WTH Mel??

[RadioNate]

Of course the man apologized -- there were a whole bunch of Mel handlers who said to him that he had to do that in order to save his career. To not apologize would have been foolhardy on his part.

And of course he is going into rehab. Going into rehab makes a celebrity look better to the public and probably helps him get into less trouble.

I had long heard that he was an anti-semite and at this point the camel's back is broken for me.

I agree-

People don't actually believe that Mel Gibson wrote those apologies, do they? Mel Gibson's highly trained and highly paid public relations staff drafted them, ran them by Mel's management and if they were really lucky Mel's management got Mel to take a quick look at them before the PR people released them to the media via Newswire.

Mel's 'people' are working overtime to make him look better while he's sleeping it off somewhere.

 

[TheDoctor]

I love the Andy Borowitz satire article:

Bin Laden Offers Gibson Anger Management Lessons
The Al Qaeda leader calls the actor's drunken rant 'a cry for help'.
Web-exclusive Satire
By Andy Borowitz
Special to Newsweek
Updated: 11 minutes ago
Aug. 1, 2006 - In an extraordinary appearance on the Arabic-language Al-Jazeera network today, terror mastermind Osama bin Laden reached out to Mel Gibson and offered the Hollywood actor lessons in anger management.

Millions of viewers tuned in expecting to see the Al Qaeda leader in one of his trademark terror videos, only to find the world's most wanted man giving career advice instead.

Bin Laden said that while he did not know Gibson personally, he decided to offer his help after hearing about Gibson's anti-Semitic rant to an LAPD officer, which the Al Qaeda kingpin called "a cry for help."

"Listen, I'm all for blaming things on the Jews,” said bin Laden, “but this guy went too far."

The Al Qaeda leader said that the next time Gibson feels the urge to spew hateful rhetoric, "count to ten first."

"There's a time and a place for everything," bin Laden said. "And the time to launch into an anti-Semitic tirade is when you're speaking on Al-Jazeera from the comfort and safety of your cave — not when you're stopped by the cops."

In Malibu, Gibson was tightlipped on the topic of bin Laden's recommendations, but issued the following statement through an official spokesman: "Mel Gibson is not now nor has he ever been anti-Semitic, and is looking forward to putting this incident behind him so he can get to work on his next film, 'Lethal Rabbi.'"

Elsewhere, a new scientific study says that it may be possible for human beings to become invisible, particularly if they are the Secretary of Defense.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14136085/

Very funny. I also love Andy Borowitz.

 

[cardaway]

wrong, wrong. wrong.


next month, when my family goes to High Holy Day services, a local police officer will be stationed on the corner outside our synagogue. his presence will be needed, in part because of that lunatic in Seattle. it is a real, palpable fear we experience when we hear the vitriol that came from gibson's mouth. he's an insensitive clod to have made the statements he did. he needs sensitivity training.

The guy in Seattle was caught. Mel is in rehab. Both will be no where near NY anytime soon.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Even if the guy in Seattle was caught and Mel is in rehab temples and Jewish Community Centers will still beef up security. There is always the fear of a copycat attack and it is better to be safe than sorry, especially during the High Holidays.

 

[cardaway]

Even if the guy in Seattle was caught and Mel is in rehab temples and Jewish Community Centers will still beef up security. There is always the fear of a copycat attack and it is better to be safe than sorry, especially during the High Holidays.

I realize the danger is real but IMO the connection to people on the other side of the country was quite a stretch IMO. For example, I expect the cop was going to be there anyway.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I don't like what Mel said - AT ALL - but this is America. You are allowed to say what you want, even if it isn't popular - even if it is horrid. He shouldn't be forced to do anything. And I don't believe that "sensitivity training" will ever change a bigot's mind.

I actually would rather have people say, "I hate the Jews/blacks/gays," than pretend they don't.

 

[MorganLeFey]

The guy in Seattle was caught. Mel is in rehab. Both will be no where near NY anytime soon.

and the one who shot up the Jewish day care denter in LA a few years ago was caught, as was the one who killed the kid on the Brooklyn Bridge a few years before that because he "hates Jews."

and the one who drew swastikas all over my neighborhood and vandalized all the cars WASN'T caught.


NY times from October 2003



January 2003


bias crimes

Among anti-religious hate crimes, anti-Jewish incidents remain the most common. Of the 1,374 incidents of religious bias, 954 were directed at Jews. Some believe this may be a result of Jews being blamed for everything from controlling Hollywood to starting the Iraq War.


our loal law enforcement people wouldn't station the officer in front of our synagogue if they didn't agree that there was a need for his/her services.

 

[eclectics]

and the one who drew swastikas all over my neighborhood and vandalized all the cars WASN'T caught.

That is happening with increasing frequency here in suburban New York City. When it happens in your neighborhood, it suddenly gets very real.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Even if the guy in Seattle was caught and Mel is in rehab temples and Jewish Community Centers will still beef up security. There is always the fear of a copycat attack and it is better to be safe than sorry, especially during the High Holidays.

I thought it was High Holy Days. I never saw "Holidays" before. Is that new, or am I out of the loop?

 

[simba122268]

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

Not in mine. The TRUTH came out. He's done in hollywood. Just watch .....
They have been playing news stories about it over and over and over.

 

[cardaway]

That is happening with increasing frequency here in suburban New York City. When it happens in your neighborhood, it suddenly gets very real.

But when it happens on the other coast?

 

[cardaway]

Not in mine. The TRUTH came out. He's done in hollywood. Just watch .....
They have been playing news stories about it over and over and over.

If his next movie didn't do well he was already done. The other part of all this IMO is people are acting like he was the king of Hollywood. He was barely anything before Passion and likely would have been nothing again. His big days were past. They were even talking about making Mad Max 4 because he needed a hit.

 

[eclectics]

But when it happens on the other coast?

It's a very scary news story worthy of concern and disdain. When it happens in the next town over from you, your concern for yourself and your family goes up a few notches. Is that not understandable to you?

 

[MorganLeFey]

I don't like what Mel said - AT ALL - but this is America. You are allowed to say what you want, even if it isn't popular - even if it is horrid. He shouldn't be forced to do anything. And I don't believe that "sensitivity training" will ever change a bigot's mind.

I actually would rather have people say, "I hate the Jews/blacks/gays," than pretend they don't.

he's entitled to his opinion. but if he wants to maintain a semblance of good relations with the Jewish community, he's got a lot of bridges to repair.

 

[MorganLeFey]

I thought it was High Holy Days. I never saw "Holidays" before. Is that new, or am I out of the loop?

either is correct. the High Holy days are Holidays in the strictest sence of the word.

hol·i·day ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hl-d)
n.
A day free from work that one may spend at leisure, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate a particular event.
A religious feast day; a holy day.
Chiefly British. A vacation. Often used in the phrase on holiday.

intr.v. Chiefly British holi·dayed, holi·day·ing, holi·days
To pass a holiday or vacation.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Middle English holidai, holy day, from Old English hlig dæg : hlig, holy; see holy + dæg, day; see day.]

 

[MorganLeFey]

But when it happens on the other coast?

guess you never heard of copycats.

 

[cardaway]

It's a very scary news story worthy of concern and disdain. When it happens in the next town over from you, your concern for yourself and your family goes up a few notches. Is that not understandable to you?

Next town, yes. Other coast, no. She was discussing a crime in Seattle and she is in NY. I could say they same things about the muggings in NYNY and not wanting to walk in Seattle, but IMO that would be a stretch.

 

[cardaway]

guess you never heard of copycats.

Was that necessary? Do you always have pull out the old "must not have heard" or "must be ignorant of" angle?

 

[eclectics]

Next town, yes. Other coast, no. She was discussing a crime in Seattle and she is in NY. I could say they same things about the muggings in NYNY and not wanting to walk in Seattle, but IMO that would be a stretch.

I see the point you are making now, but when you are a part of the group, as she apparently is, that is the object of the hatred, I think you have the right to be concerned no matter what coast you are on. These highly publicized hate crimes have a tendency to embolden others to attempt to do the same. I don't have stats but I did read a study where it was documented that this does occur.

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

Next town, yes. Other coast, no. She was discussing a crime in Seattle and she is in NY. I could say they same things about the muggings in NYNY and not wanting to walk in Seattle, but IMO that would be a stretch.

Are you kidding me?!? Ideas travel a lot farther than a neighborhood. . . and so does ignorance.