How ironic is it that Hollywood studios walk on eggshells with faith-based groups hoping their religious epics like Noah do a fraction of the business Mel Gibson did with The Passion Of The Christ, while those studios continue to shun Gibson like a leper? What better way to commemorate Passion‘s 10th anniversary than journalist Allison Hope Weiner‘s examination of her relationship with Gibson and how it evolved from harsh coverage to the point where she feels strongly enough about his good qualities and recovery to urge Hollywood to consider giving him another chance. Weiner has written about Gibson for Deadline before, as well as The New York Times and other national magazines. – MF
It has been a decade since Mel Gibson made The Passion Of The Christ and watched it become the biggest-grossing independent film with $612 million in worldwide ticket sales. In the years that followed, Gibson made several comments that went public, made him seem anti-Semitic and racist. They made him persona non grata at major studios and agencies, the same ones that work with others who’ve committed felonies and done things far more serious than Gibson, who essentially used his tongue as a lethal weapon. As a journalist who vilified Gibson in The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly until my coverage allowed me to get to know him, I want to make the case here that it is time for those Hollywood agencies and studios to end their quiet blacklisting of Mel Gibson. Once Hollywood’s biggest movie star whose film Braveheart won five Oscars and whose collective box office totals $3.6 billion, Gibson hasn’t been directly employed by a studio since Passion Of The Christ was released in 2004.
The Gibson I’ve come to know isn’t a man who’ll shout from the rooftops that he’s not anti-Semitic, or hold a press conference to tell media those audiotapes were released as part of a shakedown, and that he never assaulted the mother of his infant daughter. He won’t explain to people that he first got himself into a career spiral because he’s a long struggling alcoholic who fell off the wagon and spewed hateful anti-Semitic remarks to an arresting officer who was Jewish. He won’t tell you that he’s still got a lot to offer Hollywood as a filmmaker.
The fact that he won’t jump to his own defense is part of his problem, but also part of why I have grown to respect him. That is why on the occasion of this 10th anniversary of Passion, a film about an innocent man’s willingness to forgive the greatest injustice, I propose to Hollywood that it’s time to forgive Mel Gibson. He has been in the doghouse long enough. It’s time to give the guy another chance.
For those who are skeptical, I understand. For the longest time, I disliked Gibson and thought he was a Holocaust-denier, homophobic, misogynistic, racist drunk. I wrote as much in articles for EW and the NY Times. And whenever I wrote about him, I would get irate calls from his representatives saying I didn’t know him.
Then something happened that I never expected. I came to rethink my harsh assessment after I got to know the man. It started when I interviewed him in 2006 for an EW cover. I could see that he was smart, expressing sincere empathy for the people he’d hurt. I had to admit to myself that I was impressed that he hadn’t shied away from answering my tough questions.
We next spoke when he was working on a script about Vikings with his Braveheart writer Randall Wallace. After that, we spoke occasionally on the phone and met for lunch at his Icon Production offices to discuss Get The Gringo. Our conversations were mostly about business, but would carry over to movies or books we liked, trips we’d taken. I liked how his mind worked. Like the movies he directs, the stories he told were incredibly visual. He never asked me for anything or tried to play me, and I’ve interviewed enough movie stars to know when they are working you. Gibson was unafraid to disagree with and challenge me. Our conversations broadened to family, our relationships, religion.
It developed into something that felt like friendship, which doesn’t often happen with investigative journalists and the subjects they cover. Odder still was that it happened with a man disdained by my colleagues, friends and my family, who, like me, are observant Jews. At this point, Gibson’s career had gone all kinds of wrong, starting with that 2006 DUI arrest, when he told that cop that “the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.” Four years later, he sounded positively unhinged and racist in surreptitious recordings of an angry phone exchange between Gibson and ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva — the mother of his infant daughter. The whole world heard him shout abusively at her and make racist remarks.
It was after the latter episode that my relationship with Gibson truly changed. It’s very difficult to get to know anyone in a journalistic context — one rarely gets any real insight into the person you’re interviewing. In Gibson’s case, this was particularly true. He wasn’t the kind of person to open up a vein and publicly plead for forgiveness as some do. But a conversation that came months after that changed our relationship.
I was on vacation with my family when Gibson called me. During his breakup with Grigorieva, he’d gone through a terrible emotional breakdown and struggled to get healthy, gain joint custody of his infant daughter and deal with the fallout from the publication of those awful tapes. He was in a very bad place and we talked for some time about how difficult it was for him to deal with the pain he’d inflicted on his family — his ex-wife Robyn and his seven children, his infant daughter. He got so upset talking about that period in his life that he ended our call abruptly. He’d shared some very deep, personal feelings with me and was in so much pain, that I was honestly worried about him. It wasn’t the type of conversation that one has with an interview subjects. I decided we were friends now and that I could no longer write objectively about him.
Since then, I’ve gotten to know Gibson extremely well. I thought it would be difficult for him to have a friend in the media, but he has been surprisingly honest and trusting. As a lawyer-turned-reporter, I have no problem asking tough questions, even of friends. Gibson never wavered or equivocated when I confronted him, whether the subject was his drinking, his politics, his religion or his relationships with women. It soon became clear that my early journalistic assessment of him wasn’t right.
This crystallized when we met each other’s families. It was hard to blame his family for being skeptical of a journalist, but the issues with my own family were more challenging. Gibson asked to meet them at my son’s bar mitzvah celebration. Imagine the scene: A room filled with Jews. In walks the person who, in their minds, might be the most notorious anti-Semite in America. Gibson attended alone and I can only imagine what was going through his head when he walked into the party.
Before the evening was over, he was chatting with many of my relatives, who saw a funny, kind, charming guy and not the demon they’d read about. Gutsier still, he attended our Yom Kippur break fast dinner. Anyone who has attended such a gathering knows there is nothing more imposing than making friends in a room full of Jews who haven’t eaten in 24 hours.
It might sound naïve after 20 years writing about celebrities, but my friendship with Gibson made me reconsider other celebrities whose public images became tarnished by the media’s rush to judge and marginalize the rich and famous. Whether it’s Gibson, Tom Cruise or Alec Baldwin, the descent from media darling to pariah can happen quickly after they do something dumb. I was part of that pack of journalists paid to pounce, so I know. I consider myself intelligent, someone who makes up her own mind, but just like readers do, I have accepted some reports at face value. The press said that based on Gibson’s statements, he was a homophobe, a misogynist, a bully, an ant-Semite, so he must be. What he was, I discovered, was an alcoholic whose first outburst was captured after he fell off the wagon. What the later release of audiotapes showed was a man with a frightening temper, capable of saying whatever will most offend the target of his anger.
I’ve discussed the Holocaust with Gibson and whether his views differed from those of his father. Just as he refused to condemn his father in that TV interview with Diane Sawyer, Gibson refused to discuss his dad with me. Similar to what he told Sawyer, Gibson told me that he believed that 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. “Do I believe that there were concentration camps where defenseless and innocent Jews died cruelly under the Nazi regime? Of course I do; absolutely,” he told Sawyer. “It was an atrocity of monumental proportion.” In our conversations, I took that a step further. Why, I asked him “did you say those things about the Jews starting all the wars? Where did those unkind things come from?” Gibson thought for a moment, then answered that he’d been terribly hurt by the very personal criticism of him from the Jewish community over The Passion Of The Christ. He said that while he’d been criticized for films before, this was personal and cruel. He said that when he drinks, he can be a mean drunk and “Stuff comes out in a distorted manner…” His own faith led him to make his version of Christ’s story, and he found himself being attacked for making a film that might get Jews killed, and that he was insensitive that his depiction of Jews as Christ’s killer could inflame religious tensions. He was called names by numerous Jewish leaders and a few people literally spat on him. “The criticism was still eating at me,” he told me. “This was a different kind of hammering. A very personal attack.”
Based on my exchanges with Gibson and my own reporting on his transgressions, I’ve stopped doubting him. He worked in Hollywood for 30 years without a single report he was anti-Semitic. Before that drunken evening in July 2006, he worked all the time with producers, directors, actors and crew who happened to be Jewish, without incident. But, even if I accept the comments from those who believe his drunken remarks tapped into some deep-seated anti-Semitism back then, the Gibson I know now is clearly a different man, one who has worked on his sobriety since that awful night in Malibu.
Gibson would later tell me that he was grateful the officer pulled him off the road that night because he might have killed someone else or himself. He felt so badly for verbally attacking LA County Sheriff’s Deputy James Mee that night that he later asked him out for coffee to personally apologize. Like many things he does, Gibson never publicized that.
I am not nominating Gibson as an altar boy. It takes a certain kind of person to make movies with the intensity of Braveheart, The Passion Of The Christ, and Apocalypto. As I’ve seen with other temperamental stars, there is a wildness in his blue eyes, an electricity that is part of what has made him a big movie star and a great director. One has only to interview the man to see that there’s something a little different in how he sees the world. He’s intense and rash, and he struggles with alcoholism. Despite the Australian bravado, and the crude humor, he is actually quite sensitive to criticism, even if he doesn’t publicly challenge or deflect it.
In his second apology on the anti-Semitic statements, Gibson promised to reach out to Jewish leaders. Gibson followed up by meeting with a wide variety of them. He gave me their names when I asked, but Gibson asked me not to publish them because he didn’t want them dragged into public controversy or worse, think he was using them. The meetings were not some photo op to him, he told me, but rather his desire to understand Judaism and personally apologize for the unkind things he said. He has learned much about the Jewish religion, befriending a number of Rabbis and attending his share of Shabbat dinners, Passover Seders and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur dinners. I believe that effort, along with our conversations, helped him understand why Jewish people reacted as they did to The Passion Of The Christ and why there was Jewish support for the Second Vatican Council. Gibson has quietly donated millions to charitable Jewish causes, in keeping with one of the highest forms of Tzedakah in the Jewish faith, giving when the recipient doesn’t know your identity.
Gibson went well beyond a mea culpa tour. He came out of that experience determined to film the Jewish version of Braveheart. He set at Warner Bros a film about Judah Maccabee, who with his father and four brothers led the Jewish revolt against the Greek-Syrian armies that had conquered Judea in the second century B.C. That seminal story is celebrated by Jews all over the world through Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Gibson planned to direct, but the effort was undermined by the decision to hire Joe Eszterhas to write it. The screenwriter’s penchant for making public spectacles of private matters (he famously leaked a conversation when he said ex-agent Mike Ovitz threatened him), and Gibson’s unwillingness to publicly defend himself, doomed the film.
After Eszterhas traveled to Gibson’s Costa Rica estate to discuss a draft he’d written, things got ugly. I’ve heard from sources at Warner Bros that Eszterhas turned in a shoddy script that was rejected. Gibson was upset, the writer’s son taped the outburst and Eszterhas leaked a nine-page memo to a website happy to take his side. Eszterhas said he did all this for reasons that ranged from persuading Gibson to get help to protecting the Jews and Gibson’s estranged girlfriend from his violent rage. Was it possibly a convenient smokescreen to obscure taking a studio paycheck and not putting in the work, or maybe something more, since the writer turned the episode into a windfall when he used the controversy to get an e-book deal?
Gibson will never win in some quarters, but his penchant for not hitting back makes him the dictionary definition of a good punching bag. I’ve observed hypocrisy in several examples where Gibson was vilified. For instance, when agent Ari Emanuel wrote a column for the Huffington Post urging Hollywood to shun Gibson, the actor’s longtime agent, Ed Limato, told me that Emanuel tried to poach Gibson as a client as recently as when The Passion Of The Christ was released. “For some people in my business to publicly try to destroy Mel Gibson because of this incident the other night I find very hypocritical,” Limato told me, “since I know Ari and a few others, who even after The Passion Of The Christ have been calling Mr. Gibson and trying to entice him to their agency as a client weekly.”
While talent including director Roman Polanski (drugged and sodomized a minor, and fled), Mike Tyson (rape conviction), Chris Brown (beat up ex-girlfriend Rihanna), T.I. (weapons charge), and many others are repped by major agencies, no agency has touched Gibson since Emanuel discharged him as a WME client after those tapes surfaced and he used the “N” word. Gibson has been shunned not for doing anything criminal; his greatest offenses amount to use of harsh language.
I’ve spoken to numerous colleagues who forgave Gibson for his anti-Semitic remarks (that list includes Dean Devlin, Mike Medavoy and Richard Donner) and they are quick to remind you who Gibson helped along the way. Start with Robert Downey Jr, who at one point was broke and an insurance risk on films. Gibson put up the insurance bond himself to secure Downey to star in The Singing Detective, which Gibson’s Icon produced. It was a performance that ignited the actor’s resurgence. I know that he also helped Britney Spears when she hit bottom, and that he tried to save Whitney Houston from the drug abuse that ultimately killed her. Not everybody is that generous: when Gibson himself needed a break that came when Warner Bros hired him for a showy role in The Hangover Part II, he was abruptly dropped when cast complained to director Todd Phillips. Mind you, these same actors happily worked with Tyson despite his felony conviction for rape.
I don’t bring all this up to excuse anything Gibson has done wrong, but sometimes it’s worth a closer look. Take the notorious audiotapes released during his row with ex-girlfriend Grigorieva. From my own investigation of the incident, I am persuaded Gibson did not beat her or give her a black eye. I base this on interviews with her lawyer and the deputy district attorney who handled the case. Gibson admitted to “tapping” Grigorieva on the head during an argument in which she shook their infant daughter. This was at a time when Gibson was going through an emotional breakdown, and Grigorieva capitalized on that by secretly taping their calls in an effort to shake money out of him.
On March 11, 2011, Gibson was charged with misdemeanor battery and pleaded no contest, without admitting guilt. I covered the case for Newsweek (before Gibson and I crossed the friendship line). The L.A. District Attorney’s office determined that Gibson was responsible for misdemeanor assault but that there was also evidence of extortion by Grigorieva. “There is no question there was admissible evidence of extortion,” former Deputy District Attorney John Lynch said at the time. “The problem, however, was whether the D.A. could get a jury to convict.” Lynch added, “As a practical matter, you have to choose between the two cases. In the one case of domestic abuse, the victim could potentially be a defendant in the other case of extortion. If we’d filed an extortion charge against Ms. Grigorieva and tried to call her as a witness in the domestic abuse case, no defense attorney on the planet would allow her to answer questions.”
Although the police initially contemplated charging Gibson with a felony, they declined. As one investigator with knowledge of the case told me at the time, “they had enormous problems with the credibility of the complaining witness [Grigorieva].” This statement was also confirmed by sources within the District Attorney’s office.
I’ve since learned from Gibson about his personal spiral that occurred between his 2006 DUI arrest and the breakup with Grigorieva. The day after the DUI, Gibson’s wife asked him to leave the family home. Gibson was suddenly single and alone for the first time in 30 years, cut off from his seven children and wife as he struggled to stop drinking. He was depressed and lonely, his career in shambles as he apologized to anyone who’d listen. Alone in a new house, he tried to stay off the sauce. It was then that he met Grigorieva, a Russian pianist who’d dated composer David Foster after being married to actor Timothy Dalton.
The relationship got rocky when Gibson asked her to sign a co-habitation agreement. Shortly after, according to published emails, Grigorieva began arguing with Gibson about whether he would provide for her if they split. This intensified after the birth of their daughter in October 2009, when she began taping the recordings that she allegedly leaked to the press despite a judge’s order. Those recordings revealed a man in personal turmoil. While they contain racist and misogynistic statements, there is also evidence that the comments she made to provoke those statements were conveniently edited out. No matter. You can’t make any of what he said OK, and Gibson paid a price much higher than whatever monies Grigorieva walked away with. Whatever good will Gibson had in Hollywood evaporated.
I’ve asked him why he didn’t defend himself when the tapes surfaced. Why didn’t he challenge the assertion he was crazy? He shrugged his shoulders and said his comments just seem to make things worse. So he continues to say nothing.
Hollywood has long been a town famous for loving a good comeback story. In Gibson’s case, I believe that a few powerful people have gone out of their way to prevent that.
I’m telling you, my friend Mel Gibson has pulled himself together. He is sober seven years, hitting the gym for a role in an independent film, and thinking positively about the future. It has been 11 years since he was paid by a major studio to star in a film, and he hasn’t directed a studio film since Braveheart won five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. He wasn’t the bad person I thought he was back when I first wrote about him, and I’m telling you, he is now not the person you think he is. As one A-list star told me recently, “Mel has spent enough time in the penalty box.”
So how about it, Hollywood?
Is there a summary of this letter? Who cares enough about this topic to read the whole thing?
I do. It was interesting and well worth the time.
Hollywood’s hypocrisy regarding Gibson knows no bounds. The stars of Hangover Part II complaining about his casting while apparently not doing so when working with Mike Tyson, convicted rapist, is all the evidence you need. They won’t admit it, but it’s what they perceive as his politics ans his faith that they truly object to.
Absolutely not. There is no room in a civilized society for gross anti-Semitic and racial remarks and views (not to mention his views on women). These views, in the hands of powerful people like Mel Gibson, can have detrimental domino effects throughout the entire industry and even influence the views of his fan base (for the worse). Hollywood or not, hundreds of millions of dollars in profits or not, this industry cannot allow a man who obviously has these views to be welcomed back because he has “cleaned up his act” – what does that even mean? He will still harbor these anti-Semitic and racial views, but he will just keep his reckless comments to himself? Also – comparing one bad behavior to another means nothing. Saying “well we welcomed back a rapist, lets welcome back an anti-Semitic” is not a constructive way of looking at Mel’s behavior and determining whether, as an industry, we should allow him to be part of our team.
ah, shove it No Mel, who gives a rat’s butt what you think?
That’s right Buff. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
“Let he who has no sin cast the first stone”. I bet if we took a little stroll through “No Mel’s” life we could uncover some hypocrisy.
No Mel, indeed.
Oh, climb of your high horse. Drunk angry people use any verbal weapon that comes to hand.
You took by-god communists off your blacklist — defenders of an ideology that killed more people than anti-Semitism.
Here Here. Someone keeping it short and sweet.
I guess you are a fan of the lier M.Moore?
What’s a lier?
Because I know that no grown person is actually stupid enough to post evidence in a public forum on the Internet that they can’t spell “liar.”
Lier is someone who positions his/hers body in a horizontal fashion.
It is not constructive to mention that rapists are welcome (warmly I might add) and drunken anti-semites are not? Maybe it would be constructive to examine why child rapists get a pass in the industry. You people take the cake.
Can someone (like no mel) please respond to this point. I would love to see any rational rebuttal……….
Hollywood=wood of witch’s wands.
As far as getting to the point,WME was wooing MG before all of the shenanigans.. When Mel decided not to sign with WME, they went after him.
I think is really good for this journalist to accept that she rushed into judging a person she did not know. While she is at it, she should invite all other journalists to do the same. In the end, thanks to them and the rest of the media, along with the politicians they protect (both sides), has made the Country to hate each other. It is not right to claim you are offended only when it serves your personal purpose. It is hypocrite to pretend that you are a tolerant person when you rush to insult those who don’t share your opinion. And for those who go screaming antisemitism, racism, homophobic, etc. for everything, get a life! There are probably a lot of people with this sentiments, but it is not the majority of Americans, move on! It would be really sad to have another catastrophy in this Country to remind us that we are all humans from a huge variety of background, who share one great nation! Otherwise we are not better that the Shia’s and the Sunni’s fighting each other.
As for Mel Gibson, good for him that he has been able to fight his demons and make some amends! He is a great Actor and a great Director. To everyone else: Be happy people! Life is too short! We will all end our life in the same way!
Absolutely not….and you are willing to put up with the two racists living in the White House?
Don’t be a little bitch.
It can only be tolerated in today’s music, that is sung to and sold to kids. It amazes me what we will tolerate from someone we like but take a stance against the same behavior from someone we don’t.
Well put! Hollywood has for decades been a hypocritical place where it’s residents, moguls and “stars” do whatever they wish without regard to others, & needs to GROW UP! Mel Gibson is the
best actor/director there has been in decades. This includes Scorsze, DeNiro, and even Speilberg, in my opinion. No one has
to forgive Mel, just allow him to practice his art. But they
should forgive him because they are not better than him or anyone
else. I like Mel Gibson and miss him!!
There is no place in a civilized society whose citizens make long distance judgment calls about people (as the writer said she had done) and are unwilling to exercise forgiveness and compassion. I’d venture to say that such judgmental people are guilty of similar crimes if not worse but are either unwilling to admit it or blind to the existence of their own faults.
Mel Gibson has a right to hate Jews or anyone else that he dislikes. BUT, those rights give me the option to either like or dislike Mel Gibson. He is so ingrained with hate he will never change. I wish him no ill will but hope he finds peace before he leaves this earth.
Thank you.
I guess Bernie didn’t read the story. Either way it wouldn’t have mattered. He had his mind made up way beforehand.
Well said. We are so used to gloat when somebody’s glory turns onto mud, enjoying their fall well aware that we didn’t even try to understand those people’s issues.
The most Famous JEW would turn the other cheek!!!!!!!!!!
I know of no evidence that the Gibson-haters are big fans of the most famous Jew of all time.
Yet there seems to be much room in “civilized society,” whatever that means, for unforgiveness and ironinc intolerance. You may find, next time you feel the itch to post something thoughtless and unintentionally ironic that it pays to read the article you are posting about.
In consideration of Allison Weiner’s heritage and education, as well as the substantial amount of time she has spent with Mr. Gibson, she is in a better position to make an evaluation than most. As for his ugly remarks, they have not gone unnoticed or unpunished. The term “fan base” is a generalization, and generalizations by nature are prejudicial. It suggests that everyone who has ever enjoyed one of his movies is a moron, incapable of discernment. Hopefully, you are not painting with such broad strokes. Obviously, I don’t know you, but your post suggests that you are a sensitive person (a good trait), who would not like to be guilty of insensitive remarks, especially in a public forum.
But there’s always room in a civilized society for a racist rapist boxer or racist rappers and extreme Jewish nationalists, right.
It’s funny how ALL the people on this message board who defend Mel Gibson, like Alex, are so transparently malignant hateful racists themselves. These responses were to be expected, probably Fakes News watching Republicans (already read one totally off-topic attack on the President by some rightwing nutcase).
Most leftists are 10 x worse than Gibson. His real transgression: he’s Christian, conservative, hetero-normative, an unashamed capitalist. Leftists are chronically anti-Semitic (look at their hate of Israel), excluding, hypocritical, looters in spirit. Leftists should be persona non grata among civilized people everywhere.
You sad, pathetic little man.
And Stephen, he unfortunately has a problem with alcohol that could make anyone’s regular problems a nightmare.
Many of the people commenting on the piece are somewhat detached from reality, its not about the persecution of Christians! Mel has shown himself through his actions and comments to be an anti semite, a racist (remember when he suggested that his ex by dressing in a way in which he disapproved should get “raped by a gang of N words”?, an obvious misogynist. Not to mention the recordings that the ex leaked in which he sounds unhinged, angry, and garden variety insane!. Also lets not forget that Mel did make a pseudo comeback film with Jodie Foster, “the Beaver”. which flopped pretty epically. So it may not be so much that he’s “blacklisted” as the audience have spoken…. and for whatever reason his politics, his religious leanings or his bigotry, dont want to see him anymore. I also find some of the vitriol being spewed here by many avowed “Christians” to be demonstrative of a greater hypocrisy than any supposed hypocrisy that many here want to charge “Hollywood” with.
Disapproving–or even hating–what the Israeli government does is not the same thing as Anti-Semitism. PLenty of Jews–including this one, strongly disapprove of Israel’s power structure, but have noting against Jewish people. At least use a sound argument.
What about the disdain that is heaped on Christians constantly by Hollywood. Most often it is a Jewish producer, but that is ok…Hypocrite…No room for racists in any shape but it seems to be ok to go at Christians…HYPOCRITE like most of Hollywood…And remember dont dare say anything like Hollywood has a huge percentage of Jews running studios. that would be antisemit even tho it is true,,,You are a typical speech police …
The keyword in your post is “team”.
Funny you should condemn Gibson to life without parole in an industry literally filled with people who have been given second chance after second chance. Whether you admit it or not, this is about politics and political correctness, and Mel Gibson is on the wrong team.
Mel Gibson’s rants had very little impact on my opinion of Hollywood. Their gross hypocrisy is what has informed my opinion. On the one hand they make Movies in which people are gunned down in every conceivable way and some that are unbelievable. On the other hand they rant on and on to the press that we need gun control. I am very careful about which films I watch.
You missed the glaring point of Chris’s statement about Hollywood being willing to work with the likes of Tyson (a convicted rapist) but not Gibson. Your comments make me believe you think he is saying “since the worked with Tyson, they should work with Gibson.” That is not the point. The point is, they are willing to work with a rapist, but not someone who shoots off his mouth (however irresponsible it may have been). Hollywood views felony rape as acceptable behavior (once you have paid the price), while excercising a first ammendment tirade is absolutely unforgivable.
I haven’t seen a movie in a decade. Hollywood, and all the fascists who run it and feed the masses the garbage they put can go bankrupt for all I care. That one act (of using Tyson but not Gibson) tells me all I need to know about that misguided group of fools.
Me either. I haven’t darkened a theatre doorway in over 8 years. No plans to either.
Curious Question? Of this degree, in your opinion what are 5 movies you would maybe consider well enough acting portrayed enough to be recommended to watch in the last ten years.
There is no room in our society for intolerant people like YOU! I guarantee that you don’t give a FLIP about anyone bashing Christians DO YOU?
“These views, in the hands of powerful people like Mel Gibson, can have detrimental domino effects throughout the entire industry and even influence the views of his fan base ”
What about the views of virulent anti-White, anti-male, anti-Christian, etc… which is pushed by the cabal in Hollywood now? How telling that you have no problem with that.
Allison Weiner has appropriately forgiven him since she seems to subscribe to the doctrine of forgiveness which one of the world’s most famous Jews preached……Jesus.
@No Mel,
Get down from your ivory tower. Polanski raped a young child, but is celebrated around Hollywood. How did Mia find out about Woody Allen’s relationship with their young adopted daughter? From naked pics of Soon-Yi that she found in his apartment. You call Mel Gibson “homophobic.” A term that’s losing its power because it gets thrown around so much. Mel Gibson has a very close gay friend. You may know her. Her name is Jodie Foster. They’ve been friends forever. He’s an anti-Semite? Perhaps, speak with Ms. Weiner. So before you start throwing around the “race” and “homophobia” card, perhaps, you should sweep and clean around your own door first. I’m betting you have quite a few weeds around it.
Assault on women (hi Chris), but being conservative–Mel’s real crime–is unforgivable in Hollywood. The real story and he hardly needs redemption. Blacklist and Republicanism (ask Gary Oldman and his agent/producer/manager) is old hat in Hollywood. Hypocricyland. TMZ and Roger Friedman (round up the rabbis Roger) started with Passion. And found it easy to recruit allies and hunt him down.
“These views, in the hands of powerful people like Mel Gibson, can have detrimental domino effects throughout the entire industry…”
Right, because Hollywood never exploits women.
But there is room for Roman Polanski and Woody Allen to be honored? Inappropriate words are worse than inappropriate actions?
Woody Allen married his girlfriend’s daughter but denies molesting his own daughter.
God admitted to knocking up his own daughter / the wife of his son. (Because we are all God’s children, which presumably included Mary and Joseph, so…). He even sent an angel to his daughter to BRAG in advance that he was totally going to hit that.
Maybe God should have kept that to himself or at least denied it in the NY Times instead of having his son and his son’s apostles blab about it all over the place.
So, you subscribe to making others responsible for your own happiness. That’s not a question, it is meant as a statement. If you expect everyone else to behave a certain way, say things a certain way and then, they inevitably don’t, you have given up complete control to ALL others for your happiness. You put the blame on others for how YOU responded. How’s that working for you? Personally, I have been called everything in my lifetime. Did I deserve it? Not always, and usually no. Do I care? Nope. That’s their bag of pooh. I wake up in the morning with the solid belief that what is between my ears is mine to decide how I choose to react to the world around me; not the other way around. I mourn the day when we were free to say whatever we want and have people tell us whatever they want. Some people take themselves WAY too serious. Words are just that, they are ONLY words; and by the way, the definition of words is changing constantly to control people. If you choose to respond negatively that’s your choice and more people need to teach their children this wonderful technique. We used to call it, “turn the other cheek”, or “sticks and stones.” It’s so much more powerful, don’t you think?
guess you or yours have never made a mistake that you regretted later. problem is, you don’t get a do over, whats done is done
“Absolutely not?” Let me ask you…who are you to say that? Why do you get to decide who forgives Mel Gibson? He didn’t do anything to you. I’m wondering if you even read the article. The best point in it is not that Mel Gibson has “cleaned up his act.” It’s that there are many others in Hollywood convicted of actual crimes, all of whom get second, third and even fourth chances. Gibson made some terrible remarks while drunk in an a state of emotional breakdown, and he’s shunned for LIFE? Come on. You don’t know what his “views” are…you just know the media caricature.
And on a related note, I’m so sick of the notion we have today that when someone uses an offensive term or says insensitive things…he or she has to report to rehab. It’s ridiculous. It doesn’t matter if it’s an athlete or a politician or a celebrity…say the “other F word” or N word or make a generalization or stupid comment, and you are expected to grovel forever, go to rehab (literally), get blacklisted, and maybe someday be allowed to talk to Oprah. What a self-obsessed, self-aggrandizing society we live in. Pathetic.
Ah, No Mel, I’m sure you’d like the fascist Utopia you have in mind just fine. For the rest of us who live in “civilized society,” where liberties like free expression exist, I hope you can at least try to understand that welcoming a rapist back and welcoming an anti-Semite back is not at all the same thing. Rape is a crime. Being an anti-Semite is not, nor is naughty or disparaging language. On such slender distinctions does “civilized” society rest.
You probably voted for Obozo. What a hypocrite.
No such person by that name exists.
But I DID vote for Senator Obama and later President Obama.
We all say things we regret, and, yes, our feelings towards other groups or races can change too. However, when that day comes that you stand before your creator, needing forgiveness for a lifetime of un-forgiveness, I would love to hear your argument for something you couldn’t give to someone else……forgiveness.
This type of comment illuminates how unforgiving the left it when it comes to anything that doesn’t fit their template for a perfect world. They are the most intemperate and intolerant among us. Seeing the willingness of the left to throw their support behind cop killers and former terrorists turned college professors it is really sad to see that a guy whose only crime was using foul language tinged with racial epithets is somehow not worthy of redemption by the church of liberalism.
But… this behavior is fine when it’s directed at Christians, but not Jews or Muslims?
Jesus, you’d think a religion responsible for The Dark Ages, The Inquisition, The Crusades, The Salem “Witch” Trials, The Holocaust, The KKK and all sorts of heinous crimes against humanity would have spawned followers with much thicker skins.
Waaahh…Christians be called out on the 1000 years of killing they did and are NOW crying “persection.”
I often wonder if Christians ever ask themselves that if there is indeed a Heaven, and God is in charge of who gets in and who doesn’t, would God really want a bunch of whiny, miserable crybabies that do nothing but moan, complain and bitch over EVERY little thing they don’t agree with populating his heavenly kingdom?
Nah, didn’t think so.
Wow, have to be some kind of moron to blame Christianity for the Holocaust when it was ordered and run by Nazi atheists. If Nazis were such good Christians, why did they persecute a number of Priests and Christian leaders as well?
You are going to paint all however many million Christians with the behavior of a couple dozen people in Salem Massachusettes?
Also, do you have an example of something that has happened recently enough that some of the Christians responsible are actually still alive? The only one that is even within a lifetime is the Holocaust and that wasn’t Christian, so I don’t see why anyone would come in and defend the idiocy of people hundreds of years ago. Also, how does that apply to Christianity as it is practiced today?
You’re ignorance is only matched by your lack of historical knowledge. I’m sorry you are so angry at Christians for acts done hundreds of years ago. I wonder if you are as angry at the atheists and secularists who killed more people in the last century than Christians have in 2000 years multiple times over in the name of science and progress?
“Gott mit uns.” Those words, translated as ‘God is with us’, were inscribed on the belt buckle of every soldier of the Wehrmacht as they stormed across Europe.
In ‘Mein Kampf’, Hitler goes on for paragraph after paragraph about his faith in Jesus Christ, and how he believed he was doing God’s work. He invoked his Christian faith numerous times in various speeches.
All the attempts at revisionism won’t change the fact that Hitler was motivated by Christianity in everything he did, and he made no secret of that. It indeed is just one of innumerable sins that Christianity has resulted in.
Well, all I can say is I’m so glad YOU are not my Judge. I’d be dead already. Oh, yeah, and YOU have YOUR facts wrong. He was NEVER
(continued – unintentional premature posting above):
Well, all I can say is I’m so glad YOU are not my Judge, “No Mel”. I’d be dead already. Btw, YOU have your facts wrong. He was NEVER married to Grigorieva, she’s only a former girlfriend. She was an opportunistic woman who used him for money, did anything she had to do to get it, and she’s already gone through what he paid her and is bankrupt as has been reported. But hey, she got the house! I wonder who’s next?
In your mind, Mr. Gibson is wasting his precious time on people such as yourself who want to carry that banner of “I’m better than you”, since you have clearly NEVER uttered a word in your lifetime that needs forgiveness by anyone, at any level. When you come down off your cross, “No Mel”, let us know. We’ll all be watching.
That’s the problem. You can’t spew things that offend Jews but offending Christians is fine with Hollywood. Frankly I am sick of it.
When you have THREE candidates running for president of ‘Murca because they claimed “God told them to,” isn’t that actually more offensive to Christians than anything we could say about them? A TRUER Christian would find that tactic shameful. That is exactly the same tactic Hitler employed. He appealed to the religious (weak-minded) by using carefully crafted rhetoric which enabled them to appear as faithful leaders who God had “appointed” to bring Germany back from the ruin it had experienced after WWI. Exactly like the same rhetoric coming from the American GOP members of today. EXACTLY!
Think about that over the next few years when a candidate starts blathering on about “God.” I sure as goddamn well.
Notice Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn and other lefties get a pass, but not Mel? If Mel had made a movie about global warming instead of the Passion, Nobody in Hellywood would of blacklisted him even after making those remarks. This hatred of Mel is only about his christianity. Nothing else!
Agreed. That was my main thought when I read the article.
Allison, I have been a Mel fan for a long time, and always wondered what happened. My heart went out more than anything. Thank you so much for writing this article.
Awe c’mon time to give the guy a break. You hear more hate spewed nightly from liberals on MSNBC.
Not surprising that all the people making excuses for racism and anti-Semitism also sound like the irrational, hysterical rightwingers from the Drudge Report and Fakes News. And claim to be defending Christianity. Yeah, you’re some Christians. Although I don’t remember Christ being the delusional slavering bigot that you people are.
They’re not semites, they are Khazars
Thanks, Einstein.
you obviously have issues. I see you are more interested in less than a fraction of a percent of who the man is, because he had a bad moment…he’s done more for humanity and the Jewish community than most Jews…
Give me a break! Hollywood the most perverted place on earth runned by many jewish people and Mel Gibson is the problem? Look at the FILTH which comes out of these movies, television shows, etc.
What about the language used in the movies? They use the “n” word plenty of times, degrade women to the lowest form and Mel Gibson is the problem? Haha, Gloria Steinmen does more harm to women than Mel Gibson ever will. Women are used and abused like trash and that is considered a “women’s lib”? Mel Gibson is a saint compared to the filth, trash and doodoo coming out of hollywood.
Love You Mel Gibson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m sure you’re just fine with Alec Baldwin and his anti gay, anti female and anti black rants since his politics lean way to the left otherwise.
Where’s the Love? Forgiveness is divine. Mel has atoned for his sins and deserves another chance as he has given others another chance.
Ms. Weiner, you are to be commended for courageously standing up for Mr. Gibson. Let’s pray we soon see another Mel Gibson film at the cinema.
AMEN! Mel is a very talented actor and director who deserves another chance.
“An anti-Semite is someone who dislikes Jews more than is absolutely necessary.”
H.L. Mencken
Hollywood black list??? Has Hollywood looked at the profits their films make?? I have black listed them because of their politics!
Okay, I understand No Mel—what you are saying are people should be called out for their crimes against humanity and not forgiven. Well, since you use the word “our team” to refer to Hollywood, I am assuming you are in that business. Using this logic, you should not have a problem producing movies about the private, off-shore international banks that comprise the Federal Reserve System—you know the system that debases our currency and makes us all slaves by silently stealing our labor via inflation? No, you wouldn’t have a problem speaking out against these criminals in movies to help “Educate” (or de-brainwash) the public on this criminal institution WHOSE ACTIONS have DESTROYED far more lives than a few words from Mel Gibson. Could it be that since the Zionists control the Federal Reserve and thus Hollywood you refuse to speak out? What a disgusting hypocrite you are!
The fact is you all don’t care about humanity at all—-only yourselves and for that you are disgusting human beings—-perhaps Hitler was on to something after all! That got your attention, didn’t it? Seriously, if you are so concerned about “the struggle” of ethnic groups, why not be concerned about the “struggle” we all are faced with living under a criminal fiat monetary system where offshore banks are allowed to print money out of thin air and give it to their friends in Hollywood to brainwash the public while their friends in Washington rape and pillage all of society. No, you don’t care about humanity at all—-only yourself and your own kind, and THAT IS THE ONLY REASON you don’t like what Mel Gibson said—because perhaps it is the truth!
Hitler was a Christian who hated gays ethnic minorities and women. He favored a strong military and aggressive military intervention/annexation of neighbors, and condemned anti-war folks as “left wing hippie traitors.” No wonder the right loves him. Hitler has become the new Jesus.
Back to the bus, JC. The conservatives have no more use for you. Putin is their new God and Hitler is their new Jesus.
It’s been a slice.
Ah, yes! Thanks for showing up, The Feds. I was waiting for the Zionist conspiracy theory rightwing psychos to rear their ugly heads. Knew it was coming!
I have 2 words, Vanessa Redgrave…
I have 2 words No Mel, Vanessa Redgrave…
To: No Mel Gibson,
I do not know who you are, but I assume you are of the human race. Is anyone with out skeletons in their closet? (Read sins)
Perhaps before you throw stones you should look in the mirror. If you claim that you have never had a racist, anti-Semitic, or thoughts of bigotry in your life especially of those who you disagree with politically, or religiously, then you certainly have arrived to perfection. If you have not arrived to perfection then your hypocrisy knows no bounds!
Gibson has shown contriteness. Seems that one can forgive sins of others that we all carry, or we can be McCarthy like in our self righteousness and blacklist those who are as guilty as that person we see in the mirror!
” A drunken man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts”.
Ms. Allison Hope Weiner goes to extreme lengths to defend and plea for Mel Gibson’s resurrection. This immediately raises a red flag as to the basis for her grossly adamant defense on his behalf. Her “plea” and defense transcends merely asking for his forgiveness but shows clear signs of an extreme over association with an individual who was and is clearly anti-Semitic, revealing that she was manipulated by Gibson to take up his cause and his objective to get back into the good graces of Hollywood, the Jewish people, and the public at large. In fact he succeeded in his mission to co-opt her. Although Ms. Weiner attempts to convince us that she is correct by providing us with examples of Gibson’s largesse, as well as her belief that her colleagues agreed with her, in fact these examples are totally disconnected with the perceptions of the vast majority of Jewish people who are not part of her family and inner clique.
It is also imperative that we keep in mind that Gibson approached Ms. Weiner, a Jewish woman and a reporter with influence, who happens to write for the New York Times and other major publications, and charms her with his “new” persona, beneficent belief systems and “love” and openness for her and her Jewish family. According to Weiner, he shares his inner life and problems with her thereby giving the false impression that he is a compassionate, empathic and good human being which in her opinion, is the basis for his being forgiven. All the while, he is very cognizant of the fact that she is a merely a conduit to the public and Hollywood, and could serve his objective of resurrecting his severely damaged image and career. According to Weiner, he attends her son’s Bar Mitvah, gives money to Jewish charities, attends Passover Seders and makes other beneficent gestures, that in her opinion, surely indicates his transmogrification from a ranting, rabid anti-Semite to a kind lover of the Jewish people. Ms. Weiner assures us that her Jewish colleagues agree with her perception, thereby falsely believing that this reinforces her conviction that Gibson is not the virulent anti-Semite he was reported to be, and that he should be forgiven and allowed a full return to his former highly vaulted public status.
Unfortunately Ms. Weiner did not make a credible and valid case for Gibson’s resurrection, but actually reveals how she was “pulled” and manipulated into a relationship with a person who still holds anti-Semitic sentiments and perspectives and who is sufficiently street smart to know how to maneuver his way back into the good graces of Hollywood and the Jewish and public’s perception of him.
Ms. Wiener’s “relationship” with Gibson appears very reminiscent of the behavior and reaction of a number of Jews in Germany and Italy during War World two, who belonged to Hitler’s National Socialist and Mussolini’s Fascist Parties respectively, and blindly believed that through this association they would be perceived and accepted as part of the mainstream (anti-Semitic) societies they lived in, which exempted them from religious persecution. Unfortunately, as we know all to well from the Holocaust, they were grossly incorrect, and regardless of their denial, rationalizations and blindsided posturing, perished with their Jewish brothers and sisters. This association with evil also reminds one of the film “The Bridge On the River Kwai”, whereby the British Colonel collaborates wholeheartedly with his virulently anti-Anglo Saxon Japanese Captor, resulting in his overwhelming level of cooperation with his Japanese adversary and building a bridge which would enable the Japanese to transport their troops and war materials to use against allied forces. However, at the end of the movie, the Colonel realizes what he has done by collaborating with his enemy who was bent on killing English soldiers, and shouts out when severely wounded, “What have I done”!
Kathy,
Your opening quote is not necessarily true. Isn’t there a cliche’about sticking your foot in your mouth? Or you need to think before you speak? Is there nothing that you ever said that you wish you could take back? I use to be very vocal about and hated certain groups of people. Then I got to know those people that I hated and no longer am that Same person. I despise that person who I use to be. Your comparison to the movie is extreme. But let us stick with the WWII theme. My grandfather, a decorated WWII navigator, no longer hates Germans. My friends mother, a member of hitler-youth, no longer hates Jews. Do not segregate. Do not close your mind or heart. Stephen
Hey look it is Joe Eszterhas posting under several names, out for revenge because he was late by several months delivering his crap work and got yelled at. He couldn’t make a dime except by trying the Russian golddigger trick of stealth recording, and even that backfired and no one bought his book.
You sounds like a awful person !
So, all hip-hop artists using racist, misogynist, antisemitic language in their ‘music’ should be shunned?
Hey No Mel,
What’s it like to be perfect?
So you believe in free speech as long as it tows the party line? Given the left’s rich history of viewing blacks as subhuman (ever check out the forward to Birth of a Nation?) and their penchant for euthanizing those with birth defects I’ll have to assume you’re either a staunch Republican (as was Abe Lincoln) or the world’s biggest hypocrite. I’m guessing the latter.
Give me a break. Your animosity toward this man shows that you are a politically correct thinking freak who would nullify the constitution to prevent anyone voicing an opinion contrary to yours.
God help you if you are as unforgiving of your own transgressions as you are of Gibson’s. But if you aren’t, shut up, hypocrite!
Your comment-(not to mention his views on women)in regards to Mel but…no comment about this.
The stars of Hangover Part II complaining about his casting while apparently not doing so when working with Mike Tyson, convicted rapist, is all the evidence you need.
What’s your view on women? I guess in your world it’s ok to rape them.
let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
to “no mel gibson’ – obviously you don’t have the balls to state who you are. personally, i think ari emmanuel should be blackballed for what HE did. he’s nothing but a pariah whose talents would fit into one of gibson’s blue eyes. enough said ….
You think we live in a civilized society. Hollywood is filled with greed, cults, Luciferian worship, and worse. Hollywood welcomes back into their fold real criminals like rapists, domestic abusers, and drug dealers. When you live your life without making any mistakes…you will be entitled to those statements. His worst crime was his language and really, we are all entitled to our opinion. As I recall, many died for me to have that right whether it is offensive to others or not. There are always 2 sides to every story, and what the media brainwashes the public with is usually the wrong side. As an aside, alcoholism is the single hardest addition to overcome. Judge not lest ye be judged…
Interesting comments, but do you have the same opinion of Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, Mike Tyson, et al.? You seem to take the moral high ground and a holier than thou attitude, yet you show no compassion and no room for forgiveness. Maybe you ought to look in the mirror before you start casting stones?
But it’s totally fine to allow convicted rapists to make cameos. Stay classy, big guy.
People like you are hypocrites. You have a choice, see his work or don’t. But blacklisting is crap. You liberals all believe in the First Amendment unless the discourse doesn’t agree with you, then its “shut them down”. Hollywood is run by liberals and if you are a conservative you better not let anyone know it. Screw Hollywood. They are all vain, uneducated, and hypocrites about just about everything from violence to women’s rights. Gibson is no saint but neither are the rest of his peers in Looneyville, California.
I love your rigid intolerance. Do you realize how self-righteous you come across? Seems like you read through the long article with glazed eyes, not allowing your presuppositions to be moved one iota.
Oh, you mean like actors who use their fame to promote radical socialism and filth exposed to our children, like Damon and those others?
What a moron you are. Sorry. In fact, in a society that is based on unwavering rockhard rights to free speech, we absolutely have room for all views to be expressed, drunk or not.
Do I agree with those views like Gibson’s? Mostly not. But that is not the point. I totally disagree with your own views, the view that speech must be repressed. But I do stand for your right to say it.
Wake up and come to understand that you and your ilk do not have the right to tell others what they can and cannot say. You are repressive tyrants who would put the rest of us in shackles.
I close by giving you this: “Democracy is two wolves and one lamb taking a vote on what is for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.” Benjamin Franklin. Don’t tread on me or my right to say whatever I want for any reason I want.
dear Go Away: wow! you’ve never made a mistake? if that’s the case then you shouldn’t be on social media hating on Mel Gibson. you should be out healing the sick and raising the dead.
So no forgiveness in your heart, eh?
Gibson doesn’t harbor anti-Semitic views because Palestinians are Semitic and he obviously wasn’t talking about Arabs when he criticized the filthy tinseltown Zionist Jews for continuing to contribute to the Palestinian Genocide, descendants of the fascistic European Zionists who violently usurped the land and human rights of Palestinians in 1947 to establish the blood drenched pit called Israel. There’s nothing “exclusive” about the past Jewish holocaust, the world’s full of holocausts, and many continue even today. And, if you knew your history, you’d know that nothing compares to the Holocaust of the Slavic people during WWII; or the genocidal annihilation of the American Indian tribes at the hands of the U.S. Government.
Gibson doesn’t need “resurrection.” He’s been one of the most successful Hollywood hustler ever. What Gibson needs is an alternative way to finance, produce and distribute his movies.
And, FYI, Mel Gibson, an American citizen, is most certainly entitled to his personal views whatever they are without condemnation from others.
“In a civilized society, we cannot allow gross anti-Semitic and racial views and remarks (not to mention his views on women) to go unnoticed and/or otherwise unpunished.”
Yes we can, its called the Constitution of the United States. Everyone has opinions on something that offends someone else. Regardless of whether Mel is or is not, did or didn’t he as all Americans are entitled to their undeniable god given RIGHTS to believe and say as they choose. YOU and your kind who believe that all people should think as you do is reminiscent of tyrants and dictators who felt very much as you do: Agree with me or else.
Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson et al proves that you don’t know what you are talking about…
Faulty logic full of pious posturing … bs, in short.
“…can have effects throughout the entire industry.” A little hyberbolic, perhaps? There are so many broken people with broken worldviews in the industry. Sorry, but Mel’s past rants won’t move the needle much. He obviously was going for the jugular when he went on his anti-semitic rage. Wrong? Absolutely. Worse than what you or I’ve done. Maybe. Worth ten years of banishment from the studio system? Laughable. It is sad that you have no hope that a person can change. If you did, perhaps some of your own anger could be remedied.
How smugly self-righteous of you. Have you never had a bigoted thought in your life? Have you never been mean to someone, or lost your temper? Ever been through a divorce? You seem to believe just uttering bigoted epithets is a felony – it’s just speech. He’s atoned, he made a mistake and he’s sought to improve himself sincerely according to this author.
You’re an ideological thug.
What self-righteous, self-serving tripe.
What happened to freedom of expression? Why does that only pertain to certain speeches? So it’s ok to burn a Quran but not ok to make Anti-semitic remarks? Neither was is a good thing but you can’t allow one while objecting to the other!
Absolutely not. In a civilized society, we cannot allow gross anti-Semitic and racial views and remarks (not to mention his views on women) to go unnoticed and/or otherwise unpunished. To do so would be to devalue the struggle that African Americans, Jews and other minorities have endured for centuries. Hollywood or not, millions of dollars in profits or not, as a society (and also considering our industry’s role in our society) we cannot allow this type of antisemitism and bigotry to continue. These types of views, in the hands of the powerful like Mel Gibson, could have detrimental effects throughout the entire industry and throughout his fan base. We cannot overlook his ego and hatred because he has “cleaned up his act” – what does that even mean? That he will continue to harbor these views, but keep his reckless rants to himself? Further – comparing two bad acts is not a constructive way of determining the detrimental impact that Mel Gibson’s behavior and whether or not we, as an industry, want him to be part of our team. Just to recap – We have seen this before everyone, first it was Jews, then it was African Americans and then those god-awful, from the depths of hell rants he made to his wife (and about women generally) – he will not change. To have this many occurrences over and over and at different points in your life is not a coincidence – it is who he is.
You were picked on a lot as a child, weren’t you?
You’re being a complete hypocrite. How about you start vilifying the entirety of Hollywood that has committed far worse crimes than foul language? Better yet, stop being a hypocrite and look at yourself before you condemn another man. You yourself stand condemned, and will be judged by the same measure you judge others.
If you view Mel Gibson as some sort of representative of an evil group of people that has oppressed women, Jews and minorities for centuries, his blacklisting must feel like a pretty darn good victory.
However, if he is never going to be the big star he was again, just have the decency to let him know right now rather then the usual habit of snickering behind his back about his current state of affairs.
You should probably read the article
I think he’s been punished far worse than the rapists and woman-beaters mentioned in the article. How much more do you want out of him…. a pound of flesh?
Seriously, numbnuts? you make two different names to say the same thing right after the other? You’re a prime candidate for a straight jacket and a padded room! Get out of your mom’s basement and get a job!
Oh you liberals. So judgmental, so high and mighty and well into condemnation as you do the judging. Who died and made YOU God ? He should be punished!? You make the rules and you decide the punishment? You run the world? This may come as a surprise to you; you liberal socialists only Think you run the world and in particular the United States. Conservative values include all of your utopian desires, but with half the expense and none of the hypocrisy. Mel Gibson is a talented man, with a lot of personal pain, you should be a fraction of what he is, which of course, you are not. Punish Mel and all of us for not seeing the world the way you do. You are not qualified to act as God, even though you do not believe in God, or if you do, your exclusionary actions betray another kind of mind. As a victim of “we must take care of you” liberals myself….I want Mel to make a comeback….and he will.
No, doc, he won’t.
You are a true idiot. You obviously did not read the story at all. You are the one that should not be part of the team liberal scumbag. Why wont you all just die.
Why won’t you all just die””. Did I read that? Whatever intellect I had when I began reading the comments section is gone now. I can picture this person standing there stomping their feet like a 2 year old.?No healthy debate can ever happen when emotional children are allowed out of bed.
What is wrong with society is that everyone has a tremendous need to be right and convince everyone that they are. Why?
We go to see films to be entertained. Hollywood is filled with greedy evil people Jews and Christians – period. I miss Mel’s talent. He was great. Heck, we have had President do worse in office and still be loved.
We need good movies back. The crap Hollywood has been putting out for years is lies, wolves, demons…nothing negative there? We need talent again and Mel’s a proven talent. PERIOD
Interesting way to interpret things. No forgiveness. Let’s just hold all his sins of the past against him. Funny how the President can listen to 20 years of hate from Rev Wright and it’s no big deal.Yet Gibson seems humbled and sincere and their are still those who want to stone him. Where their is no forgiveness there is no mercy.Forgiving you people is easy.Living with you and your cold twisted hearts as you find enjoyment watching others suffer is really the hard part. May God forgive you…
“Race” – The Divide-And-Conquer Tool Of Tyrants
Race Imagine we live in a society where people are grouped by hair color.
School textbooks categorize historical peoples by their hair color, continually referring to them as “indigenous redheads”, “native brunettes”, or “immigrant blonde-silvers”. We see and hear the same references being made in magazines, on the nightly news, and over talk radio.
We are taught to refer to ourselves by the hue of the strands growing from our scalps. To identify with the hue. To feel a kinship with others who share it, and regard those of other hues as belonging to a different group.
Everything from employment applications to telephone surveys to the Census—all contain the following question:
“Check which of the following best describes your hair color: 1) Blonde, 2) Brown, 3) Black, 4) Gray/Silver/White, 5) Red, 6) Of mixed hues, 7) Bald or Decline to answer”.
Imagine it had always been this way. We wouldn’t know anything different.
End the imagination exercise here.
Would it surprise anyone that in such a society, there might crop up animosity among the different groups in certain situations? That a gray-on-bald crime might raise hostilities? That entire organizations would crop up, like the National Association For The Advancement Of Redheads? Or the Ku Klux Blondes? We might even see a Brunette History Month.
The ideas in the previous paragraph are laughable. . . or are they?
Is there any difference between grouping people by the melanin in their hair versus the melanin in their epidermises? Why would anyone find the former absurd, but the latter valid?
It would appear that a certain divide-and-conquer strategy—which has given rise to the term “racism”— has done its job after all.
A second and final thought experiment: imagine for a moment that you are a sociopath, and that you aspire to rule over a people, living off the sweat of their brows as a parasite. Your biggest challenge will be to keep the people’s eyes off of you and on one another when the problems inherent to parasitic relationships begin to arise.
As your taxation ushers in poverty, you can dodge the bullet if the grays believe that the redheads are milking the system. As your regulations bring unemployment, you’re safe if the balds believe the jobs are being taken by the brunettes. When your corporatism causes rioting, you are in the clear if the silvers believe that the mixed-hues are given legal preferential treatment. When you want to go to war and must convince the people to fund it, you would do well to demonize the savage raven-heads on the other side of the world.
Racism is the friend to and the creation of the controlling collectivist—a redundant term, to be sure.
The truth is that there is only one race at issue here, and that is the human race. It is just as inane to classify by melanin as it is to classify by height, age, shoe size, chin shape, or eye color. Such groupings are tools of the State, and as such, are to be soundly rejected.
Of course the State doesn’t want us to see each other as brother and sister. Why would they? Brothers and sisters tend to trade freely with one another. They tend to look out for and protect one another. They tend to love and cherish one another. In short, they tend not to give rise to rulers. The would-be tyrant finds no fertile soil in such a place.
Which is why we must do exactly that—trade freely, protect fiercely, and love deeply.
Because the parasitic State will fall. The human family will prosper. Hasten the day.
Hear! Hear!Well said and well thougt out!
The smartest thing I’ve read in I can’t even remember. Maybe there’s hope after all…
Wow. That was great! I plan to use this illustration in the future.
Would you be as upset if he insulted Catholics or Southerners? If so, good for you. If not, cry me a river.
The credentials of this article’s author give weight to the veracity of her conclusions. You, “Go Away Mel Gibson,” carry no more than the weight of fear and the common consensus, heavy indeed but steeped in ignorance. The best thing about Gibson is that he’s working on his issues; you “Go Away” have yet to discover yours.
There are more Jews who are rabid anti-Gentiles than their are Gentiles who are Anti-Semites! The hypocrisy and evidence to support this is there for the whole of the world to see. Just spend a weekend at my Temple and you’ll hear it for yourself(And yes, I am Jewish).
So who gets to determine what is “allowable” in a “civilized society”?
You? Me? The government? Shadowy and powerful figures and organized groups in the entertainment industry that form BLACKLISTS?
Or, how about: (this might sound novel) let the PEOPLE decide if they want to pay to see his movies. Surprise…people may or may not agree with what they see. At least grant people the opportunity to decide for themselves. It’s a scary notion, but give it some consideration.
Your comment simply underscores that freedom to choose (to hear another perspective, to associate), and more importantly, FREEDOM OF THOUGHT is less important than a false notion of “civility” (read: political correctness) to far too many people in modern America.
I do not know… Hollywood enthusiastically embraces Roman Polanski. If a child rapist can find a second chance perhaps there is room for someone who is on the wrong side of the thought police?
Evidently, you didn’t read the piece you’re now commenting on. Mr. Gibson is not an anti-Semite and never was. Further, you clearly have no experience with alcoholics and recovery. A drunk will say the most vile and most below the belt thing he can conceive when provoked. See, their brain chemistry is warped after years of abuse, and this is very common phenom, even if sober for a while. That being said, what Hollywood hates most about Gibson, is that he made a film about Christ that endeared him to Christians. Even though many films have been made about Christ with graphic depictions of suffering and torture – this one in particular set Hollywood’s sanctimony and Christophobia into full tilt. This is the town that forgives Roman Polanski, a child rapist, the likes of Woody Allen and I dare say a great many hidden deviants the public doesn’t even know about, yet remains the most hedonistic, elitist, hypocritical town in the country second only to Washington DC. The same town of hypocrites that now refuses to forgive a man whose footprint in the mud is worth more morally than most of their entire body and soul. From their exalted perches, they point a j’accuse finger at fly over country and all who they believe pander to them without ever caring to reach out to anyone who they turn their noses up to, lest they have a Damascus moment like the honest author of this piece, and risk being compelled to reject their prejudices and henceforth abandon their snobbery and hate. Speaking of Damascus, Hollywood, and indeed most so-called ‘liberal’ American Jews support a party that regularly defames and spews hatred at Israel using a distorted, revisionist narrative borrowed from the extremist enemies of all Jewish people worldwide. Our own president prefers to sanction Israel than to confront any despotic regime anywhere in the world, let alone Hamas, the PLO, or Hezbollah. So, if there is no room for anti-Semites, then be consistent and accuse them all. Mr. Gibson’s defense of his father is not endorsement of his father’s replacement philosophy, but merely a demonstration of a Son’s duty to honor his father. We can’t know what conflicts arise between father and son, and it’s not anyone’s business. Contrary to Hollywood’s bigoted depiction of people of faith, Christians generally don’t claim they lack sin and/or personal torment, we only enshrine the means to to battle those demons, and Mel Gibson is now coming back from a terrific onslaught of personal demons. If you cannot understand that, then you can’t understand what it means to gaze into a mirror and vow to fight to be a better man as Mel has done at each and every fall from grace. This is the essence of faith. Redemption.
I fall into the category that you mentioned needing protection. If your ranting raving behavior is what you consider protection, I do not subscribe to it. I stopped watching Hollywood movies a LONG time ago for the same reason so many have. You stab each other in the back and you pick your favorites due solely to politics. DO NOT offer my minorities protection, I did not ask for it and in no way relate to your offensive behavior. Stop worshiping the “Holly Dollar” and listen to yourself; you are by far WAY WORSE than anyone whom was out on a toot making stupid comments. I defend MYSELF. I forgive EVEN YOU. Now calm down because you are heading for health issues.
Well said!
Typical hypocritical attitude. The only movies worth watching on T.V. are still starring Mel Gibson. So you scream terrible things about Mel while you line your pockets with coins from all of his re-runs. Hollywood needs to man up and refuse their take on all of Mel’s re-runs and send those proceeds directly to Mel. After all, it’s tainted money by your standards.
Sorry, my computer is more sensitive than many who don’t care for people in general. To take away the freedom of speech because you personally do not like what is being said is not only egotistic but evil. To discuss with those who do not agree is to gain knowledge and to even re-think what you think if you hear a good reason some disagree with you that involves thinking and not “feeling”. Both myself and children have been victims of politcal correctness when we have been both physically and verbally attacked by those of a different color. This was okay because of past hate in history (not our history but others) and we were due because we are white. This does not mean either myself or children (now adults) hate these races, we don’t we actually know there are bad people everywhere and other bad people let them go unpunished. I am sick of people not seeing the difference in thoughtless and or drunken words and outright evil actions. Good people are not perfect just empathetic to human weaknesses.
Would you be as peeved if he insulted Catholics and Southerners? If so, good for you. If not, cry me a river.
As far as I’m concerned there’s no reason for Gibson to forgive the racist, sexist, fascist filth inhabiting Hollywood’s studios. I hope he makes and keeps the money to be made on his own films and doesn’t let the perverts have their usual pound of flesh.
Shirley Temple told a story of how Myer called her into his office and he dropped his pants, Shirley laughed uncontrollably and Meyer got angry and kicker her out. So it goes with Hollywood, those in charge are much worse than those they throw stones at.
so true!!!!
I think Mel has no need to supplicate himself before the slime running Follywood. He seems to do even better on his own.
Perhaps. What Mayer did was wrong, but it did not get people killed. Hatred and ignorance like Gibson’s has, and still does.
Evil people get people killed not unthinking words one apologizes for saying when the thinking kicks back in.
Regardless of whether or not I agree with your point, using an example from, what, 70 years ago, does not make any sense.
Your source for this story please? Hollywood gossip is filled with raunchy tales. Let’s track this one to its source. Thanks.
The source for the story about Shirley Temple (if that’s what you’re referring to) was Shirley Temple, in her autobiography. The perpetrator was producer Arthur Freed. Feel free to look the two names up together for verification.
True! It takes sooooo little to be declared anti-semitic but it’s very chic to be anti-Catholic. It is the last acceptable prejudice in our society.
Well said!
Typical Holywierd… claim everyone else is rac-ist while being rac-ist… Claim there’s no blacklist while making sure every non-liberal, Judeo-Christian is kept locked out…
Could be why I refuse to patronize anything from the left coast – they will sink under their own perversion… Mel Gibson included…
POLITICS and FAITH, YES! This is not simply a Phenomenal actor/Producer/Director’s alcoholism story. While he fell of the wagon, I believe that the outrage against Mel Gibson is mostly political science. All facts that I will post are on topic, relevant, connected and correct. Notice the hatred of religion in some comments here. If I were a gambler, I’d bet that 90% or more of the media force behind continually condemning Gibson is people who’ve been politically active on the left/Democrat side. Why do I say that? Because Gibson made a highly successful film about Jesus and the Bible. To anyone here who is already saying that is ridiculous, I’ll give you an experiment to try to learn what the left wing is all about and you will see for yourself the intolerance and objection to these relevant truths; First, remember that Gibson got no cooperation from Hollywood distribution for the Passion of the Christ film and that is why he had to release it independently. Next, Go over to yahoo or anywhere to post comments and find a story to comment on. Pick ANY ONE of these things; Say something positive about Jesus, God, The Bible, The Founders of America, the founding principles of America being that -PROPERLY- self governing citizens living by Jude o Christian Principles (also known as the principles of liberty) creates people in less need of masters and that means Constitutionally limited, small government, less taxes and most importantly, less micromanaging CONTROL over the individual & over the individual’s business. Comment that Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s goods and thou shall not steal = PROPERTY RIGHTS and that means it opposes redistribution. Comment that dependency upon others when you are fully capable of providing for yourself is stealing & goes against Biblical Teachings. Comment about there being a duty to self govern and that the Bible tells us that our individual actions and decisions have results and consequences that are owned by the individual. Comment that endless writings and quotes can be searched and found from our founders that, while allowing Free Will & Liberty by not dictating/establishing a religion, they strongly encouraged inclusion of religion (Read George Washington’s Farewell address and Article 3 of the Northwest Ordinance to understand that modern/Progressive history is corrupt). Comment how religion is now banned from many public places because of revision while in truth the founders set up Sunday Services INSIDE the US Capitol Building in the US House of Representatives Chamber from 1800 until around the Civil war era. Yes, Even Thomas Jefferson attended every Sunday for 8 years as President. His “Wall of Separation of Church and state” letter to the Danbury Baptists was written at the start of his 1st term, then he went to Sunday services INSIDE the Capitol building, so CLEARLY he did not mean what a progressive judge ruled that he meant (No religion on public land). PROGRESS dismantles America and installs Marxist socialism & communism. It’s not outright war. It is Progressive. Many supporters don’t seem to realize, but posting these comments will enlighten you. Go and post any one of the things that I mentioned here and see how much hatred and intolerance comes your way from the left. Do this and THEY will speak for themselves. The super talented movie master Mel Gibson put the Bible back in front of us in a big way, so any fault or misstep that is found from him will be AMPLIFIED CONTINUALLY while others so often get a pass.
These quotes help make my case because these people knew that there is a connection between the Bible and the free market & Liberty;
Joseph Stalin “America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within.”
Karl Marx“ My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism”
——————
William Penn understood it too “Those who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.”
———-
Here is a small example of the founders religious inclusion views;
GEORGE WASHINGTON – “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained”
General Order, (9 July 1776) George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799: Series 3g Varick Transcripts.
“The General hopes and trusts that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country.
——
Samuel Adams – – After signing the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
“We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom alone men ought to be obedient. He reigns in Heaven, and with a propitious eye beholds his subjects assuming that freedom of thought and dignity of self-direction which He bestowed on them. From the rising to the setting sun, may His kingdom come!”
—–
John Adams – “The moment the idea is admitted into society, that property is not as sacred as the law of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If “Thou shall not covet,” and “Thou shall not steal,” are not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society, before it can be civilized or made free.” “Property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist”
—
Thomas Jefferson “The practice of morality being necessary for the well being of society, He [God] has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. We all agree in the obligation of the moral principles of Jesus and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than in His discourses.”
The founders established these United States from world lessons and Biblical / Jude o Christian Principles revealed from Adam and Eve to Jesus and the Apostles. It keeps us free.
Darn–This is a thesis!
No, this is a crank’s rant. You can tell by the lack of paragraphs and the excessive cut-&-paste.
Why not comment on context? How small to not understand what is written instead you latch on to cut and paste or lack of paragraphs. Really is that all you have? Oh sorry I forgot you also name called. Pretty much checked all the boxes on not addressing the issues and facts.
“They won’t admit it, but it’s what they perceive as his politics ans his faith that they truly object to.”
They don’t have to admit it. Everybody who is above a room temperature I.Q. and who is not a low information type is fully aware of the abysmal biases of the Hollywood geeks.
But I don’t think it matters if Harvey Weinstein, the mentally disturbed geeky-looking Tarantino, and the Holocaust whiners who despise white Christians, “forgive” Gibson or not, because he’s a separate movie-making industry all his own.
In fact, Hollywood better hope more Gibsons don’t come on the scene or control of Hollywood will be wrested from their greasy, despicable fingers.
Even if they continue on it won’t be for very long. The economy will implode on its own, and old Harvey et all are going to get a knock on their doors.
Hollywood is ruled by the demon and everything that comes out of it is trashy and perverse . I believe that Mel should go his own way–start making his own films and leave Hollywood and it’s perversities behind. He would be successful and the rest of us would benefit by having good films to watch !
Mel Gibson has many issues, but the one issue that hollywierd does not tolerate is a conservative. For forgiveness, he will be required to vote demonic-rat, prostrate before Lucifer Jr., and start having a relationship with an adopted 13 year old daughter. Did I forget anything? Oh, come out for global warming.
Hollywood is like the Obama administration. They don’t allow anyone in that is successful, and has the ability to be his own self sustaining person. Not a leader like Mel Gibson.
Hey… Gibson may have gone on a drunken rant, but that doesn’t hide the fact that he’s made much better movies than most everyone else. The stuff you see these days is garbage compared to his. Give him a break- if he was a Democrat, there would be throngs of Hollywood idiots supporting him, like they do The Clintons, and you know it!
Chris: The “system” can deal with anyone and anything, no matter the horrific nature of the crime. A rapist? That’s nothing! The only subject NOBODY is allowed to raise is questioning the jews.
i agree Mel is a great actor,director and deserves another chance. Other celebrities have gotten into worse trouble.Your fans are here for you Mel.We love n miss you.. thank you pat w
I care enough about this topic to read the whole thing. Shame you are too ADD/tl;dr addled to read it for yourself. But for the narrow minded simpletons like yourself, just read the last line:
“Mel has spent enough time in the penalty box.”
YES !We miss him !
What a great story and a great piece of writing. This itself would make a great movie. Bravo!
Edward, there is no need to disparage others in your posts. Their opinions are as valid to them as your’s are to you. Says more about you when you do this, and discounts your contribution.
I read it and appreciate the article. I do find it odd to be published here in this manner, but Deadline seems to have lots of editorial issues now a days.
I worked with Mel on Apocalypto, but we are not friends or social at all. He always seemed fine to me in our interactions, perhaps a bit intense in a scary way. One thing, and I think this is a nervous habit on his part, are the raunchy off-color jokes. They can go too far sometimes and he needs to dial them back.
I hope he gets going again. I am a fan of his art. I have seen (and had to clean up the mess) from some of today’s biggest movie stars doing much worse than Mel has, but never get caught.
I very much enjoyed this article as well. Very poigniant the comment about how Galafinakis had no problem working with a convicted rapist, but refused to work with someone who had potty mouth.
This whole town is full of people who screw up, but the game is to out other people’s sins and try to cover your own…even if they are the very same sins.
Pathetic.
I’m sorry, “a potty mouth”? That’s like calling a serial killer someone with anger issues. More to the point, it’s not the terms he uses but the horrible, ignorant, hateful, disrespectful opinions he has of others that is behind what he says that is the problem.
So, you’ve never looked at anyone in your life and hoped for a second chance?
The bottom line is, none of you people have spent time, met with, or spoken to Mel Gibson, but you are all authorities on…
1. What he REALLY thinks.
2. How he REALLY feels.
3. What all his TRUE motivations are.
No one can say they’ve never said anything they later regretted. We all know you have…so the minute you condemn him for the same thing you’ve done–you are a hypocrite.
Do I like what he said? NO!
But, he effed up, said things he didn’t mean. Who hasn’t?
Have I ever said things to people that are not at all how I really feel? Yes. And, so have you and so has everyone–we’re all human beings. That is what human beings do–we eff up. I am more interested in what a person does after they fall–than the fall itself. That will tell you who they really are in life.
^lying
I hope he gets going again. I am a fan of his art. I have seen (and had to clean up the mess) from some of today’s biggest movie stars doing much worse than Mel has, but never get caught.
–Thanks for your positive reaction to a man who has suffered and been rejected by those who do not understand the value of asking for forgiveness.
Drugs? Alcohol? We struggle to deal with our sensitive nature. Blessings to all who try to be the best they can be.
JD
You cleaned up the messes of people who did far worse than Mel???
It seems to me that we have all done far worse than Mel in our hearts, in our actions.
How can I judge the wrongdoing of a man who has created from his visceral being such art?
I cannot. I am just a simple woman who admires creation/Creation.
May we all condition ourselves to love one another despite our political choices. All will be well and all will be well…
Blessings,
JD
Yes. I have cleaned-up and covered-up the consequences of bad decisions/behavior for several big name stars, all of whom are bigger names than Mel, and have committed crimes far worse than his. I have nothing further to say on the matter.
His art? It involves having a guy whip another guy, while he stands in the background yelling “MORE BLOOD”
lol
What studio do you work for, Samael?
Who in the world would write a piece pleading people to take Mel Gibson back? An an observant Jew of all people? You should know that Israeli Jews like myself face Antisemitism of this type everyday and justifying his bad acts is just, sad and very disappointing. You diminish our fight for equality and peace with this article.
Maybe you face anti-semitism, at least in part, because of your attitude or behavior?
Unfortunately “jews” of hollyweird DIMINISH Israel every day with the perverse garbage they peddle. Actually they diminish ALL of humanity BUT make a fortune doing it!
An Israeli Jew crying about equality! HAH, tell that to the innocent Palestinians your people beat and kill daily in the name of national security. Talk about hypocrisy. In a fight for “equality and peace”,
look no further than your illegal settlements and brutality to a peoples in your own land, let alone Hollywood. PEACE KELB.
Wouldn’t a faithful Jew accept someone’s apology and forgive? Maybe I misunderstand your faith. Rising above bad acts and certainly bad words indicates maturity and peace. Wallowing – well you know.
I for one admire the author’s position as an observant Jew, and her willingness to forgive and stand on Gibson’s side. You would think that forgiveness and reconciliation might be relevant and potent ideas to you, given where you come from.
Sorry, Mel. You’ll have to grovel some more and wear sackcloth and ashes before Jewish-controlled Hollywood well let you off probation.
You, “Really?,” must have read a different article. I didn’t once read any of Gibson’s failings being justified, side-stepped, or coddled. Also, the author offered the reader a lot of information indicating who she is and why she wrote the piece. Drop the chip on your shoulder, “Really?,” for ten minutes, and give it another read. Maybe the world will be blessed with, if nothing more, an ounce of understanding.
I understand your response,… a lot of us face that. I am a Catholic, we are happily trashed daily.
Israelis face far worse antisemitism yet are remarkably anxious to find peace with those who threaten them. Israelis are also not alone in having to live with threats. Just look at the religious antagonisms and violence in Africa and Asia in which Jews are not involved. World history is filled with horrible genocides none of which should be forgotten or diminished. Mel Gibson’s drunken epitets are not a threat to Judaism but smallmindedness is. The Judeo-christian tradition is one of foregiveness. Please reconsider your anger, which only diminishes your spirit. Your “fight for equality and peace” will not succeed if you cannot forgive as it is the memory of transgressions that encourages irreconcilable differences. Acts of contrition should be recognized as opportunities for humanity. I sincerely hope that you rethink your comment.
The article doesn’t defend what Gibson did. It only suggests that at some point, people deserve to be forgiven.
And comments like this turn otherwise neutral people into anti semites. Society is not a slave to your fragile ego. The world does not stop when your feelings get hurt. And as far as your fight for equality? People of Jewish descent are way over represented among the ranks of the rich and powerful in comparison to their percentages in society as a whole. If anything it’s the rest of us that need to fight for equality. The jews are doing just fine.
How unforgiving and ungrateful you are! How much money and energy have non-jews given to the Jewish nation. I am not Jewish but have denounced those who do not know or understand both the history and faith of pracising Jews. The horror the people of Isreal have had to endure due to unbridled hate. One son just finished serving in the military in harms way helping to keep the Jewish nation from being annilated and one is now in the mid-east doing the same. I keep the Jewish people in my prayers daily as a practising Catholic. I am offended by your lack of any type of gratitude to those willing to loose thier lives to ensure freedom to all people.
I care. I read the whole thing. Every word.
Probably
Probably the best ‘entertainment’ news I have read in a Very long time !!
We care !
I’m sure Mel Gibson and the Christ will get along just fine without the approval of the Hollywood culture distorter crowd.
Well said. It is a joy to witness wisdom in this world which lauds that which is not balanced, which is not kind, which is not true.
thanks much,
JD
You are so very correct in that judgment!
I found it interesting enough to read the entire article and I’m usually the type who skims most of them. Well written. Thank you.
Me too. Not only was this well written, it is insightful and reality based. Blessings to those who do not see truth when it is presented so starkly.
I have known Mel Gibson for almost 20 years. He has the weight of “celebrity” that he has had to carry for many, many years. But, to understand the man, you have to separate him from the “celebrity”. “Celebrity” can disguise and distort anyone in this situation. There are pressures and issues that have to be dealt with that challenge anyone in these situations. The history of Hollywood is fraught with artists, WHICH IS WHAT MEL IS, become, as you say, “good punching bags”. Hollywood loves to “spin” and create angles that are reflections of the “spin” and NOT the truth.
Mel Gibson, everyday that he puts his pants on, an artist. He is an artists anyone of us would be overjoyed to have accomplished what he has done. THAT is truly what he is and wants to be, period.
He has created some of the most enjoyable, unique and profound films ever made.
But, as a friend, you would be truly blessed to have Mel consider you a friend. He would give you more than just the shirt off his back. He would use his soul and spirit and natural love, challenged as it is by what surrounds him, to help you. I would fall on a grenade for Mel and I’m sure he would reciprocate.
Struggle breeds character, and knowing the already immense soulful power of Mel’s true character, outside of his failures, Mel will be back and he will amaze us because he is a student of the soul, of life and of love.
So, I say, Mel has forgiven Hollywood. And he has learned to forgive himself. We, yes WE, need to show that we know what forgiveness IS. As an artist who has gone through so much, I know that what he has seen, felt and witnessed in the human nature of himself and the world around us that he will take a giant leap creatively and create some awesome and profound movies.
So, leave Mel alone….. he has so much to give to all of us. Step back and stop “spinning reality” and let the man do what he does best …. produce profound creative artistry.
some mistakes YOU never quit paying for…..Ole’ MEL is finding this out…..about NOW!……Mel’s star has burned out….
The box office will decide whether or not that’s true. Many moviegoers aren’t huge fans of double standards. Granted, the “puppet movie” wasn’t a huge success, but the public will decide if his career truly has faded.
If only YOUR mistakes were out in the public for all to see… I doubt you’d be singing the same tune.
@Tim,Thank you ! You have well described the Mel I know !
Tim, I work with a group of Christian leaders who would like to hear from Mel and to encourage him. Is there any way to relay this to him? [email protected]
I read it all the way through. I didn’t initially intend to but it was FASCINATING and I couldn’t stop reading! Apparently you (Comment by Huh?) have ADD or something. If it’s not short enough to be on the back of a pack of gum, you’re not interested in reading it. I get it. The loss is yours. This was a VERY interesting article!
He is a hopeless alcoholic. You glamorize a despicable person because you are complicit.
Sawyer, what a ridiculous comment. What do you mean, he is “hopeless alcoholic?” It is clear you did not read the article. You are obviously SO jealous you can’t stand it! There is so much else going on there.
And you are? And what have you accomplished in your life? yeah, thought so
While his critics, of course are all sober, wholesome and upright — NOT! Good grief — Hollywood defenders can’t fathom their own hypocrisy even as they commit it!
Said the person completely ignorant of all the pertinent details.
Oh come on you knee-jerk judge. Maybe he is a hopeless alcoholic, which you may think is…despicable…and yes, to think kindly of Mel is antisemitism…right.
You need more life experience. Like a river we appear the same but are changing every day.
Not me. I have better things to do.
I suspect that you read little on any subject. Your reading likely peaked during your Cliff’s Notes era.
I read it. Very interesting. Emblematic of Hollywood derision. Quite telling really.
Yes, we want him back.
I wonder how well those in Hollywood responsible for blacklisting Gibson would fare if like him, they were defined by their worst moment. I have stopped watching Hollywood movies and mostly watch YouTube. I think Hollywood needs Gibson more than Gibson needs Hollywood.
It would be horrible to be defined by one’s worst moment. And if that is what was happening to him, that would be horrible. But he made hateful comments before and was “forgiven”. But then he kept doing things and doings things… and doing things. He is being judged on a pattern of behavior not one incident.
You don’t care. You didn’t read it. Why did you bother making that idiotic statement? I read it. I now have a different opinion of Mel. Hopefully he’ll get another chance.
I think we all make mistakes in this life. when they are made by a public person, they are multiplied. Who hasn’t cursed in the privacy of their home? We are all racists to a certain extent. we are all non perfect. I believe forgiveness is one of the most beautiful gifts of love and all religions in the world teach us that. Mel Gibson definitely deserves to be given another chance, he also happens to be one of the great talents we have.
The side of him that I know is a very beautiful one, and I happen to be a man of dark Complexion as in real black so…
Gibson is a great talent who’s work should be encouraged. Damn I miss his work!
What, your Cliffs note didn’t reach you? Just betting you’re a devotee of youtube films. Do you find yourself shouting at your microwave to hurry? As for me, I miss Mel Gibson. You can see the real worth of a person by the people who will defend them, people that will take flack, and try to see through layers of crap, real or perceived. Amongst the true friends of Mel Gibson, along with Robert Downey, are Whoopie Goldberg and Jody Foster. After reading this heartfelt ‘open letter’ to the ‘business of show’, I can see that Mel Gibson has another friend, and that, alone, gives me the measure of his character, more the past. Thank you, Allison
Allison
Please bring Mr. Gibson back to Colorado Springs. He could sit with Don Overton, pastor of North Springs Alliance Church. Don is a good guy, came out of the business environment, and he loves people. If wanted, the conversation with Mel could be web broadcasted to 2000 other churches.
But at the end of the day, no one will have “gotten a piece of Mr. Gibson”, but if he is willing, he can tell his story, where ever it is, explore where God’s story is and if there is an intersection.
Call me, please.
719.238.1290
I read the whole thing. Bring him back. He should have never left.
He’s one of the best ever actors out there. I miss seeing what Mel would have put on the big screens. This man puts a movie out like THE PASSION ,and they can’t get near it yet! Maybe they need to take a few lessons from him. You think ? Miss You Mel! And by the way you do not need forgiveness from anyone! There’s a lot more out there that need it than you! God Bless ! And thank You for the movies you have done ! Job well done Mel!
I don’t watch any of the garbage put out by Hollywood these days unless Mel Gibson is somehow involved with the project.
How many of us has done or said something we are ashamed of? He who has not sinned cast the first stone. It should be the goal of man to be Christ like .I mean God forgave us . Mel Gibson only needs to forgive himself, he does not need Hollywood to do it. But I will say one!
Mel Gibson was right about Jews in my humble opinion. Columbus was a Jew. Their history of Jew owned slave ships bringing hundreds of thousands of Africans to America is documented. The major slave holders were Jews.
American Indian/Indigenous Peoples have suffered their holocaust complements of Columbus Jew who spearheaded the extermination of over 100,000 million Indigenous Peoples. Read “Dare to Compare” by Lillian Friedberg, a Jew who documented the American Holocaust. Google “Jewish Exploitation of American Indians” and read what Hollywood has IGNORED and why? Because it is run by Jews who for years have made how many movies that were racially demeaning of American Indians?
Jewish Community Centers across the US yearly celebrate L. Frank Baum’s WIZARD OF OZ…Baum who called for the totally extermination of REDSKINS! No big deal for Jews is it? Nope…they are the only people who suffer…and that is a lie from hell. Oh…by the way…that word REDSKIN…is openly and defiantly used by a Jew named Dan Snyder for his mostly Black foolsball team.
So brother Mel…you are my hero and you have NOTHING to be ashamed of…you simply told the truth in a course way but it was the truth be that as it may. No need to contaminate your soul by associating yourself with Gentile hating producers and directors…say Jews…who produce lies and filth and distort reality and truth better then any other people on this planet!
Wow, the thorazine must have kicked in Richard. Just coming straight out with our Jew hatred huh, you and Mel make a fine pair. Thanks for confirming what we already knew, Gibson’s supporters are cut from the same cloth. Filled with hate.
Mel Gibson is no a racist and anti-semite than any of the lame stream media folks and black leaders such as Sharpton and Jackson. In fact, much less so. What Gibson’s sin was to shed truth on the sacred cows of liberals. He portrayed early Americans in “The Patriot” as decent people. He shown a s0d0mite in an unflattering light in “Braveheart”, and finally he portrayed the early American Indian as brutal and savage, until the Christians showed up, in “Apocalypto” THOSE were his real sins and he needed to be silenced immediately.
I cared enough to read the whole thing. Very thoughtful piece.
Why bother to comment here if you don’t care?
Plenty of us.
Hollywood is a cesspool, much like the rest of california. Can’t wait to see to whole dump slide off into the Pacific.
Summary: A writer develops a crush on the person she has often written about and now wants everyone to overlook Gibson’s LONG HISTORY of racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic, misogynistic, and just plain old HATEFUL attitudes.
Gibson should move to Russia, he’d still be a huge star there, and they share all his prejudices.
Ten second retention spans can be detrimental.
Exactly.
Hollywood, keep Mel on your Blacklist.
Yes – the summary is that the author is an apologist who characterizes self-evidently bigoted statements as “comments that made him seem anti-Semitic and racist” and because some people in Hollywood are hypocrites, Jews and their friends should be forced to work with someone they despise and vice-versa.
Allison say: “The fact that he won’t jump to his own defense is part of his problem, but also part of why I have grown to respect him.” Its well know when you have more than one person accusing you of something, if you try defend yourself on your own you look more gilty. That known well by lawyers cause a lawyer freind told me that. And I dont like Mel cause he leans right.
Lethal Weapon right!? Let the unforgiving be blessed by our prayers & pullout..let him get up and life. Forgiveness, how can a religious person be so vicious…Great actor….love your enemies
Shut up!
Hollywood praises a child rapist (Roman Polanksi), but Mel Gibson can’t get work?
That’s all you need to know about Hollywood. No condoning Gibson’s racist remarks, but the hypocrisy is unworldly.
I read the entire article and totally agree with the Weiner. It seem some folks will only read articles that trash people instead of the truth for a change.
Mel Gibson is one of the most talented directors / actors to come along. Let’s stop listening to all the media hype and bring him back so we can all enjoy his works! Talented people are often temperamental people and he is no exception. Enough already with all the hatred. Let’s move on and hope Mel Gibson can again bring us some wonderful entertainment – it’s been too long. (Let’s hope he has learned to not trust gold digging women as well!) This world is too full of hatred and sorely lacking compassion and forgiveness.
I guess Mel is a better actor than he gets credit for. He certainly snowed the author of this post.
Mel Gibson Hates Jews. His father is a Holocaust denier and the Passion was anti semetic. He hates Blacks, Woman, Latinos and Jews. Never forget the hate. He never really even apologized. I will be boycotting Deadline.com now for their awful ways as well as all mel gibson movies, which I have done since 2004
I think you just read the title of the article and rushed to the comments section. I love how the self-proclaimed “open-minded, tolerant” among us turn out to be the most intolerant and close-minded.
Goodbye Leon. You will not be missed I am sorry to tell you. I am not sure why I typed this since you will not be reading it.
Good riddance, Leon. I assure you Mel Gibson and Deadline.com will thrive in your absence.
Excellent article. I was confident that there was another side to the supermarket tabloid stories about Gibson.
In my opinion Braveheart is the best movie ever made.
UnHolywood says it all.
Very well written article. And yes, I believe your take on Mel. Hollywood is a town full of imposters who love to judge but don’t like others to judge them. Allison and Mel are two of the few people in Hollywood with any talent.
This hate-filled Jewess/Khazar missed what the Passion was about when she writes “Passion, a film about an innocent man’s willingness to forgive the greatest injustice” insulting Christians in underhanded ways. Friends with Sarah Silverman, Wiener?
“Hollywood” and who runs it need to be on a blacklist!” Not him, for the things they do and then yes anti-semitic. Ok anti-semtic like your anti any arab country and succesffuly created a genocide using the excuse of terrorits. PLEASE! Apparently the Holocust taught you nothing. And now you will go through another one that is coming because of your cruelty and backwards way doing things as a perfect historical and exact example as Passion of the Christ, still Crucfyign wrongly til the present day.
Thank you for your honest, enlightening article. None of us is perfect. At least Mel has tried to redeem himself. I wish him sobriety, serenity and peace.
I do and I am thankful for the post. I figured when the different events happened that there was more to the story and there was. I think Gibson is a great actor and director. I personally wish I was in a position to do something on his behalf that would get him doing the work he is masterful at doing. I think given today’s society and story lines a witty, fun and revealing Conspiracy Theory follow up would be a great film and money maker.
I hope we see Mel in more films or TV.
Good job Allison!
The hatred on the web is insane, I have to wonder who would employ these haters. Wow like none of us ever did anything stupid and regretted it? What movie has mel ever made that show any views of what he said and regretted? I don’t know mel obviously but I really like his movies and don’t really give a crap about his views.
Hollywood isn’t exactly fond of Jews either. Odd, considering how many are Jewish.
Still, I find it interesting that they’d sooner forgive Paul Reuben than Mel Gibson.
I cared enough to read it. I’m not exactly a Mel Gibson fan, not because of these incidents, but everyone in Hollywood’s treatment of him is inexcusable. There are murderers, rapists, thieves, current addicts and drug dealers all in the business, who have been given a second chance and are doing well.
The only thing happening here is a few people taking personal exception to the fact he said something that pointed out where the power in HolierThanThouWood lies.
“Readin’ is hard.”
Mel was not dropped from Hangover 2 because of the cast protests. He was dropped because there was a press junket coming up for “Due Date” (which starred Zach G. and was directed by Todd Phillips) almost on top of when Mel was going to shoot his part. The studio wisely realized that the “Due Date” press junket was going to turn into a “Hangover 2” event where the Mel Gibson casting would all anyone would be talking about. The studio told Phillips: “‘Due Date’ needs help; ‘Hangover 2’ doesn’t need the help, so let’s drop Mel from this cameo so that the press will focus on the movie we’re about to release.” Todd agreed and told Mel who was very understanding about it.
What about Woody Allen, the Jewish pedophile movie maker? Hollywood, of course, gives him a pass. What non-Jews despise about Hollywood is the disproportionate coverage, spread, and self-promotion the Jewish-controlled film industry gives themselves and their liberal agenda. How many Yentl, Jazz Singer, etc. movies can a Gentile take, and how many Seinfeld episodes, etc. can a Goy endure? Read the credits at the back-end of a film and you can look up and find a majority of the names in California synagogue membership directories. But they are only 1.73% (core Jewish) / 2.64% (enlarged Jewish) percentage of the USA population. This mental statistic is not lost on the masses, largely (97%+) non-Jewish. Woody Allen is not the only incestuous one in Tinseltown.
lol … Thank you … I could never write that, I’d be condemned … Yet, when a movie like the Passion, (which I did not care to see,) hits big because the faithful majority show up, it proves a point, which is that most people believe the “greatest story ever told.” Whatever happened to giving the people what they want?
I have never thought of Mel Gibson as a standard bearer of the faith, but the cornerstone of that faith is forgiveness. Try it, you’ll like it. All of this polarization because of religion is so outdated. I happen to also have Jewish ancestry but I am Christian, and had relatives who were victims of the Holocaust. I think people need to lighten up on their knee-jerk reactions and move forward beyond religious differences. We are all a lot more alike than most people realize.
I don;t know whether to commend you for admitting that you were wrong about Mel Gibson and willing to give him another chance, or that you admitted that you wrote harshly about him without researching the story.
Admittedly, it was pretty convincing that he was all those things, but then again, no research
Great article, I enjoyed thoroughly!
I concur give Mel another crack at the bat…
I understand the Jewish community, the majority of my friends are Jews, their forgiving humans.
Interestingly the Italians have and continue to be the joke of any day (particularly portrayed by Hollywood,1.e. mafia, grapes, spaghetti and meatballs etc and its shrugged off, let’s give Mel Gibson the benefit of the doubt. The reporting, if unbiased and complete is excellent; I don’t see any reason for a rationale journalist to make such claims when coupled with very good extensive review.
I’m sold on her report and I wish Mel Gibson a quick return to the world of entertainment.
Mel’s case shows the deep hypocrisy and inbred nature of Hollywood.
Mel Gibson is alright by me. A few bad things uttered while intoxicated should not negate his entire life. No one is guiltless in this life. Hollywood especially is not guiltless as fickle as it is.
You must be a Millennial, with the attention span of a gnat.
Those playing their small violin for Gibson are undoubtedly lovers of the free market. Why then the outcry against the simple market-based reasoning that is causing studios and other professionals to politely decline the opportunity to work with him? We don’t HAVE to hire or partner with ANYONE we don’t want to work with. We don’t have to finance him, co-star with him, write for him (ever occur to you that the Ezterhas tape may have made him a less attractive employer?) or take notes from him. If this was one isolated incident, he would have been long since re-integrated into the Hollywood community. The fact is that Gibson drove his car off the cliff multiple times, and integrated his repellant ideology into his films, most notably that Anti-Semitic torture-porn epic “The Passion”.
A person’s employability in Hollywood depends on a number of different factors. A thoughtless racist outburst will be forgiven (see Michael Richards) relatively quickly. But a determined, decades-long commitment to making films FOR THE PURPOSE of spreading ideas that I and many others find repellant? That’s a stain that sticks. It’s not about forgiveness. It’s about the fact that I don’t trust this filmmaker (who demands final cut let’s not forget) to make broad-based entertainment anymore and I don’t trust that audiences will show up for him.
The man is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. If he wants to make films he can very easily finance them himself and distribute them over the internet. He’d probably make a fortune. No one is “silencing” him. We just don’t want to work with him. Because he’s a marketing liability, because he doesn’t play well with others (and never did), because he’s arrogant, because he verbally abuses his writers and crews, AND because he’s a fucking racist. They’re saying “No thank you. Life is too short”.
Whine all you want. Tell the Koch brothers to go raise a hundred million for his Viking epic. Want to take up a cause of a director that deserves a second chance? How about Terry Gilliam, Martin Brest, Peter Bogdanovich or William Friedkin? They made better films in their day and the only “unforgivable” thing they ever did was lose money at the box office!
@ ForgivenessNotEndorsement
what a bunch of bs……….
who’s going to take you seriously with language like “porn epic”
btw, Michael Richards has not been forgiven, it’s taken him years to get this role on cable. I know for a fact.
Hi Joe again. Your over the top, exaggerated writing style is a dead give-away. Mel gave you a second chance – there wasn’t anyone filthier and more misogynist than you were Eszterhas according to your own book on Hollywood where you boast about what a pig you are – but you backstabbed him because you thought it would be easier money than working.
Mel Gibson is the man and he is sorely missed. If for nothing more than his view of what a hero is or should be. He’s made great films and he will continue to make great films. Angry drunks have been saying stupid things since there has being something to drink. At least he owned up to it. God forgives him, Jesus Christ forgives him and he’s gone out of his way for forgivesness from the Jewish community. The man is not Hitler or a leader that advocates death to ALL Jews and Israel. (Those leaders are usually supported by Democrats, Mel=Conservative) Mel is just an entertainer, a very good one. God Bless him and I pray he steps into the forgiveness he’s already been given. Far more important things to do.
Braveheart = genius.
I have to say that this is one of the best heart felt written articles about one’s own Humanity.
Very Well done, and Thank you.
I care. I’ve always liked Mel Gibson. Although it was pretty horrifying to hear his screaming rants. So. Hollywood has it’s own blacklist? Mel is on it because he is a conservative and a christian. Not for his behavior. Hollywood doesn’t care what you do anymore. Just don’t believe in God or have a conservative viewpoint.
Why should Hollywood take him off the Blacklist? Hollywood is generally Anti-Christian and The Passion of Christ was a thorn in the Hollywood community. Noah works because it is from the Pentateuch and the Jewish community is ok with that.
Hollywood…put Mel back on the screen. We miss him.
Huh? (Is that your real name?) you are part of the problem in the first world today IMHO. Something doesn’t fit in a Tweet and it’s too much trouble for you. Please grow up and get an attention span. Nothing – and I mean nothing – is so important in your self-absorbed life that you cannot read the entire essay. Give it a try. Harold
Great comment. Thanks for adding to the conversation.
I was taught at a young age by my dad, never point a finger because when you do look down & 3 more are pointing back at you,
I’m with the lady he who is without sin cast the 1st stone, I’m 70 & I certainly couldn’t cast any. It is not our place to judge anyone .
you are right, that was long. If Gibson is half the man she says he is (which I don’t doubt), he probably won’t like this article.
Why bother with anything? Do not stress your brain too much it may snap!!!
Why wouldn’t he deserve another chance, like any other alcoholic in the good ole USofA? He has a lot more to offer than the average bear.
It was a well written thoughtful article. Well written by someone who took the time to listen and not just believe what she read.
Most of you hating on Mel are probably rushing to defend Woody Allen & Roman Polanski, of course some drunken words will always be worse than rape and pedophelia.
Hollywood can’t forgive him for the success he had on his own with Passion…….that is unforgivable
Here is the problem. It is obvious that there is a new world order. It is obvious that the banksters are trying to buy up everything and control the world. The most powerful ones have bankrolled Israel. Zionism then is a political movement that seeks to make Israel into a world power and give the Zionists in Europe and the US massive power. However, Zionism is not a race, and not a religion. Therefore, stating Jewish people do this or that, when Zionism is made up of many races including a small portion of Jewish people, is wrong. My natural father was Jewish and I am adopted. I hate anti-Semitism. As Noam Chomsky correctly says, anti-Zionism is not always anti-Semitism. If people understand this they can criticize banksters, regime change and occuption and all that without being racist or targeting one race, which is hateful and evil.
Of course he should! The hypocrisy cited in this article shows what many of us have long suspected: that Hollywood has an obvious double-standard for what is and what is not okay and the price different people pay for what they do is clearly shown in this case. Mel Gibson is a person who has learned from his mistakes. He and his former wife Robyn communicate on a regular basis, and for her to defend him during all the accusations of that other woman is astonishing and shouts to the rooftops that he was wronged. The author is correct in pointing out that the man does not try to defend himself. What a terrible thing to deny his talent. And while I do not wish to confuse him with the main character of The Passion of the Christ, I would like to point out that neither of them defends himself. Isn’t that interesting…
Absolutely I am somewhat impressed with the idea of Ms Weiner’s self redemption by writing a positive article about Mel Gibson. Tho, I have to say I never thought that Mr Gibson was/is the “bad guy” that the media portrayed. Shallow writing seems to place the drama at the top of the day. In the meantime the real truths of the Hollywood darkness go unscathed. Mel Gibson is much missed. The world is losing more than Mel Gibson by his “light” being hidden under the bushel.
You’re dumb. Put in the effort illiterate ignoramus
Thank you, Allison Hope Weiner, for writing this article. Thank you for getting to know him, for investing yourself in this friendship, and for speaking up about what you know to be true from your own experience and observation.
Everything you have said in this article about the Mel Gibson you know matches who I have believed him to be, probably from the time I saw Barbara Walters’ interview with him. My friend, Erica emailed me a link to this article because she knew of my concerns for him and knew I would be interested.
Actually, I was so concerned I wrote him a letter (which I shared with Erica) shortly after the airing of the Oksana Grigorieva tape. To me it was obvious that he had been duped from the outset by someone with malicious intent. What I heard on the tape was a man in the agonizing throes of first recognition 1) of having been a fool on a grand scale, too naive to see through a scheme of epic proportions being perpetrated against him; 2) of having sacrificed everything dear to him in service to this cruel, cruel illusion; 3) of sudden new visibility to the emotional states of Robyn and the kids during his drastic departure from sanity; 4) of being hit as by a megaton of bricks by the sudden recognition that they had been right about her, that the pain he had put them through was for naught, mental images of each of them now playing differently on his mental screen, and feelings of unbearable mega-remorse; 5) of the permanent trap that he was now in by sharing a child with a woman he now saw as a diabolical enemy, and that she had planned it that way. In that moment my own heart went into shock for him. (To his credit, what I did not hear was focus or concern about the international scale of exposure of his foolishness. That takes integrity.)
I wrote him the letter so he would know that there was at least one brain besides God’s that was seeing the same movie he was experiencing, but alas, I’ve never written to a celebrity before and don’t have a clue about how to get such a communique from point A (me) to point B (the intended recipient). So it sits in my notebook, radiating guilt pokes to my consciousness for giving up, which will stop now because of your article.
His comments regarding the film that lead people to see him as anti-Semitic had no impact on me at all. The guile it takes to craft one’s utterances into forms difficult to misunderstand is not a resident within his ADHD brain (which, for my money, is one of his charms, and wonderful evidence of his true authenticity). Likewise his spontaneous utterances to his arresting officer (obvious anger rantings, also common to ADHD type 6, Ring of Fire, per Dr. Daniel Amen).
Your article has me more convinced than ever that this man is who I think he is, that his motives are sincere, that his obedience to God to make “The Passion..” birthed a retaliatory onslaught from hell (which we Intercessors around the world should have seen coming), and that true friendship (the way God defines it) is what he needs most, which you, thank God, have given. I am so grateful also for the forum which your article has generated and to be reading the comments of so many others who likewise were thinking for themselves. (I wish I had known how to find and connect with them back then.)
I agree with Kimberly (3/11/14 @ 3:07 pm PDT). “Mel Gibson humiliated the Hollywood establishment by making a successful independent film. Period.” and “Gibson has the means and the talent to make more independent films” which I dearly hope he will do, and with the confidence that those he is building it for will come.
Based on the Passion of Christ alone ,where he had the courage to show brutality of Christ’s death ,which no other project has ever really had the balls ,he will always have my respect. To intertwine oneself in such a vicious drama I would think, in itself might leave deep scars. I have never seen any other piece of art that moved me so. I will never be quite the same ever again, nor do I want to be. My hero has fallen ,but I believe that he has not failed but is merely in transition to something that will eventually be a better place for him. I would never count him out. If Christ taught us just one thing ,it’s to be forgiven of others ,and to be aware that what we are seeing is actually God working his magic in his mysterious ways.
Great article, and I never thought of Mel as a bad guy. He had a rough spell after losing his long time wife and children, and kept reacting negativly like all of us have at one time or another. The Bible says that what ever you do to the least of us you do directly to God himself. If Jesus forgave the ones that crucified him and put him to death, shame on those that feel that they are above forgiving someone for just behaving badly for a while. Like they havnt behaved badly at one time in their lives . I always liked Mel Gibson, always will like him, and would love to meet the man. Let the past die, it does no good to constantly renew what is dead. 20 to 25 million Ukraniuns were murdered because they did not want to become part of the Communist party, a few were my relations, but you never hear or see them trying to keep that horrible part of history alive. God Bless you Mel Gibson, and God Bless those who treat him unjustly also.I hope the same thing does not happen to them some day.
Allison, doesn’t Mel Gibson pay your salary?
I think that he should be forgiven, if he has asked Yeshua to forgive him then we should do the same. I have tried to get in touch with him to let him know that the passion of Yeshua was a beautifully made film. I had written about this part of Yeshua’s end back in 1997 and asked what if people could see Him as He really looked at the end, but people do not want to see Him as He was. The only thing I have against the movie is that Yeshua did not have long hair, look at 1Co 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him., outside of that, it was superb. I would like for you to get in touch with him to let him know what I thought if you would please. As for the Hollywood group, let the one without sin cast the first stone. They can’t because of their own dirty little skeletons they have in their closets. Thank you for standing up for him, I commend you for that. Les
I do. I read the whole thing. That attitude is exactly what’s wrong. Who cares enough? Well if people cared enough to recognize the man has a disease called alcoholism… maybe things would be different. If he’s changed, if he’s sober then let him have another chance. He’s not an evil man. He’s human. He made some horrible mistakes. I miss him in movies. Well… I just plain miss him. He is truly talented & provided a lot better entertainment than what we’re currently seeing. Let Mel outta the doghouse & back on the screen. We still love him. So does God. So everyone else needs to get off their high horse! How would any of us look if OUR stupid moments, or bad days were put on tv/internet for all to see?
I love this article, and I have always loved Mr. Mel Gibson. People need to recognize that we all make mistakes in life and until everyone understands that drug addiction (alcohol is a drug btw) is a disease and sickness not a criminal behavior. And most americans and people in general are forgiving espically to those who are suffering from a drug addiction. I have been thru a small battle myself and I would never wish that upon anyone. The only people who could still hate this man for what he said and did are those themselves who battle with letting things go. I feel Mel was sick and your head is never on strait when we have a life long sickness like alcohol abuse. I hate to say it but if Mel never reaches the top again, that would be a shame, because if I was judged by only a few bad things that I did in my life and nobody loved me for the majority of great things I did….well then we all need to take another look at ourselves before we sit in judgement of the man. My father was an alcoholic for 35 years. And in my early childhood I never liked him and never wanted to be around when he was drinking. But in 1988 he was hospitalized with a bleeding stomach, the doctors told him to stop drinking. MY Dad loved us so much…he did. Unfortunately My mother died a few year later from alcohol abuse, but I for the first time in my life got to learn who my DAD was and for almost 24 years after he quit drinking I enjoyed his company every day we chatted. I still miss him to this day. SO MEL I truly hope you find your way back and I will stand with you because to Conquer any addiction when it seems you have nothing to live for and come out on the other side….clean….YOU DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE…GOD Bless you pal and I only wish you abundant blessings as the years move forward. (And if you ever visit Clearwater, FL) YOu will always have a place to hang and hide out/relax. THANK YOU FOR THIS ARTICLE
Allison Hope Weiner, you should hang your head in shame. The male actor is so brave that he could not do it, and so you want to be a slave for him. How touching. I hate to see weird things like this: for all the male silliness and stupidity, stupid girls are ready to lay their bodies down for them (be it journalists or Anthony Weiner’s wife,) it is degrading to young women around the world.
I talked to my niece today, she is in high school and she wonders what kind of journalist this woman is. Allison, being a journalist, write something with integrity or don’t at all. Don’t cheapen yourself to being a man’s slave. Don’t put young girls down.
Mel Gibson humiliated the Hollywood establishment by making a successful independent film. Period.
Mel also has a drinking problem and his personal life is a shambles at times–like two-thirds of his show business peers. Forgive him or not. Gibson has the means and the talent to make more independent films, if nothing else.
Who the hell cares about his religious or political views? His job is to act and he’s damn good at it. His performance in THE BEAVER was stunning. Wagner was a musical genius regardless of his personal views and no one can dispute that.
Well said. Not only did he humiliate “the Hollywood establishment by making a successful independent film,” but the film was about Jesus.
How hard is it to make a Jesus movie be widely viewed, are you kidding me?
We’re talking about Hollywood, remember? They all have skeletons in the closet(and out of the closet as well}. I know one thing–Gibson makes some really good films.
Agreed but topics such as that are not written about by the prominent/dominant media reporters…
This is an awfully strange piece to appear on deadline. A biased opinion piece? I have nothing against Mel Gibson, but I also have no doubt he’ll get opportunities to revive his career, and doesn’t need the sycophantic aid of a star-struck reporter. There are so many more important issues for Deadline and and its writers, or guest writers, to opine or get behind.
This is the new Deadline – ALL Opinion pieces and conjecture, no real news. Did you see the puff piece they did on NOAH that actually addressed “god” twice – and from the “writer’s” point of view, not in context.
Deadline is slowly dying.
It is fascinating to watch.
Agree!
Agreed! Do we really look that stupid?
Yes.
You mean like whether or not Hart Of Dixie gets renewed.
This is a very viable topic in Hollywood you Ninny.
Actually, yes.
A TV show’s renewal is hard entertainment news. That’s what DEADLINE is supposed to be about, albeit with a bit of snark and wit thrown in for good measure. Hard entertainment news is important to me and the countless other entertainment professionals who visit this site daily.
If I wanted to read biased celebrity opinion pieces I would go to TMZ or Perez Hilton.
Ninny.
Have you ever read an opinion piece, or known someone to have an opinion, that was not “biased”? The fact that one has an opinion means that you’ve come down somewhere on the subject matter, and are no longer merely considering it – you’ve made a decision about it and taken a side.
A “biased opinion piece” would be one written by a writer who has blurred the line between reporting on a subject and befriending a subject. A “non-biased opinion piece” would be a journalist writing about a subject based on their interpretation of facts of public record and maybe interviews with the subject.
There’s a difference, otherwise having a bias would be the same as having an opinion. It’s not.
Go back to school.
A point you, “Anonymous,” appeared to have misunderstood in the article is “…star-struck…” The author indicated her ability, as an experienced lawyer and reporter, to see through the “stars” and arrive at a reasonable evaluation of the character of the person she is interviewing.
The author also left no doubt that she is biased concerning Gibson, and, unless you missed another point, to explain how and why she arrived at her conclusions for the purpose of persuading others to take a look.
It’s a good piece of work, and I’m left with the opinion that she doesn’t entertain fools in her cirlce of friends.
Oh well, if she said she was not star struck, it must be so.
wasn’t he just in machete kills? and isn’t he in expendables 3?. sounds like he’s working.
And in 2010 he starred in EDGE OF DARKNESS, which was Warner Bros. So it’s only been four years since he last worked for a major.
I can forgive his anti-Semitism. I have a bigger problem with his drunk driving–especially when he could afford a full-time driver, or at least have called a cab–as well as his violent outbursts, such as raging through the house brandishing a kitchen knife, especially when children were there.
Also, the apparent forgiveness of Tyson, Brown, et al for their crimes is just as repellent.
Starring in Get The Gringo (2012) too can hardly be described as being blacklisted.
Just went through IMDB.com. His last “major” studio film was Edge of Darkness in 2004. Films after that were smaller film studios…including Expendables 3.
You’re six years off. Edge of Darkness came out in 2010, as the person two comments above yours already said. It did not come out in 2004.
Get the Gringo was produced by …… drumroll……. Icon Productions which was founded by …… drumroll ……. Mel Gibson!
Therefore, this is only more proof that he is indeed being blacklisted and has to continue relying on producing his own films.
Jesus forgave those who crucified him, but you can’t forgive a few words from an alcoholic?
You summed it up exactly.
Mel Gibson is a tormented soul with anger management problems. He is truly TRYING to better his life after disastrous mistakes. Show a little compassion and understanding.
The guy is also VERY good at what he does: acting & directing.
and “let those who are without sin CAST THE FIRST STONE…”
To err is human to forgive is…well, hopefully we haven’t forgotten the rest.
He offended jews. Had he ofended Christians, he wouldn’t have gotten shunned in the first place. And I’m not even Christian. Just an obervation.
Chris Brown beat up a woman and his career recoreved. Different standards.
Uhm , Chris Brown admitted to what he did, and it helped that Rihanna admitted she baited him into it. Gibson has admitted nothing. If you want to waste time demanding the public and hollywood “forgive” Gibson for something, then you can start by demanding Gibson himself tell us what he needs forgiveness for.
What does Gibson need to “admit” to? His transgressions are all out there on tape or in police reports. Everyone knows what he has done or said.
A guy named “smack” defending Chris Brown? How ironic…
Mel Gibson does not owe you, or anyone else, and “explanation.” Get off your high horse.
Mel has apologized privately, over and over again… along with seeking to learn more about the Jewish faith so he can change who he is.
If you are looking for the big “dragged before the microphone” public apology ala Tiger in 2010, you are NEVER going to get it… because that just isn’t who this man is, or will ever be.
The point of this article is to let the public know what work Mel has been doing behind the scenes to solve his problem, because Mel will never tell us himself.
Apparently you do not read very well. Gibson admitted to the target of his attacks they he was wrong and has privately apologized to these same people. He does not owe YOU an apology and does not require YOUR forgiveness. Get over yourself. You are not that important just because you are a member of the gossip-consuming public. I am sure there are people walking around who justly or unjustly hold a grudge against you. Why don’t you admit to some wrong and seek the forgiveness of random people whose business it does not concern. That is what you are demanding Gibson do.
Huh? Um, no, no woman “baits” a man into beating her to a bloody pulp. And Brown, last time I checked, is in rehab for anger management issues.
and when did Rhianna say she baited him into having the sh*t beat out of her? He’s gone on to be in other fights, so get your facts straight.
Absolutely! Drug use, hypocrisy, and supporting pedophilia are all fine…just don’t offend the Jews.
Yes, he offended Jews. Now that Christians are being massacred by the hundreds of thousands in places like Africa, people may realize that hatred of one group leads to hatred of others. Anti-Semitism led and still leads to death. Our culture has made entertainers, such as film actors, into stars and heroes that our children tend to emulate. A drunken, raging, anti-Semitic is not a wholesome influence for kids.
Roman Polanski, Mike Tyson, Alec Baldwin (over and over), Gerrard De Pardue, Brittany Spears and don’t forget Halle Berry and her hit and run along with many more as these are just some who are so forgiven today in Hollywood and the influence they have on children and society seems to be just fine. What a joke!
“Now that Christians are being massacred by the hundreds of thousands in places like Africa” Ummm NO! Maybe you meant hundreds or thousands, but hundreds of thousands of christians being killed is a lie.
Hmmph. Well, I’d like to hear more people (that aren’t completely self-interested) vouch for Gibson, beyond one journalist, before I personally could feel differently about him.
Is he in fact anti-Semitic? Personally I suspect there had to be some degree of it, on some level. It wasn’t just one incident with the cop, which you could dismiss as just an attempt to hurt the person he thought was causing him an undo amount of harm. But what about the movie he made, in which for the most part any Jew who didn’t convert was basically portrayed as evil? The racist comments on the phone conversation don’t fit that mold either.
Too many questions still about someone who is complicated, and was pretty messed up. I hope he really is on the path to getting better, and sorting out his personal demons.
Did you even see the movie? Or are you just regurgitating what you were told to think?
It was those particular Jews, who insisted on the crucifixion of Christ. And it was Christ who said, “Forgive them, Father”. To follow Christ’s teachings is to forgive those who crucified Him, and to hold blameless, those who came after.
Christ NEVER endorsed vengeance against Jewish people; nor did Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”. And this is how I know you never saw the film.
Christ was a Jew. The Apostles were all Jews. The 3,000 who were blessed by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost were likely all Jews. There are many Jews who believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Someday they all will!
Gibson was, is and always has been ahead of the curve. That can hardly be said of Hollywood.
Mel, make another movie; this time about what happens after the Resurrection.
What happened after? You mean the whole bit of Christians lighting Jews on fire at the stake for about 1,000 years or so?
I believe the ones who read the whole article will have a like opinion as I. Which is that it appears that Mel is trying to live his faith (Christian) by not trying to get even, or better anyone who disagrees with him, just being honest and trying to do better next time, and remember “Judge not lest you be judged”.
You never saw the movie. Even before its release, Hollywood lowlifes lied about how it would be so anti-Semitic. Of course it wasn’t at all. Mel Gibson’s movie portrayed the great love Christ, the Son of God, has for all of us sinners. Through His crucifixion, contrite faithful are promised paradise; judgmental haters will answer for themselves.
Commenting for my numerous family and friends, Braveheart and The Patriot are our favorite movies of all time!
Couldn’t agree more!
All the people in the world with big problems – real problems – and this “journalist” choose to go to the wall for Mel Gibson?
Hey, honey, I’m guessing you’re not Jewish. And, you may want to check CNN. THere’s a plane with 234 passengers on board missing off Malaysia. Sorry I can’t drum up a lot of sympathy for Mel today.
I actually am an observant Jew as I wrote in the piece–if you’d read it.
@Allison: Way to respond. I just wish I could’ve watched the look on this Poster’s face when they read your response and a shock of surprise shot up their spine (assuming they have one).
@F.U. Journalist: “Here’s a plane with 234 passengers on board missing off Malaysia…” and yet here you are attacking someone with an opinion — an opinion you CLEARLY didn’t even read. Shouldn’t you be on CNN.com instead of here? In fact, please go there — and don’t come back.
Well said !
I read your post, Allison, but no thanks. I watched every Mel Gibson movie up until The Passion of the Christ. Hollywood is entitled to hire Mel, and I’m going to continue to never watch his movies again. You excuse his anti-Semitism by blaming alcohol and his anger at the Jews who complained about The Passion of the Christ. But Mel is a product of his environment, a virulently anti-Semitic one. The alcohol and his volocanic temper led to him releasing his real feelings and now Mel has to live with it.
100% Agreed!
I hope St. Peter is as lenient with you when you arrive at the gates.
What’s that? You can’t hear me? I’ll get a ladder and climb to you on your high horse and repeat it.
Interestingly enough, while Mel has apologized for the things he’s said, I actually have never heard anything he said as something that, when actually viewed without bias, he was actually wrong on. Go Mel! Don’t apologize, just own it and move on. If Hollywood leaves you behind, at least you stood on principle.
Quite sure he will survive without you watching his films. You didn’t watch “POTC” and it did over $600 million. Your loss, not Mel’s.
Yes, Mel will survive quite well with all of his cash. But due to his own behavior, his big movie role is now in Expendables 3.
How can you be virulently anti-semetic and attend Jewish holidays and bar mitzvahs?
People say stupid things when they are drunk or when they’re being arrested. Things which they don’t necessarily believe.
Did he attend those events before he was trying to get Allison to write a positive story about him? Either way, the “my best friends are (insert ethnicity here) people” is a bogus defense.
Gibson isn’t even a very good actor.
Mad Max? The Man without a Face?
Of course he’s a serial anti-Semite, that’s an absolute, just like his dad, the Holocaust denier.
He’s a grotesque little fidget who deserves to be right where his is now. A has-been, a joke, a punch line.
Hollywood would take anyone back who can make a good picture. Gibson’s snuff film on Jesus doesn’t count, box office notwithstanding.
He was a pretty boy whose face now reflects the ugly that was always therein.
I hope he rots.
Your sense of entitlement to such centered hate is punishment enough for most.
I feel sorry for you.
Awww… cry me a frickin’ river, why don’t you…
Your very pathetic rant here has done nothing more than tell the world what a moronic doofus you’ve become. Poor baby…Grow up, you little asshat…
jealousy is very unbecoming. You have spewed more hate than Mel, where do you work so we can all chose to not to use, endorse or pay for anything you are involved in.
Thanks Allison. Love it when an asshole is put in his place. Loved your piece.
Touche…..Good job Allison
You’re full of BS, “Allison”/ Allison impersonator.
Thanks Allison for the piece. As has been demonstrated by so many in these comments…it is much easier to throw stones than to make an attempt to get to know those we don’t like/trust. You may not like what you find but you will never know unless you try. Thanks again
@Allison
Thanks for the great article. We all do / say stupid things, it’s a great man that tries to grow. Sad that many people don’t know how many he’s helped along the way.
Tell him we can’t wait for his next film.
Nice reading, it states she is an observant Jew…..so you have time to disparage a reporter but not enough time to read the column before doing it? Sounds like you are a troll…..
I think most of us with jobs took the time to read this entire fluff piece.
I am curious as to why you are making it a point that people SHOULD NOT be reading this when there are other issues going on in the world on other news platforms, yet you have seemed to take a long enough glance at it to care yourself and spend time to make a comment about an article you clearly did not fully read yourself. This “journalist” is Allison Weiner FYI…and she is the best person to make this kind of article for the following reasons:
1) She is a jewish journalist who has smashed Mel Gibson in the past
2) She decided to open her mind and be curious enough to investigate who he REALLY is
3) She has the guts to speak out about a subject that could make some jews pretty upset.
This article was clearly written, at great length, based on the time and research she did to find out who Mel Gibson really is. This article is a great piece of journalism. I hope it lights a fire for a great comeback for him, because Hollywood and the big screen misses his great talent!
Mel Gibson has also been extremely homophobic toward the gay community, as well having a strong prejudice against a number of other minorities out there.
He’s like the drunk, over-the-top comedian who asks at the end of his act, “Is there anyone out there that I haven’t offended?!”
Why is what you believe and think monocular and superior? You can’t show sympathy for more than one thing at a time?
He never should have been on the black list in the first place. He’s a special type of director full of visceral energy, incredibly talented but he’s not PC at all and thank God for that.
I feel bad for the hard times he suffered through and being a public figure every comment was multiplied to the maximum. Like this article correctly mentioned others have done way worse and they are revered in Hollywood while Gibson being a bad drunk got him a lot more suffering than anyone in his situation deserved.
I wish him all the best, and the biggest comeback story Hollywood has ever seen. We know he’s a good actor and an even better director. Give him a chance to let him be our favourite Mel again.
Well said ! I agree !
I agree with Ms. Weiner 100%.
I’m with you. I’ve spent time with Mr. Gibson and he was intense, but lovely, funny, smart. Shouldn’t be hung on a noose forever. Maybe This should also be an op-ed in NYT.
Who controls Hollywood? He bit the hand that fed him. No one knows if he’ll ever be welcomed back into the fold. From the looks of it, those in charge are not the forgiving type.
Great article ! I
I believe in forgive and forget, will be happy to forgive Mel the second he stops being a vile anti-Semite.
^THIS 1000X^
If that happens, or has happened, how will you ever believe it?
The Jews have a commandment: Thou shall not commit false witness against thy neighbor. As you do not know Mr. Gibson and could not possibly know whether he has ever been, or continues to be, or has ceased to be an anti-Semite in his heart, your assertion that he is an anti-Semite amounts to false witness. I accuse you of breaking this law and advise you to seek forgiveness from Mr. Gibson before you have to explain to your maker why you have chosen to abjure one of his few commandments. That should be an interesting conversation. I suspect you will lose the argument, and it will be because your pride is greater than your ability to be objective and fair. Pride is what kills most of us.
If we want bloody movies, we’ll call Quentin Tarantino. He and his movies are cool.
Mel, go back to your cross burning ceremony you trash.
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Good article. I, too, had written Gibson off. But I do believe in second chances. I would like to see what he does with a film about Vikings. All that said, I don’t think Braveheart grossed $3.6 billion.
The reference to $3.6 billion was to all his movies combined.
Roman Polanksi raped an underage girl in the butt and people will still line up to work with him and give him awards. Mel Gibson says some naughty words in private conversations that were secretly taped without his consent and he’s not allowed to direct a Tide commercial.
^This.
I’d like to see that Tide commercial. “Get’s your clothes REALLY White!” OH No!! Blackballed another ten years!
lethargic, you nailed it.
I always find the comparison to Mike Tyson to be somewhat unfair. Yes, what he did was horrifying, but he served his sentence, and by the guidelines of our society, that should be enough for a second chance (which he seems to be doing fine with).
As for Mel, while he does sound like a raging asshole, sober or not, he has not done anything illegal. I think the comparison to Polanski is also unfair- to Mel. Polanski actually did something horrible and illegal, and yet the studios still support him. Same with Woody Allen (allegedly, anyway).
There’s no easy answer, but it is thought provoking, I’ll give Allison that.
Good to hear he’s made amends for his anti-Semitism. But has he also reached out to the African-American community for using the N word?
When the African-American community stops using the hateful, repugnant ‘N’ word themselves perhaps the rest of the world will learn to be sympathetic to the hurt this word causes. Until then the double-standard should not apply: If its wrong for one group to use the word it is wrong for all groups to use it.
Louis CK does a good bit on “the N word”. You should see it on Netflix and then quit using that douchey term.
Mel just do Lethal Weapon 5 and all will be forgiven!
No.
Good Lord, what a screed! Mind you, I only made it partway in before relegating the rest to the “life’s too short” file, but I did read enough to draw the conclusion that not only is the content and tenor of this “article” completely beyond the pale of what a professional journalist should be writing, it has no place in a legitimate news outlet. Why would Deadline — or any news source — grant this a forum? Put it on your blog, send it out as a Christmas letter, or buy ad space, but here? Thoroughly inappropriate.
As for Gibson, he deserves what he gets now, is sowing what he reaped, and was exposed ten years ago for the hateful monster he is at his core. Alcoholic or not, he has no excuse.
“Beaver 2”, anyone?
So you “relegated it to the ‘life’s too short pile” and then took the time to comment.
Quirky.
I’m not worried about Mel or his money or his need to create. He’s still rolling in dough and if he wanted, he can produce his OWN project – including a Broadway play to star in – if he really NEEDED to work. This piece seems to just blame booze.
Hollywood is chock full of despicable human beings. Mel just had the misfortune of having his equally despicable ex expose him to the world. This is why I never concern myself with the personalities of movie stars. If I boycotted every celebrity whose politics / religion / opinions I disapproved of, I’d never be able to go to the movies again.
Miss Weiner, that was very thoughtful, but I’m still dubious.
Jesus was all about forgiving. He loved Second-Acts. That is why I like the guy. His biblical followers are hypocrites who forgive nothing, money-wise. They condemn everybody they dislike and forgive nobody. That is Christianity in practise, church-wise. Mel Gibson is a victim in this unfunny farce. Hollywood is probably the high church of hypocrisy. Spelled out, dummy-wise: the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform.
I agree with you !
I want to see Mel make that Viking movie.
Yeah! The Viking movie sounds badass.
As for Ari’s hypocrisy at WME, personally I think they and CAA should be hauled into federal anti-trust court and broken up. No way in hell should the vast bulk of Hollywood’s A-list talent be locked up at two agencies. No way.
I want to see Mel make that Maccabean movie.
Dear Allison. You got played.
Actors know how to charm.
I find it hard to believe that Gibson was not aware of the issues surrounding THE PASSION before he made the film.
Says the guy who knows nothing of the guy but the other articles written by attack journalists like Allison described. Sounds like you allowed yourself to be played, just like a fiddle. Now that someone else has done your thinking for you, you’ve locked in that view and refuse to keep an open mind to any additional evidence.
It’s possible Allison got played, but she showed more of an open mind than most commenters here, and given her history dealing with celebrities, I think she would have a better idea than you if he was being insincere.
Finally, I love that many who have never even met the man can arrogantly state with no doubt what the nature of his soul and “true beliefs” are. I’m amazed at the number of people who are ascribing to themselves something that no man could possibly know (the heart of another man.)
If we are to use the words uttered in anger as the only measure of someone’s heart no matter what actions they live by the remainder of their life, do we then assume Hillary Clinton is a raving anti-semite because of her use of the term “Hymie-town” to describe NYC?
An Angry drunken tirade reveals the true feelings of a man because… you say so, or you have heard others say it? The only thing it shows for sure is that he is an angry drunk that has no filter in saying things to be hurtful in a personal confrontation especially while drunk. As to whether he truly feels one way or another, no one can know that, and anyone who claims they know it is flat-out lying to serve their own biases and agenda.
Hopefully Mel has cleaned up his life and makes more great movies in the future.
Hillary Clinton never used the term “Hymie-town”, that was Jesse Jackson back in the early 80’s.
If you’re going to make stuff up, don’t make it so easy to refute
My goodness … an intelligent, well thought out, reasonable, balanced comment.
Will wonders never cease! Thanks Robby D.