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Essay / Roger and Me: Michael Moore's Look at the Economic Collapse of 1998
Have you ever heard of the Tower of Terror? This is the Six Flags roller coaster, famous for its scary turns and loops, giving people the adventure of a lifetime. Everyone has been on this roller coaster, it turns out that for some people, instead of visiting Six Flags, they watched the news and saw coverage of the economic crisis, or maybe they were just laid off of their employment. The economy is like a roller coaster, it goes through waves, ups and downs. Some people can handle it, while others don't really do it. Michael Moore, a director who tends to present controversial issues in a very crude light, decided he wanted to focus on economics. Moore created the film Roger & Me, which tells the story of the 1998 economic crash in Flint, Michigan. General Motors, which happened to be the lifeblood of Flint, was closing its buildings, leaving thousands without jobs. The series of events had its consequences, as shown in the film, while also showing the contrast between those who were cut off and those who are still at the top. The differences between the unemployed and employed are manifested dramatically in several ways, including in attitudes toward the Flint economic crisis, in their financial situation, and in the new housing situation after the crash. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayIn the months leading up to General Motor's decision to close its factories, no effort was made to warn its employees of the life change they were about to face. Flint was an industrial city, with the majority of the population working for GM. When news broke that 11 factories were closing, more than 30,000 people lost their jobs. One of the worst aspects was the fact that General Motors wasn't even financially unstable at the time, so they couldn't use that as an excuse to justify their decision to close. The attitude to the now apparent financial crisis was very different depending on who was interviewed. When a GM spokesperson was asked for his view on what he had just done, he simply replied that "GM cares as much about anyone" as thousands of civilians were still trying to come to terms with their new unemployed status. The people who stayed working for GM were those who were initially at a higher level in the company. Their attitudes seemed completely indifferent to the crisis. From an employee perspective, Flint was still a perfectly wonderful city. They were content with their lives and did not show any sort of concern towards anyone who had been abandoned. While other GM employees were still satisfied with their lives and ignored the reality of thousands of people; those who were unemployed still had to get by. The unemployed had a completely different view of what had happened. GM was their life. Without a job at GM, that meant no money for their house, their family, their education, their food, anything. The crisis caused many people to look for unnecessary jobs that didn't even need to exist, but since there was nowhere else to go, they did it anyway. The people who worked for GM were also qualified and knowledgeable, giving them the ability to do much more than just help a customer find the right clothing for their skin tone. Former GM workers, who once played a role in the company.