Mel Gibson: Is apologizing for being a racist bigot enough?

By 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?

Submitted by CityMama (view blog

) on Wed, 08/02/2006 - 12:58

Posted In

Comments (25)

Tell a Friend

Comments

Can't believe I used to think he was so hot

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

Submitted by Elisa Camahort on Wed, 08/02/2006 - 10:52

mel gibson

Editor's note: This comment has been removed because it does not adhere to BlogHer's community guidelines.

Submitted by jmirenda on Sat, 08/05/2006 - 08:17

Elisa, we must add Tom Cruise to the list!

Bleck.

Stefania Pomponi Butler
Contributing Editor, Arts & Entertainment, BlogHer

I blog:
Link TextCityMama
Link TextKimchi Mamas

Submitted by CityMama on Wed, 08/02/2006 - 11:29

Whoa Nelly

Now see, not "everyone" has been in the loop on this one. I was on vacation in no-technology-land when all of this went down and all my MIL told me upon our arrival home was that Gibson got picked up for a DUI. She didn't mention all of this.... and I've had the TV off.

I can't handle racism and bigotry in any form or fashion. So this is all quite upsetting for me. My Mother and I used to love Mel and his movies. Now... I agree. He's lumped in with Tom Cruise for me.

"Are you a Jew?" "No, but you're an idiot."

*head,desk*

Family Living; Hatfield Style
Jenna

Submitted by JennaHatfield on Wed, 08/02/2006 - 11:54

Oh yeah! Totally.

Like, could I sound any more Valley Girl ;)

But I totally agree with you...Cruise and his Brooke Shields bashing crossed a line. Not to mention everything else that's creepy about him.

Elisa Camahort
BlogHer and Worker Bees
elisa@blogher.org/elisa@workerbees.biz

Submitted by Elisa Camahort on Wed, 08/02/2006 - 11:58

Jenna, I apologize for being

Jenna,

I apologize for being so presumptuous. Mea culpa. I promise never to do it again... Will you help me on my "path to healing?"

Stefania Pomponi Butler
Contributing Editor, Arts & Entertainment, BlogHer

I blog:
Link TextCityMama
Link TextKimchi Mamas

Submitted by CityMama on Wed, 08/02/2006 - 12:08

Right on, Elisa!

Oh my God, Elisa, I'm in full agreement with your entire first comment. Every sentence of it. TYoLD is in my Top 10 films of all time. Sniffle.

I'd like to ask when Mel is going to apologize for his sexist remarks, too, or does that not matter so much? Hmmph. (Not criticizing you, CityMama; criticizing the universe.)

arse "sugar tits" poetica

Submitted by arse poetica on Wed, 08/02/2006 - 19:13

Elisa, I am just so thrilled and somehow

validated to see your comments about Connery, Allen, and then, of COURSE Tom Cruise (not to mention, of course, the recently bug-nuts-outed Mel G.). I will NOT watch their films, for exactly the reasons you cite, and have spoken with very few people who understand, much less agree with, my anger. I often hear, "But he still makes good movies..." I DON'T CARE! By putting money into the pockets of those whose ideologies we despise, we are showing them our support, and emboldening them to engage in further reprehensible behavior.

Tom Cruise has still got to be my most rage-inducing celebrity. First for all the anti-psychiatry stupidity, which cuts close to the bone for me, since I love and live with a man who valiantly battles bipolar disorder and would be lost forever without psychiatric care and medications, but also for his constant public pretending that his "religion" is an inclusive one. I can't even count how many times last year I heard him say in interviews (the "Rolling Stone" interview comes to mind) that "You can be a Catholic and be a scientologist. You can be a Jew and be a scientologist. You can be Baptist and be a scientologist..." This. Made. Me. Crazy. Because L. Ron Hubbard clearly stated in his writings that ALL notions of God, Moses, Jesus, Buddha, etc. were FALSE ideas "implanted" into thetan consciousness by Xenu (blah, blah, blah--see xenu.net for more than you ever wanted to know about Hubbard and his "religion")...so hearing him talk about how scientology embraced all religions just made my blood boil. I will NEVER knowingly spend one penny that will enrich Tom Cruise, EVER. And God forbid that anyone in his family ever suffer from a severe mental illness, because they certainly will not receive the help that they need to fight it.

Oh, and as for the titular question posed by this post, "Is apologizing enough?" Required? Yes. Enough? No. What IS enough? To truly REPENT, and to MAKE AMENDS. That is what is required. And that is what so rarely happens in cases like these.

Grrr. OK, back to Happy Me now!

Belinda

Submitted by ninjapoodles on Wed, 08/02/2006 - 23:46

Oops, accidentally posted twice. Sorry!

I was so mad my finger double-clicked! ;-)

Belinda

Submitted by ninjapoodles on Wed, 08/02/2006 - 23:46

Your daily economic vote

Oh, I'm with you Belinda.

I often describe my vegetarianism a my daily economic vote...choosing not to spend money on meat or leather or soap that's been tested on animals etc. etc. etc. It's all about who gets my money!!

Of course, I often also write about how it's impossible to be perfect, and especially when it comes to spending money on entertainment...how much do we really know about most of the stars whose pocketbooks we enrich? I'm sure somewhere out there some of my favorite musicians, actors and writers are people I would never want to give money too if I really knew them!

Elisa Camahort
BlogHer and Worker Bees
elisa@blogher.org/elisa@workerbees.biz

Submitted by Elisa Camahort on Thu, 08/03/2006 - 06:20

Y'all Nailed it

Thanks, Elisa, for including Connery! Connery got placed on the top of my creep list while listening to his interview years ago -I think many people have forgotten his beastly comment. Allen and Cruise were duly added and man, can I express my disappointment in Gibson? I learned long ago not to inflat my appreciation for celebrities because one never knows what they're like off-screen.

It's unfortunate that so many have such pretense in search for the almighty dollar. They should be penalized like any athlete in the middle of the game. They should be forced to donate $$ or community hours for the aligned charity.

Lisa, Creative Goddess
----------------------------------------
CalligraphyPets
SAVANTBlog
Creative Goddess

Submitted by ecstewart on Thu, 08/03/2006 - 10:38

Speaking of the almighty dollar

Interesting that one of the Jewish people coming out in support of Mel is the guy that's incharge of distributing his new film.

Stefania Pomponi Butler
Contributing Editor, Arts & Entertainment, BlogHer

I blog:
Link TextCityMama
Link TextKimchi Mamas

Submitted by CityMama on Thu, 08/03/2006 - 12:34

mel gibson

Editor's note: This comment has been removed because it does not adhere to BlogHer's community guidelines.

Submitted by jmirenda on Mon, 08/07/2006 - 20:26

This is blatantly racist statement (nm)

Debra
A Stitch In Time
Deb's Daily Distractions

Submitted by debra roby on Tue, 08/08/2006 - 06:26

ironically

I was reading "Vanity Fair" (The novel by William Thackery Makepeace - not the magazine) who makes several jarringly anti-semitic comments during the course of his novel. However it was written over 150 years ago, and times were different then, right? I sighed and said to my friend, "I can't believe people used to think it was totally acceptable to make anti-semitic jokes and comments as a matter of habit.

Then my friend turned on the tv and the first words I heard were some newscaster quoting Mel...

I am not so much shocked by who it is, or what he said, but in the present international climate, giving that kind of hatred so much air-time isn't going to help anyone, Jews or otherwise stop being militant and aggressive.

Sadly anti-semitism is all too normal I guess, and Thackery isn't the exception after all.

Miriam
The Flink
"like harnessing a unicorn to harvest potatoes"

Submitted by mir on Thu, 08/03/2006 - 12:20

I have compassion for Mel

Mel Gibson and My Compassion

Thought I'd throw my lone voice into the mix. I certainly respect everyone's opinions about his hateful words (and stupid words: "sugar tits" UG); I just question vilifying someone who was clearly off his rocker at the time of his comments.

It's not exactly the same as going on talk show after talk show to express your opinions.

Liz Rizzo

Everyday Goddess

SexySmart Blog

Submitted by Liz Rizzo on Thu, 08/03/2006 - 19:53

Mel Gibson and my compassion

NOTE: Just fixed my HTML on my comment above - DOH!

Liz Rizzo

Everyday Goddess

SexySmart Blog

Submitted by Liz Rizzo on Mon, 08/07/2006 - 22:13

Mel Gibson

Editor's note: This comment has been removed because it does not adhere to BlogHer's community guidelines.

Submitted by jmirenda on Sat, 08/05/2006 - 08:10

I think you are missing the point.

Mel's beliefs weren't a secret before this incident. He didn't just have a couple of drinks and say something dumb. (Well, he did but...) He's made racist and bigotted remarks before. It just took a few beers for his true self to come out.

"Who hasn't said and done things they regret?" We all have. This is different.

Merely asking if someone is Catholic or Christian isn't the problem. (Although what right does a drunk being arrested for driving under the influence have to be asking the cops anything about their religious beliefs? How about shutting your trap and being thankful you didn't kill anyone, Mel?) Having a history of being a racist bigot and then making racial slurs to a Jewish officer? That's the problem.

And what do you mean by "god forbide (sic) we say something against the Jews or other minorities?" God forbid, indeed! What would God think about that, I wonder?

But one thing we can agree on: "I'm tired of all the bull," too.

Stefania Pomponi Butler
Contributing Editor, Arts & Entertainment, BlogHer

I blog:
Link TextCityMama
Link TextKimchi Mamas

Submitted by CityMama on Sun, 08/06/2006 - 00:21

I'm offended by that post.

I've requested the removal of jmirenda's comment.

Broad accusations of what the Jews may or may not have conspired and remarks about what the "media and jews" are up to to are racist and antisemitc.

I recommend you read this.

Nerd's Eye View

Submitted by Pam on Sun, 08/06/2006 - 06:35

I agree, it's offensive.

However, I am inclined to leave it up in the interest of fostering a discussion. Surely s/he isn't the only person that feels that way. Like the article you link said--many many people saw The Passion of the Christ and believe in Mel Gibson's vision.

Stefania Pomponi Butler
Contributing Editor, Arts & Entertainment, BlogHer

I blog:
Link TextCityMama
Link TextKimchi Mamas

Submitted by CityMama on Sun, 08/06/2006 - 09:08

I disagree. It's

I disagree. It's racist/antisemitic language. Promoting discourse is fine as long as it transcends the language of - oh, who? I don't know - Mel Gibson?

Nerd's Eye View Nerd's Eye View

Submitted by Pam on Mon, 08/07/2006 - 12:54

mel gibson

So you believe in promoting discourse as long as it agrees with your views?? I don't quite get it. Enlighten me please

Submitted by jmirenda on Mon, 08/07/2006 - 20:32

CIVIL discourse

Civil discourse does not involve blanket indictment of populations and/or entities. Saying "The Jews and the Media are X" is a broad statement with no value.

For example, I would not make the mistake of saying that the Christians are responsible for all the wars in this world, though I am certainly able to come up with a number of examples in which war has been started in the name of Christianity.

If I were to say that the Christians were responsible for all the wars in the world, I would expect to be accused of anti-Christian sentiment. If I indict the Jews and the media, I would expect to be called anti-Semitic.

This has nothing to do with agreeing with me. The difference between agreeing with me and adding valuable commentary to a conversation is quite clear and I stand firmly by my request to have anti-Semeitic/racist remarks stricken from the conversation. I would request the same for any racist comments, no matter which population they attacked.

Nerd's Eye View

Submitted by Pam on Tue, 08/08/2006 - 06:01