviting me-an industry “critic” who’s really on your side (I think; I’ll reserve judgment until I see the movie)-to a private screening.

But, please, make it easy for me. I could come to your place in New York or maybe you can find some neutral place for the screening-not Philadelphia, please. You can even invite my blogger buddies. I’ll be glad to recommend who to invite.

Of course, you should have food there-hire one of those firms that cater lunches for the stars while on set. BTW, that would beat what Centocor offered, which was bottled water!

Issue: Vol. 6, No.5: May 2007

Word Count: n/a

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