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YahooBy now we all know about Mel Gibson's arrest and the drunken, anti-Semitic tirade that ensued. While being taken into custody he reportedly told the arresting officer that "the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asked him: "Are you a Jew?"
People stay and do stupid things all the time when they are drunk, but I'm sorry. You can't blame being a racist bigot on having a few drinks with some Malibu co-eds. An ass? Maybe. But a racist? No.
Mel has admitted his mistake and apologized, and wants Jewish leaders to "help him heal." But is that enough? Will he be able to change? I mean, every time I see his craggy, alcoholic mug flash across my computer screen I can't help but think, "You're a complete a--hole...but at least we finally know the real you."
I also think, "He has a bunch of kids. Imagine what he is teaching them and what they will teach their own kids?" Afterall, Mel learned how to be a jerk from his own Holocaust-denying father. I think the potential for this kind of ignorance to be perpetuated by another generation (his own brood) is what disgusts me the most. Let's hope Mel's children are less drunk and ignorant than their father.
Criticism against Gibson has been harsh with my favorite response being from Arianna Huffington who laid the smack down:
I see the Gibson story as "a moment of opportunity," a chance for reasonable people to stand up and be counted. For the sane among us to identify, separate, and condemn the extremists, the fanatics, the fundamentalists, the bigots, the hate-mongers and say 'no more.'
Al Franken has a plan for rehabilitating Mel:
Put him in a movie as an "under-five" (an actor who has fewer than five
lines). Make him play BUSBOY #2 in a Matthew McConaughey comedy.
Bill Maher offers up this admonition:
Mel, let me remind you: The Jews have not started all the wars in the world. But they have greenlit all the movies.
Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles urges Gibson to "read about Jewish persecution and visit sites where it had taken place." (I'd like to suggest the book Light One Candle by Solly Ganor, a man whom I had the honor of meeting about ten years ago. In fact, I will gladly send Mel my copy of the book.)
Hier, showing admirable restraint and openness towards Gibson, says:
Anti-Semitism is not born in one day and cannot be cured in one day and certainly not through the issuing of a press release...When Mr Gibson embarks on a serious long-term effort to address that bigotry and anti-Semitism, he will find the Jewish community more than willing to engage and help him.
Let's hope so. But if not? Who can blame them?
Can't believe I used to think he was so hot
Elisa Camahort August 2, 2006 - 11:52am
I can never watch Year of Living Dangerously again :(
Yeah, the guy is a bigot, and this is just one more in a string of little incidents that prove it. He's off my list.
Same thing happened to me with Woody Allen...I lived in NYC when all that stuff with Soon-Yi and Mia and Dylan went down. Cree. Pee. Never want to see him on screen again.
Actually, have kind of avoided Sean Connery ever since the "women want a good slap" comment too.
Who am I missing?
Elisa Camahort
BlogHer and Worker Bees
elisa@blogher.org/elisa@workerbees.biz