Is Mel's drunken diatribe newsworthy?

[Kelly the Dog]

Normally I could give a schitt what an actor or musician or sports figure thinks or says that has little or nothing to do with his or her profession. I don't care what anyone's politics are, I just want to see them perform. I don't care what they say on their little soapboxes and believe it's our, the public's, fault for giving them any audience as much or more than their fault for talking out of their ass about their political beliefs.

 

But the Mel Gibson thing is different. Or at least at first blush, to me, it's different. Surely I believe in free speech, and I think The Dixie Chicks or Ron Silver or Curt Schilling or any of these people should be able to say what they want to say. Their political beliefs are fine even if they differ from mine. But what Gibson said is not okay. That is unacceptable in almost any circle of our culture. So does this suddenly become newsworthy and something to condemn him for? I think perhaps so but I'm not sure.

 

I don't like Mel Gibson now. I used to, a lot. I am not sure it would keep me from seeing a film of his in the future if it sounded good. I am almost sure that I would still see it (although his new one doesn't look all that interesting to me). But I think what he said and did, even due to drink, probably needs to be aired and discussed even though it was a Hollywood blowhard because saying things like "Jews are the cause of all the wars in the world" is a despicable thing to say. And it's not something one says just when one is drunk.

 

And it's pretty much been confirmed that all of the allegations are true.

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/...e-entertainment

 

 

 

 

I wonder what Al Jazerra says about Mel.

[Gavin in Va Beach]

I agree, Mel really stepped in it big time. Course his father is on record as denying the Holocaust, so I guess the apple isn't falling far from the tree. I'd still watch a movie of his if the story and everything else looked good, but I've lost a lot of respect for him as well. Now he's just another Hollywood Stu Pidasoe...

 

Edit: Oh and yes the story is newsworthy. He gained more of a soapbox with the whole 'Passion of the Christ' flick and I'd say some of the criticism that the movie was anti-semitic, which seemed far fetched at the time, now may have a bit more credibility...

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

This is strictly a rhetorical question:

 

If Mel Gibson was black and a muslim, would anyone raise a stink about this?

 

What Gibson said was deplorable, indeed. There's no place for it. But, in the spirit of liberalism, I have to wonder if the response is proportionate to the crime.

[chicot]

This is strictly a rhetorical question:

 

If Mel Gibson was black and a muslim, would anyone raise a stink about this?

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If he had the same level of fame, I would guess that they would.

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

If Mel Gibson was black and a muslim, would anyone raise a stink about this?

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No, they'd name him the next Jesse Jackson.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

If he had the same level of fame, I would guess that they would.

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I don't think so. See, chicot, here in America certain people can say certain things and get away with them, while others who say the same thing get burnt at the stake.

[X. Benedict]

I (profanity redacted) tend to think that Mel (profanity redacted) the bed.

This is the behavior of a (profanity redacted) recluse. Sure the guy has

some pent-up (profanity redacted) hostilities, but his anti-(profanity redacted)-Semitism,

is rooted in some kind of ultra-(profanity redacted)-orthodox spirituality that makes no

(profanity redacted) allowances for the fraternity of (profanity redacted) humankind.

 

I liked him with Danny Glover though.

Racial harmony works well in buddy cop movies.

[Kelly the Dog]

This is strictly a rhetorical question:

 

If Mel Gibson was black and a muslim, would anyone raise a stink about this?

732739[/snapback]

Absolutely. You don't think if Denzel Washington (if he were Muslim) said that he would get the same treatment? Granted, there is a little history because of the Passion of the Christ, earlier allegations of anti-semitism, and what his father said (which as far as I know Gibson has never fully refuted). In fact, there probably would have been just as big a stink if Dustin Hoffman said "Christians are responsible for all the wars in the world", and "Are you a Christian?" and "Fukk Christians".

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

I don't think so. See, chicot, here in America certain people can say certain things and get away with them, while others who say the same thing get burnt at the stake.

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But chicot's not American...so he doesn't remember when Jesse Jackson called NYC "Hymietown" during his first presidential run.

[X. Benedict]

I don't think so. See, chicot, here in America certain people can say certain things and get away with them, while others who say the same thing get burnt at the stake.

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I don't know if I buy that, I think that if James Earl Jones was arrested and publicly ranted about Koreans, for example, do you think he would still be saying; "This is CNN"

[cåblelady]

It appears that Mel Gibson has some serious "issues".

[KRC]

Normally I could give a schitt what an actor or musician or sports figure thinks or says that has little or nothing to do with his or her profession. I don't care what anyone's politics are, I just want to see them perform. I don't care what they say on their little soapboxes and believe it's our, the public's, fault for giving them any audience as much or more than their fault for talking out of their ass about their political beliefs.

 

But the Mel Gibson thing is different. Or at least at first blush, to me, it's different. Surely I believe in free speech, and I think The Dixie Chicks or Ron Silver or Curt Schilling or any of these people should be able to say what they want to say. Their political beliefs are fine even if they differ from mine. But what Gibson said is not okay. That is unacceptable in almost any circle of our culture. So does this suddenly become newsworthy and something to condemn him for? I think perhaps so but I'm not sure.

 

I don't like Mel Gibson now. I used to, a lot. I am not sure it would keep me from seeing a film of his in the future if it sounded good. I am almost sure that I would still see it (although his new one doesn't look all that interesting to me). But I think what he said and did, even due to drink, probably needs to be aired and discussed even though it was a Hollywood blowhard because saying things like "Jews are the cause of all the wars in the world" is a despicable thing to say. And it's not something one says just when one is drunk.

 

And it's pretty much been confirmed that all of the allegations are true.

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/...e-entertainment

I wonder what Al Jazerra says about Mel.

732711[/snapback]

 

 

He has a right to say it, just like people have the right to criticize him for saying it. He will also pay a price for saying it, as he should. Is it newsworthy? For a moment it is newsworthy. Is it worth a lot of news coverage? No.

[Kelly the Dog]

But chicot's not American...so he doesn't remember when Jesse Jackson called NYC "Hymietown" during his first presidential run.

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And he got a lot of abuse for it, and cemented his position as a racist himself, and does get schitt for it to this day, as evidenced.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Absolutely. You don't think if Denzel Washington (if he were Muslim) said that he would get the same treatment? Granted, there is a little history because of the Passion of the Christ, earlier allegations of anti-semitism, and what his father said (which as far as I know Gibson has never fully refutiated). In fact, there probably would have been just as big a stink if Dustin Hoffman said "Christians are responsible for all the wars in the world", and "Are you a Christian?" and "Fukk Christians".

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I'm not so sure about the second half of that statement.

 

Call me cynical.

 

[Kelly the Dog]

He has a right to say it, just like people have the right to criticize him for saying it. He will also pay a price for saying it, as he should. Is it newsworthy? For a moment it is newsworthy. Is it worth a lot of news coverage? No.

732753[/snapback]

You're right on all accounts. Probably not worthy of much more than a couple days.

 

It is interesting, however, to me at least, to debate whether or not now there is a different message being sent in "The Passion of the Christ", now knowing it was made by someone who is seriously anti-semitic. On that I am not sure. Again, on first blush, I guess I would say no, it's the same regardless of who made it, and what they meant by it. Art is art. But it's an intriguing argument to me, and that worthy of discussion more than a moment. I could see both sides.

[chicot]

But chicot's not American...so he doesn't remember when Jesse Jackson called NYC "Hymietown" during his first presidential run.

732748[/snapback]

 

I remember it (even though I'm not American) but does even Jesse Jackson (he's black but is he a muslim?) have the same amount of fame as Mel Gibson? I'm not sure that calling NYC "Hymietown", stupid though it was, is quite the same as saying "the (profanity redacted) Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world".

[X. Benedict]

He has a right to say it, just like people have the right to criticize him for saying it. He will also pay a price for saying it, as he should. Is it newsworthy? For a moment it is newsworthy. Is it worth a lot of news coverage? No.

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There comes a point were an actor's fame also becomes a name-brand.

 

Independent of anything Mel Gibson may think privately, his name on

a movie marquis alone would sell millions of dollars of tickets. He is

a bankable name brand in his profession.

 

As news, his name brand may take a beating from this. Disney might

take a beating on Apocalypto - etc.

 

Mel has probably done a million things in his career to market himself as

a name brand and promoting himself as such (like any actor), and he has just given some of his own personality a little equal time.

 

Is it fair? I don't know.

[Alaska Darin]

I remember it (even though I'm not American) but does even Jesse Jackson (he's black but is he a muslim?) have the same amount of fame as Mel Gibson? I'm not sure that calling NYC "Hymietown", stupid though it was, is quite the same as saying "the (profanity redacted) Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world".

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There isn't much of a difference.

[Kelly the Dog]

There isn't much of a difference.

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I think there is an enormous difference, and I am a hymie. One is saying there is a lot of Jews in New York and (perhaps) implying they run a lot of things there. That is a statement of fact, although it uses a fairly derogatory word. He should and did take a lot of flack for that, especially coming from a black guy. It was a totally stupid thing to say, but it showed a greater lack of sense than hatred for Jews. What Gibson said is far, far different, and far, far worse, blaming the world's ills on a people and a religion because he is a member of another faith. With clear hatred for them.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

I think there is an enormous difference, and I am a hymie. One is saying there is a lot of Jews in New York and (perhaps) implying they run a lot of things there. That is a statement of fact, although it uses a fairly derogatory word. He should and did take a lot of flack for that, especially coming from a black guy. It was a totally stupid thing to say, but it showed a greater lack of sense than hatred for Jews. What Gibson said is far, far different, and far, far worse, blaming the world's ills on a people and a religion because he is a member of another faith. With clear hatred for them.

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oooooh, I see. So I could say that the media is controlled by Jews and be a-ok on the anti-semitism meter?