WTH Mel??

[tar heel]

Well, I'm a Christian and I found the movie or at least its promotion pretty offensive. I was and still am bothered by the vast number of people who seem to think stuff like the snake the garden, the little kids (Jewish) chasing Judas, etc., are in the Bible. I also thought it was unusual that material found only in John was included. Us Protestants don't dwell much on the passion, so DH and I actually went home and read the passion account in all four gospels. We found that we were least familiar with John.

I went to a discussion group led by a professor/rabbi, who found the movie anti-Semetic. I don't remember everything he said, but I know there are some issues with the translation of the Aramaic as well as some of the scenes from the nun's writings.

 

[MorganLeFey]

ABC has cancelled Mel's Holocaust miniseries. I had to wonder why they ever backed it in the first place.

 

[Beca]

Good Morning America reairred Mel's interview with Diane Sawyer. He admitted to being an addict of various kinds all his adult life and the demons are always present. His perceiving himself as being persecuted could be a contributing factor (among many,) for making him want to drink & rant about it.

It doesn't make him less responsible for his behavior. I was just looking at what may have been for him possible causes.

ITA!! I SERIOUSLY doubt that alcohol was the ONLY thing Mel had been taking that night! He has been pretty open about fighting his drug tendencies as well. I have heard that he has made a LOT of directors really mad over the years because he is always smoking "substances"...hence, he now directs himself (that, and he likes directing). So, I think if the LA police had tested him for drugs, they would've come back with a RAINBOW of goodies in his system.

I am not saying that Mel is a "nice guy" and we all need to "let him be". What I am saying is that there is something MORE wrong with him. I completely believe the bi-polar theory. I have someone very near and dear to me who has "bi-polar tendencies". Periodically, she will call other relatives and tell them outright lies. We all know she is a little cuckoo....but, she is SOO good at what she does....we still end up falling for her traps. Sometimes she is very repentent for what she says, and sometimes her paranoia means that she will stick to her story no matter what. At one episode, she hurled things at me and said she didn't love me, and hadn't loved me for years. The next time I saw her, she was cooking, and in the middle of the conversation about something else entirely said, "I'm sorry I told you I didn't love you. You know I really do. I don't know why I said that. It wasn't true." She seemed as confused as the rest of us. We are very close, and I KNOW she loves me...sometimes, she is just a little weird. She still functions very well in society, but every 6 months or so....something strange will come out of her mouth.....and, when you look in her eyes...she's just not the same person.

When I watch Mel on the screen, he reminds me of what I see in her. For years, I have assumed he is bi-polar. Yes, alcohol DOES "loosen your inhibitions", and then the bi-polar craziness can allow you to say stuff you ABSOLUTELY don't mean.

I am not trying to make excuses for Mel. I don't know him. Maybe he truly is an anti-semitic pig!!! But, MANY Hollywood execs are Jewish, so I imagine that Mel has many, many friends and supporters who are Jewish (who have probably been VERY hurt thru all this). So, I don't know that he really feels that way.

But, it is also possible that he is just very ill. I would not have been surprised to hear him say that "Aliens were taking over Hollywood", or any other ridiculous statement. Personally, I think he was probably in an alcohol-enhanced bi-polar episode....and, in that case....he DEFINITELY can say stuff he doesn't mean. Who knows...he may even have schizophrenia...that would explain a lot of his behavior, too.



Beca

 

[Marie17]

Well, I'm a Christian and I found the movie or at least its promotion pretty offensive. I was and still am bothered by the vast number of people who seem to think stuff like the snake the garden, the little kids (Jewish) chasing Judas, etc., are in the Bible. I also thought it was unusual that material found only in John was included. Us Protestants don't dwell much on the passion, so DH and I actually went home and read the passion account in all four gospels. We found that we were least familiar with John.

Gospel of John is found in the bible - no matter if it is a Catholic bible or Protestant bible. Another "The Passion" that some might like is done by "Raddix" - one man play. It is superb.

I do find it a little disturbing that quite a few people do not accept his apology. The Catholic League (catholicleague.org) has issued a statement regarding his apology.

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

. . .I do find it a little disturbing that quite a few people do not accept his apology.

Wasn't sure if you were being serious or sarcastic here, but what apology??? Has he admitted he said anything anti-semitic, let along apology for saying it?

 

[sodaseller]

I do find it a little disturbing that quite a few people do not accept his apology. The Catholic League (catholicleague.org) has issued a statement regarding his apology.

Enough said. Bill Donahue would defend Satan himself if he thought it would pick a fight with the nonauthoritarians. What's really funny is that Mel is not in Communion with the Church, but Bill will defend him because he's a hateful warrior, like Bill.

As for the Gospel of John, authoritarians like Crazy Bill love to hammer the power given to Peter and to the Church when they see it as a weapon to divide, and Vatican II (which Mel does not accept), issued directives on how that should be portrayed

 

[DancingBear]

I do find it a little disturbing that quite a few people do not accept his apology.

What exactly would it mean to you to "accept his apology"? Does that mean we should just act as if this never happened?

 

[MorganLeFey]

Wasn't sure if you were being serious or sarcastic here, but what apology??? Has he admitted he said anything anti-semitic, let along apology for saying it?

Aug 1, 2:01 PM EDT

Gibson Apologizes for 'Vitriolic' Words

By SANDY COHEN
AP Entertainment Writer



LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Mel Gibson said Tuesday he is not a bigot and he apologized to "everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words" he used when he was arrested for investigation of drunken driving.

"Hatred of any kind goes against my faith," he said in a statement released through publicist Alan Nierob.

"I'm not just asking for forgiveness," Gibson said. "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."

It was the second apology the 50-year-old Academy Award winner has issued through Nierob since his Friday arrest.




Gibson said he's "in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display" and hopes members of the Jewish community, "whom I have personally offended," will help him in his recovery efforts.

"There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark," Gibson said.

"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."

"We are glad that Mel Gibson has finally owned up to the fact that he made anti-Semitic remarks, and his apology sounds sincere. We welcome his efforts to repair the damage he has caused," said Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. "Once he completes his rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, we will be ready and willing to help him with his second rehabilitation to combat this disease of prejudice."



"I welcome his words. And I hope and pray that they are sincere and heartfelt," but Gibson needs to show "tangible actions" of repentance, said Rabbi Mark S. Diamond of the 280-member Board of Rabbis of Southern California.

"I don't want to minimize for a moment the hurt and anger, the anguish, his words have created in our community," he said.

Gibson acknowledged "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."

Gibson was pulled over for speeding early Friday in Malibu and arrested for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.

He was released several hours later after posting $5,000 bail.

On Monday the Sheriff's Department sent its case to prosecutors, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. According to the official, the report states that a tequila bottle was found in Gibson's car when he was pulled over on Pacific Coast Highway.

The department's initial account of the arrest did not mention Gibson's remarks. However, the law enforcement official quoted Gibson as saying, "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asking the arresting officer, "Are you a Jew?"

The sheriff's deputy who arrested Gibson said Monday he feels badly that the star's reputation has been damaged but he hopes Gibson will think twice before drinking and driving again.

"I don't take pride in hurting Mr. Gibson," Deputy James Mee told The Associated Press during an interview outside his home.

Mee, who is Jewish, said he didn't take Gibson's remarks seriously.

"That stuff is booze talking," the deputy said.

However, Gibson's latest statement said he must take responsibility for making anti-Semitic remarks because as a public person, "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."

Gibson noted that his apology and efforts to repair relations with the Jewish community "is not about a film."

ABC announced late Monday that it had scrapped plans for Gibson to produce a miniseries on the Holocaust.

"This is about real life and recognizing the consequences hurtful words can have," Gibson said.

To some people, however, it is about movies.

"I don't think I want to see any more Mel Gibson movies," Barbara Walters said Monday on the ABC talk show "The View." ABC is owned by Disney, which was in the early stages of planning the marketing for Gibson's next film "Apocalypto."

This is not the first time Gibson has faced accusations of anti-Semitism. Gibson produced, directed and financed the 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ," which some Jewish leaders said cast Jews as the killers of Jesus. Days before "Passion" was released, Gibson's father, Hutton Gibson, was quoted as saying the Holocaust was mostly "fiction."

Gibson won a best-director Oscar for 1995's "Braveheart" and starred in the "Lethal Weapon" and "Mad Max" films, among others.

In recent years, he has turned his attention to producing films and TV shows through his Icon Productions. The hundreds of millions of dollars he made from "The Passion" has given the star the ability to finance his own films, giving him a measure of independence from major studios. His last major starring role was in the 2002 film "Signs." He played a supporting part in the 2003 film, "The Singing Detective," which he also produced.

---

Associated Press Writers Solvej Schou, Jeremiah Marquez and Andrew Glazer contributed to this report.

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.



http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GIBSON_REMARKS?SITE=1010WINS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

 

[Cool-Beans]

I do find it a little disturbing that quite a few people do not accept his apology. The Catholic League (catholicleague.org) has issued a statement regarding his apology.

I just want to point out that The Catholic League is a group. They aren't affiliated with the Church. They don't have the official "stamp" of the church.

Quoting them is akin to quoting some fansite of a Disney - and giving the impression that it came from Disney itself.

I'm not saying you were implying that the Catholic Church had issued this. Really. Just some folks might get confused.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

I won't cross him off my list. I like him and am glad he apologized, he gets another chance in my book.

 

[MorganLeFey]

hehehe ...newsday.com has an opinion poll called "Has Mel Gibson lost his mind?"

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

Thanks, MorganLeFey -- Hadn't seen that he'd issued a 2nd statement to the press. He's still crossed off my list, but I do like this apology.

 

[JRawkSteady]

I never liked him as an actor, but my mother always hated him because she thought he was anti-semetic. For at least 10 years, she's been talking about this whenever someone mentions they like Mel Gibson. It's pretty funny. Anyway, since it was confirmed, I called her up and she sounded extremely content with an "I told you so" attitude. I love my mom! hehe

Oh yeah, I still can't stand Mel Gibson, but now it's more of a despise than a dislike. You can't apologize for being anti-semetic...just as you can't apologize for owning a slave...

 

[MorganLeFey]

I liked "Lethal Weapon" and "the Patriot" and that movie...I can't remember the title...the one with Helen Hunt, where he could read women's minds...

but I'm not likely to se anything new that he stars in.

 

[cardaway]

He apologized, it should be over.

It's the people still looking for more, more, more that will put people back on Gibson's side.

 

[roseprincess]

He apologized, it should be over.

I agree . He is going thru rehab and therapy now as well, ongoing rehab and therapy for alcoholism and whatever other demons he may have.
He apologized twice, willing to meet with Jewish leaders, ongoing rehab.
He is definitely doing the right thing for his situation. I'm keeping him in my prayers and thoughts.

 

[JRawkSteady]

"I'm sorry that I am racist," does not make someone not racist, does it? How is an apology acceptable?! He's still a hateful and horrible man. I suppose that if I killed one of your family members and then apologized, it would just "be over." lol, I don't think so.

 

[JRawkSteady]

He apologized twice, willing to meet with Jewish leaders, ongoing rehab.
He is definitely doing the right thing for his situation. I'm keeping him in my prayers and thoughts.

Oh, because his "people" told him to apologize twice, that means he's a great guy. His situation?! He's an anti-semite! That's his situation. Who cares if he's an alcoholic? That's got nothing to do with it.

 

[DancingBear]

He apologized, it should be over.

It's the people still looking for more, more, more that will put people back on Gibson's side.

Words are just words. I don't think it's looking for more, more, more to expect him to follow through with actions to support his words. I thought these quotes were right on:

"We are glad that Mel Gibson has finally owned up to the fact that he made anti-Semitic remarks, and his apology sounds sincere. We welcome his efforts to repair the damage he has caused," said Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. "Once he completes his rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, we will be ready and willing to help him with his second rehabilitation to combat this disease of prejudice."

"I welcome his words. And I hope and pray that they are sincere and heartfelt," but Gibson needs to show "tangible actions" of repentance, said Rabbi Mark S. Diamond of the 280-member Board of Rabbis of Southern California.

 

[MorganLeFey]

after he gets out of rehab, he should make a visit to Auschwitz...and Yad Vashem...THEN it may be "over".