What's up with Mel Gibson?

by Heather Craven (Subscribe to Heather Craven's posts) Aug 3rd 2006 4:30PM

Categories: Just For Dads, Rumors, Media

One of the few celebrities to stumble into the caddy gossip trap is Mel Gibson. Sure he made that controversial movie about Jesus and his secret thing with Mary Magdalene. Yes, it ruffled quite a few feathers, though I wouldn't know because if it isn't animated and Disney, it likely won't be shown in my home. But Gibson's most recent foray into the public spotlight is less than stellar as far as his reputation is concerned.

His recent arrest for alleged drunk driving and his racist and sexist remarks have caused quite a stir among the Jewish community. His slanderous remarks have left a tarnish on his otherwise mostly clean personality and may alienate him from some of the powerful players in the Hollywood area. He is reportedly seeking help for his admitted alcohol problem through an outpatient AA program.

In all fairness, scenes like Gibson's play out all over the country everyday. This does not make driving under the influence or racism right in any way whatsoever, but when it is a celebrity who so publicly errs the heat is that much more intense. Gibson could use this as an opportunity to make amends to a great number of people. He could go through rehab, stay clean, perform community service and serve as a role model of how to change one's careless ways. He could also publicly apologize for his slanderous comments towards the Jewish community and take a stand that racism in any form is just plain wrong. He could to so these things for himself, his fans, his community, but most of all he should do them for his children so that they can realize just how important it is to take accountability for one's mistakes and to do the right thing.

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Comments (15)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Eden 8-03-2006 @ 5:08PM

There's always "Chicken Run" ;)

daisy 8-03-2006 @ 7:39PM

But in order for any of this to work, he'd have to be sincere. I think a guy who, when drunk, calls a woman police officer "sugar tits" and screams that the jews are responsible for every war in the world, is a guy whose whole mindset is off. His father is apparently some whack job holocaust-denier.

I suspect we're simply hearing about the real Mel Gibson now. Also, let's not forget that he was partying at some bar with a bunch of young women (closer to his kids' age than his own!) before this PR debacle.

He's lucky he didn't hurt anybody. I hope the powers that be in Hollywood hold him responsible for running his mouth. I hope the funding continues to get pulled.

Nancy 8-03-2006 @ 8:27PM

Here is Mel's apology regarding his anti-Semitic remarks:

(http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2260807)
There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark. I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge.

I am a public person, and when I say something, either articulated and thought out, or blurted out in a moment of insanity, my words carry weight in the public arena. As a result, I must assume personal responsibility for my words and apologize directly to those who have been hurt and offended by those words.

The tenets of what I profess to believe necessitate that I exercise charity and tolerance as a way of life. Every human being is God's child, and if I wish to honor my God I have to honor his children. But please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith.

I'm not just asking for forgiveness. I would like to take it one step further, and meet with leaders in the Jewish community, with whom I can have a one on one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing.

I have begun an ongoing program of recovery and what I am now realizing is that I cannot do it alone. I am in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display, and I am asking the Jewish community, whom I have personally offended, to help me on my journey through recovery. Again, I am reaching out to the Jewish community for its help. I know there will be many in that community who will want nothing to do with me, and that would be understandable. But I pray that that door is not forever closed.

This is not about a film. Nor is it about artistic license. This is about real life and recognizing the consequences hurtful words can have. Its about existing in harmony in a world that seems to have gone mad.

daisy 8-03-2006 @ 9:08PM

Nancy, too bad he didn't apologize for demeaning comments to women.

I still don't buy it. Not that it really matters what I think, but I think he's in a desperate scramble for his career.

Stefania Pomponi Butler 8-03-2006 @ 10:40PM

I recently blogged the Mel Gibson issue for BlogHer:
http://blogher.org/node/8772

Mel learned how to be a jerk from his own father who believes that the Holocaust was "mostly fiction." Mel himself has said that the Holocaust was a "numbers game."

He is a racist, sexist, bigot, and the fact that he could be passing on his beliefs to his children is what saddens me the most. Imagine being a child in that house.

Sure he apologized and begged Jewish leaders to "help him heal," but is that really enough?

Eva 8-04-2006 @ 3:30AM

Mel Gibson's apology is completley self-serving. He knows that Jews are at the head of CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, Warner Bros, Viacom, Miramax, Paramount, Dreamworks, Clear Channel, MTV, and Disney and that without their support his career is circling the drain. Up until now, he's been careful not to cross the line too much and now he's trying to back petal. Too bad. I don't have problems with people who spout off differing beliefs, but integrity is something else. He should stick to what he believes in, instead of waffling.

clara 8-04-2006 @ 9:52AM

"Sure he made that controversial movie about Jesus and his secret thing with Mary Magdalene."

What are you talking about? There was nothing in "The Passion" remotely like that, yuo must have gotten it confused with "the Last Temptation of Christ" and "the Davinci Code." Mel`s movie was an exact telling of the gospel as seen through the visions of a famous female Catholic mystic. She wrote a book about her visions and Mel basically filmed them exactly like that. I agree with everything else here, but at least get your facts right about his movie.

IEC 8-04-2006 @ 10:09AM

Sometimes I wonder if this is a blog about babies or celebrities.

Heather 8-04-2006 @ 10:26AM

Okay, you got me on the movie part. I did say I had not seen it. I will now have to rent it so that the next time I say something I can recall it accurately.
However, my point was this: he made a controversial movie that had many people in a tizzy. But that was weak in comparison for the controversy he has now caused.

And as for this site being about celebrities or babies or concrete issues, here is the thing: people will comment from here until the moon about a celebrity post. But we work hard on many other, more meaningful, posts everyday and rarely will people mutter even a peep. I believe it is a reflection of just how sad of a state our country is in when readers are willing to take time to pen a comment about a Britney dropping her baby or Mel Gibson behaving like an ass when there are nearly 20 other MUCH better posts here everyday.

So does it really matter exactly what the contents of Passion of the Christ were? I don't think so. There are so many other issues to contemplate and give feed back on, look at those posts.

And as for why do we write them? Well, it hooks you people in and generates some chat. But, please look at the other stuff, give it some thought and leave your words there.

IEC 8-04-2006 @ 12:54PM

Right, but often the connection of the story to babies or children is that the celebrity has babies or children. This one jumped out at me because I was expecting the requisite "Mel has 5 kids at home with his wife Bertha," and I didn't see it.

I quickly re-read it again and saw no connection to what I thought was the purpose of this blog. Is there a written mission statement for Blogging Baby?

I'm not discounting your writing or this story, I just get confused when I see stories on here that seem to stretch the limits as child related. Is it a baby news blog or a general current events blog?

Ginny 8-04-2006 @ 3:14PM

"people will comment from here until the moon about a celebrity post. But we work hard on many other, more meaningful, posts everyday and rarely will people mutter even a peep. "

Amen sister.

ann adams 8-04-2006 @ 5:50PM

I've been hearing about the "real" Mel Gibson for years which explains why I won't contribute a dime to his fortune. He's made no secret of his opinions; only the language changed.

The only thing new here is that, under the influence, he said what he really thought in an obscene, insulting manner and he said it to police officers. Drunks don't manufacture beliefs out of nowhere; they just cover them better when sober.

Perhaps he'll learn in his outpatient program that his belated, selfserving apology has nothing to do with the 9th Step of AA (making amends). And perhaps not. For him as for many others, the program may be an easy way to stay out of jail.

daisy 8-05-2006 @ 7:28AM

I thought it was refreshing to see a celebrity father covered, since it's usually just celebrity moms (or so it seems), except for birth announcements.

daisy 8-05-2006 @ 7:31AM

"And as for this site being about celebrities or babies or concrete issues, here is the thing: people will comment from here until the moon about a celebrity post. But we work hard on many other, more meaningful, posts everyday and rarely will people mutter even a peep. I believe it is a reflection of just how sad of a state our country is in when readers are willing to take time to pen a comment about a Britney dropping her baby or Mel Gibson behaving like an ass when there are nearly 20 other MUCH better posts here everyday."

Ouch, Heather, good job insulting your readers! So your excuse is that you are just following orders? Nice one!

I think you are far too dismissive here. I just checked back over recent posts, and plenty of celebrity posts have zero comments (at this point, Brooke Burke, Madonna, Marie Osmond). And plenty of important issues (obesity, child safety in summer heat) have lots of posts.

I also think this Mel Gibson thing is different because of the truly mean-spirited and nasty tenor of his comments.

Patty Farner 8-06-2006 @ 10:31PM

I concur with the commentor number 8. Mel's movie was strictly from OUR Bible, OUR Lord's words. Mel did not twist any truth. I can understand he being defensive regarding Jewish Religion. I myself am tired of people coming to America and expecting America not to be able to practice our Christian/Catholic religion in which our Country was built on. I strongly feel is one comes to America, then become an American and if you don't like our traditions, our beliefs, then go home. I also feel they should learn our language. Can you picture Americans moving to China and protesting the Chinease praying to their Buddah? I also want to add, with our Lord Jesus, sin is sin. There is no measure of sin. We all sin, and if anyone out there thinks they don't, then they have seriouse problems. When Jesus was sent to this world, he came to the sinners, not the self-righteous, he came to us because we need him. How many of you that have commented have a drink of wine, or smoke cigarettes?
Mel shared a most beautiful part of the bible with us, so we could see in our eyes the horrifying tortue Jesus went through so we would be forgiven for our sins. We humans do not get to heaven by being flawless, Jesus gave us a Gift! "Salvation," and that is the reason why we will get to heaven, through our Salvation with Jesus. Mel is a human, what did you expect the man to walk across water just because he put facts from our Holy Bile into a movie? Mel didn't write the Bible, and I don't know one true Christian that falls short. In closing, who are you to Judge? When was the last time you rose one from the dead? When have you walked across water, and what makes you think you are sinless? I think Mel, in a Public Figure, doesn't need to apologize for anything. We have people protesting in America that our American Flag offends them! This is our Country, and it is a Free Country, but this freedom our Fore-Fathers created on the basis of Christainity. Why do Americans have to apologize for offending foreignors!
If these people hate Americans, and our belief's, then let them go back to where they came from. Basically, the Jewish offend me, they state that Jesus is not the son of God, and that he did not, and does not perform miracles. My Lord Jesus performs miracles everyday, and as Peter did in the Garden, I too have the right to defend my Lord Jesus Christ.

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