The audience trusts Moore as they see him as a typical, average American, one who even belongs to the National Rifle Association (NRA), and through this conformity and experience of guns, the audience see Moore's opinion as a credible, one that can be accepted as it is based upon knowledge and first hand experience. Moore further utilises characterisation through his structure which positions the audience to see interviewees, such as Charlton Heston (president of NRA) as antagonists. In the final scene, Heston goes as far as blaming violence on "mixed ethnicity", and by positioning this scene last in the documentary Moore provides a final haunting message to the viewer, that gun violence is inextricably tied to racial prejudices.
Moore effectively utilises satire and irony to create a humorous situation while still successfully presenting a serious message. The opening scene in the documentary is a primary example of this; Moore opens a bank account for the sole purpose of claiming a complimentary gun. He exaggerates this situation and his behavior by waving the gun around and asking: "Don't you think it's a little dangerous to be handing out guns at a bank?" Further on in the documentary Moore pokes fun at a seemingly absurd advertising campaign, and successfully makes the idea seem utterly ridiculous. This satirical comment encourages the audience to denounce America's gun culture while also creating a sense of shock at the racist views of the NRA. Humour is once more employed to highlight the ease of access to guns and ammunitions, when Moore carefully selects two survivors of the Columbine massacre and sends them to World Mart to purchase guns and bullets, which they purchase easily.
Humour is also employed through the use of cartoons to tastelessly, yet effectively highlight the racism of the NRA. The cartoon shows Americans shooting Native American Indians and subjecting them to slavery.