Is Mel's drunken diatribe newsworthy?

[Chilly]

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.

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Do I think its news worthy?

 

Not of the front page.

 

Entertainment section? Sure do.

[Orton's Arm]

So being attacked by "leading Jews" for his film would make someone not inclined to believe that "the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world" to then believe that to be true?

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I've never experienced what it's like to be attacked in the mass media, so I don't pretend to know what Gibson went through when that film was released. I see a potential parallel between Gibson's situation and a woman who's been through a bad relationship. Maybe the emotions from the relationship cause the woman to say that men are pigs, and maybe she blames men for all the problems in the world. But when Prince Charming comes along, the woman forgets every negative thought she had towards men.

 

The bottom line is the guy was drunk, he said something stupid, and he's asking to be forgiven. I've said things I've later regretted. How can I ask forgiveness for those things while refusing the same to Gibson?

[meazza]

I've never experienced what it's like to be attacked in the mass media, so I don't pretend to know what Gibson went through when that film was released.  I see a potential parallel between Gibson's situation and a woman who's been through a bad relationship.  Maybe the emotions from the relationship cause the woman to say that men are pigs, and maybe she blames men for all the problems in the world.  But when Prince Charming comes along, the woman forgets every negative thought she had towards men.

 

The bottom line is the guy was drunk, he said something stupid, and he's asking to be forgiven.  I've said things I've later regretted.  How can I ask forgiveness for those things while refusing the same to Gibson?

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Because when you have reached that status as a celebrity, people hang on your every word. It's sad but it's true.

[Kelly the Dog]

I've never experienced what it's like to be attacked in the mass media, so I don't pretend to know what Gibson went through when that film was released.  I see a potential parallel between Gibson's situation and a woman who's been through a bad relationship.  Maybe the emotions from the relationship cause the woman to say that men are pigs, and maybe she blames men for all the problems in the world.  But when Prince Charming comes along, the woman forgets every negative thought she had towards men.

 

The bottom line is the guy was drunk, he said something stupid, and he's asking to be forgiven.  I've said things I've later regretted.  How can I ask forgiveness for those things while refusing the same to Gibson?

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1. That's a decent argument, about the woman. Except it is something that a sober or a sane woman would probably argue herself wasn't true. If she was being honest with herself. I cannot say the same for Mel Gibson. I believe he believes that to be true, sober or drunk. But I don't know for sure and I could be wrong. There is nothing for me to believe otherwise though and a small host of reasons to believe that was the real Mel.

 

And the woman has a reason for the outburst, just getting dumped on by the man (otherwise there is no way for her to feel so bitter towards them). So it would make sense, however distorted, for her to dump on all men. I fail to see how Jews even entered the equation in the drunk driving incident. The officer's name was Mees, which is not to my knowledge an obvious Jewish name. I very much doubt Officer Mees brought up his religion in the conversation when trying to arrest Mel for DUI. There is nothing in the report to suggest it and nothing Gibson said to suggest it.

 

2. The controversy the Jewish community made over Passion of the Christ was the best possible thing for that film. It VERY likely made the film 200-300 million dollars more because of the controversy. That alone made that movie the biggest hit of the year (maybe second biggest). A lot of that money went right into Mel's pocket. It made him one of the most powerful men in all of Hollywood. It allowed his relatively small company, Icon, to fully finance his next movie, something pretty much unheardof. I also find it almost impossible to believe that Jewish community members saying that he was an anti-Semite would TURN him into an anti-Semite, although I suppose it's possible. I find it very easy to believe that it cemented his already firmly held but little expressed beliefs. His own apology today, which I actually thought was pretty decent as far as apologies go, didn't hint that it was a newfound belief.

[Helmet_hair]

Great! Now that this is all cleared up can we all just go out and shoot some cans.

[cromagnum]

I don't think so. , 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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You think if Mel had said that in london, that back here in america there would be an organized campaign to blacklist him, boycott his movies, and media entertainment stations would not play his movies and have movie burning rally's across america for 3 years,just to get even ?

[Orton's Arm]

1. That's a decent argument, about the woman. Except it is something that a sober or a sane woman would probably argue herself wasn't true.

Doesn't sound like you've had much experience with women! Hey, this is nothing new here. In Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall the main female character was ill-disposed towards men in general because of her failed marriage. The woman, by the way, was an amazing one that I'd love to marry were she real and alive today. Even good women, in sober, sane moments, are capable of gender hate under the right circumstances.

 

I cannot say the same for Mel Gibson. I believe he believes that to be true, sober or drunk. But I don't know for sure and I could be wrong. There is nothing for me to believe otherwise though and a small host of reasons to believe that was the real Mel.

And this small host of reasons would be what, exactly? The fact Gibson was drunk? The fact he was enraged, and clearly acting against his own interests? The fact his statement about the Jews causing all wars couldn't possibly be true? Wars took place between various American Indian tribes hundreds of years before the first Jew even set foot in the New World. There's no way Gibson himself could possibly believe Jews are responsible for all wars. The fact that he said such a thing to me shows he was in a belligerent mood, lashing out in an animalistic way against a group which he felt had shown him hostility.

2. The controversy the Jewish community made over Passion of the Christ was the best possible thing for that film. It VERY likely made the film 200-300 million dollars more because of the controversy.

I won't argue about the truth or falsehood of this statement, because the reality is we just don't know. But even supposing you're right, the question is how Gibson feels about having Jewish leaders attack him. Even if the attacks backfired, they were made with hostile intent. Gibson may well feel angry about this intent, and threatened by whatever future plans these powerful Jews have in store for him.

 

When you get angry, your reptilian brain takes over. This portion of your brain exists nearest the spinal cord. It's the same size as a reptile's brain, and it works the same way, with just as little sophistication and rationality. Gibson's actions clearly indicate his reptilian brain had taken over. In that moment, his actions had the same level of sophistication and rationality one would expect from an alligator. Now, suppose that every day for a year, someone on a bicycle had done something to absolutely enrage a specific alligator. Now suppose that at some later point, someone else had come along and had likewise enraged the alligator. Maybe the alligator's instinctive reaction would be, "I bet you have a bicycle here somewhere, don't you?" Likewise, leaders of the Jewish community enraged Gibson by trying to destroy his career. When a police officer enraged Gibson by doing something which would jeopardize his career, the reptilian portion of his brain formed a connection between the two events. Amusingly, Gibson's alligator-like instinct proved correct, as the officer who arrested him was in fact Jewish!

[kegtapr]

Sure, Gibson should take some heat for his outburst, but he it's not like he said something really bad like:

 

"Ed Gives Head".

 

That would REALLY bring some punishment.

[X. Benedict]

It just occured to me that if Jews are responsible for all wars

we should at least take the time to thank them for thinking up

the American Revolution.

 

That's worked out okay for most of us.

[kegtapr]

It just occured to me that if Jews are responsible for all wars

we should at least take the time to thank them for thinking up

the American Revolution.

 

That's worked out okay for most of us.

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I wonder if the Jews were reponsible for the war with England in Braveheart?

[X. Benedict]

I wonder if the Jews were reponsible for the war with England in Braveheart?

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Not sure. Who wrote "Scots Wha Hae"?

we are talking serious royalties. . .

[X. Benedict]

Not sure. Who wrote "Scots Wha Hae"?

we are talking serious royalties. . .

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Doesn't add up, Robert Burns.

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

I wonder if the Jews were reponsible for the war with England in Braveheart?

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It was started by William Wallacestein, after all...

[ExiledInIllinois]

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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And what is wrong with that?... That is the way America works in many ways... Not just with saying things...

 

This is the land of special interest... Not that I agree or think it is right.

 

Lets call everything and everybody out onto the carpet... In the land of "privilege"... Why should we be appalled that some get away with it and some don't?