Visual & Performing Arts Essay: Country Clubs for Some, Unemployment for Others: Roger and Me (1989)

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Country Clubs for Some, Unemployment for Others: Roger and Me (1989)
Roger & Me is a documentary film by Michael Moore that highlights a scenario of general motors plant closure in Flint, Michigan, which led to massive unemployment. Furthermore, the film provides a chronological arrangement of events documenting the director's attempt to interview the GM CEO. First-person narratives are considered an adaptation of an artist's efforts to transform social, economic, and political practices. Autobiographical and subjective approaches create a connection between the documentary to the contemporary political agendas. Moreover, community issues are compensated by the overall struggles of all filmmakers from minority groups. These minority groups could include underrepresented groups such as women, gays, lesbians, and minor ethnic groups. First-person narration is essential in ensuring audience engagement in the subject matter. Moore's documentary, Roger & Me, reflects social and economic changes in postindustrial areas. Moore's specificity in using first-person narrative and editing approaches contributes significantly to the social, economic, and political cultures.
Moore has been hired by Mother Jones magazine in San Francisco, and on returning to Flint, General Motors initiate the layoff of thousands of workers. However, it appears the company aims at accruing more profits by closing down the factories and setting up new production companies in areas like Mexico. The decision to close down the factories is accompanied by collateral damage as several workers lose their jobs. Thousands of workers are laid off, and more damage is caused as Flint's living conditions are dilapidated. Moore disguises himself as a TV journalist And interviews a bunch of walkers in Flint. Moving forward, he discovers that the workers dislike the General Motors chairman. The company's closure becomes devastating and is braced by confusion on workers since the closure is not connected to economic or financial upheavals. Furthermore, Moore interviews his close friends to establish the emotional effects of the closure. The director incorporates a montage of Flint damage with an interpolation of news reports on layoffs, increased rat infestation, and residents' inability to move out.
The director's narrative follows a political discourse that is oblivious of historical accuracy but aims at sharing his argument through satire within fiction. The documentary focuses on Flint's situation and presents it as a metaphor. Moore's narrative reflects workers' challenges in other cities and highlights that they do not know how to end these factories' closure. Moore opposes the Reaganomics transformation of the United States labor market and suggests that a sustainable job in a secure company no longer exists. Moore primarily reflects the theme of alienation by cutting into pop culture and TV programs that support escapism. Moore's sentiments about his community are similar to those of outdated singers and beauty queens. Ideas shared by these public figures aim at enhancing personal initiative as a solution to the crisis. The director combines footages that reflects the unrealistic optimism depicted by beauty qu...