Mel Gibson: I’m sorry (again)
It’s not nice to smile when someone else is in trouble – unless it’s Mel Gibson, that is, actor in his own right and the man behind the infamously violent and controversial film, The Passion of the Christ. He’s admitted making anti-semitic remarks when arrested for drink-driving.
Nobody should be surprised. Mel Gibson has long promoted his own brand of religious purity, which involves a slavish devotion to Roman Catholicism, breeding like there’s no tomorrow, condemnation of homosexuals and attacks on anyone involved in any relationship other than strictly monogamous and heterosexual. He is also renowned for his conservative, traditional views on women, who he seems to believe should be submissive home-makers and child-bearers and not much else.
Braveheart was a film project Gibson was responsible for and starred in. It was not only wildly historically inaccurate but portrayed the violent murder of a character said to be homosexual as something to laugh at, while The Passion of the Christ was accused of carrying anti-semitic messages, which the actor vehemently denied although the anti-Jewish dialogue in the film was clear enough to most commentators. It became known to many as the first-ever 18-certificate Christian horror film.
While much attention is rightly being focussed on Gibson’s anti-semitic remarks, Gibson has been quick to apologise. He has also in the past tried to make amends to the gay community, although his repentance statements and actions where Jews and gays are concerned smack of deriving from a need to ensure his own commercial and artistic survival rather than coming from a genuine sense of having done wrong.
Just as important, although sidelined in the media right now, is the fact that Gibson was driving while intoxicated. This puts not only his own life at risk but the lives of other motorists and pedestrians.
It seems after his latest public outburst Gibson’s career in Hollywood may well be over. His appeal to the Jewish community for ‘help with his recovery’ is shamelessly and transparently self-serving. It has very little if anything to do with genuine repentance and promoting love and tolerance. It may well be wrong of me but I can’t help thinking Gibson’s downfall is long overdue and very much deserved. Of course the man may be genuinely sorry – it’s possible for anyone to change – but something tells me otherwise given his track record.
You can read the BBC News story here.
13 comments on “Mel Gibson: I’m sorry (again)”
August 2nd, 2006 at 2:16 pm
Very nice post. I am glad that he is getting exposure for this. I wonder if it will help to turn the tides for his followers (as opposed to his fans, meaning fans of him as an actor, not followers of him as some kind of new prophet). We can only hope.
August 2nd, 2006 at 4:20 pm
well said.
What I find curious is that those entertainment news programmes this week are showing adverts featuring a drunken looking Mel with young girls hanging all over him. Call me uptight but hanging about with drunken horny girls is dancing awfully close to that line of monogamy that he so professes to believe in. I find him to be a colossal ass and hypocrite.
August 2nd, 2006 at 6:25 pm
Thank you blueberry, Steph. I am surprised at how much further down the news reports Gibson’s drunk-driving has become. It’s easily as bad as his racism in this one instance and his homophobia in the past, which has been mentioned in many of the reports. It lends the impression that anti-semitism is worse than the drinking and driving; in some ways, I suppose it could be argued it is but it’s not in my book. Everything about Gibson screams an absence of personal responsibility to me, coupled with a fervent evangelism of his own brand of utterly selfish and self-serving Christianity.
Once again, I feel sorry for those Christians who struggle against such figures to show the compassionate, loving, honest aspects of their faith as they express it. How difficult it must be for those people to stand and be counted against the rising violence of fundamentalism.
And Steph, spot on. Of course, a man like Gibson wants to be seen as virile and ‘manly’ at 50. Me, when I reach that age I will be quite happy to be seen as anything but if it means my love for my partner is acknowledged publicly and my partner’s contribution to my life is seen. Gibson’s wife is all but invisible. She has to be, I guess, with so many kids to look after… x
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:02 am
I do hope that this is the end of his career. May we next see him serving burgers at Jack In The Box! Anyone with that much hatred needs to be knocked down a few pegs or more, and I think that may have finally happened!
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:53 am
I was not at all surprised to hear what Mel had said. The man is the son of a Holocaust revisionist. That kind of hate only begets more hate. And who, as inarticulate and bumbling and downright cavemanish as Mel is, comes up with a statement like “blah blah blah appealing to Jewish leaders to help me…”??? BULLSHIT. His publicist wrote it and told him he’d have no job if he did not say it, word-for-word. He hates humanity, not just Jews.. .and he hates himself (hello repeated self-destructive behaviour!).
He’s a pitiful excuse for a person.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:53 am
well Christopher Hitchens just lowered the boom on him.
dunno if that’s exactly the kiss of death; but I think he’s probably passed his high point.
certainly bloody hope so, anyway.
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:31 am
Hayes, I agree though sadly I think we’re unlikely to see him ever doing that kind of work… The man must be unbelievably minted from The Passion of the Christ alone!
smallsquirrel: There’s an archetypal image of the unreformed Australian white man which fits Gibson perfectly. I agree, thoroughly objectionable.
belledame222: What’s that? When you say boom, do you mean he had a microphone dropped on his head during an interview yesterday?
I’m glad we won’t see that Holocaust series. Knowing Gibson’s work in the past, I thought it likely it would be controversial in all the wrong ways. x
August 3rd, 2006 at 6:46 pm
I am happy to see that you brought up the historical inaccuracies of his films both Braveheart and I will include The Patriot. His films, that he labels as truth push his own agendas, which I’m sorry to say I find very creepy.
He put other peoples lives at risk, and is very irresponsible.
And I agree with you that his plea for forgiveness just doesn’t sound very sincere.
August 4th, 2006 at 7:16 am
The Patriot… I haven’t seen that one but can well believe there’s a commonality in all Gibson’s production work of warping the truth and presenting fiction as fact. You’re right, Sue - he does put people’s lives at risk. He’s in a position of influence and abuses it for his religion. I can’t believe so many Jewish leaders are accepting his statement. I guess they can’t do much else, although I suspect they all know it’s a PR job. x
August 8th, 2006 at 3:03 am
Carnival of Bent Attractions - August 2006 Edition
It was not long after I launched this blog in January that I learned about blog carnivals in general, and The Carnival of Bent Attractions specifically. True to my nature, I threw my hat in the ring to host the carnival before I even knew what I was…
August 8th, 2006 at 9:24 am
Well done A… for being featured in the Carnival of Bent Attractions - I’ve read a few of the other articles and there is some interesting stuff in there especially an article on frugality or “Thoughtful Living” - which I thought was a particularly nice way of describing it.
August 8th, 2006 at 9:30 am
s Carnival. Thank you, Paula, for a great job. This month’s Carnival included Denise Brogan’s law paper on identity and marriage that I mentioned here. One of my favorite posts in this month’s round-up was by Andy of The Spicy Cauldron regarding Mel Gibson’s latest incident. Another fav was Paula’s post on risk and safety. ‘Tis the time to start thinking of posts you would like to submit for next month’s Carnival at A Delicate Boy
August 8th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
Heyyyyy! Yeah, thanks! I spotted that this morning. And you’re right, it’s quite an interesting mix of stuff that’s been chosen. I love that name… ‘The Carnival of Bent Attractions’!
As for thoughtful living, yeah - that should catch on as it means more and cuts to the quick better than ‘ethical living’ which sounds painful and self-depriving. x
September 10th, 2006 at 7:53 pm
so let’s all try to find a good, provocative entry or two, especially by people we don’t often see here, for the next one, hosted at Les Faits de la Fiction on October 10. Start reading! And start thinking! Andy gets us started with some thoughts on Mel Gibson: I’m Sorry (Again) posted at The Spicy Cauldron. Monica Bielanko at The Girl Who believes It Would Suck To Be Straight. Cain Cooper reports on the coming out of one of my favorite pop stars in Darren Hayes Finally “Coming Out”
January 26th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
[...] wrote about Mel Gibson begging on his knees earlier on this year, and no it wasn’t a sexual fantasy. I’ve never, ever found him appealing. No, what I [...]
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