Mel Gibson's Problem Options

[danginja]

Gibson suffers industry backlash
Email Print Normal font Large font Gerard Wright, Los Angeles
August 2, 2006

HOLLYWOOD'S shunning of Mel Gibson has begun, with the ABC television network cancelling his proposed mini-series on the Holocaust.

The network gave no official reason for the cancellation of the mini-series, Flory: Survival in the Valley of Death, which was based on the unpublished memoir of a Dutch Jew.

But an entertainment news website, Deadline Hollywood Daily, quoting sources close to Gibson, said the string of anti-Semitic remarks he made during and after a drink-driving arrest last week, had prompted the ABC decision.

Beyond that, a Hollywood agent has made a public call for the entertainment community to turn its back on Gibson.

"Now we know the truth," said Ari Emanuel, a partner in the Endeavour talent agency. "And no amount of publicist-approved contrition can paper it over. People in the entertainment community, whether Jew or gentile, need to demonstrate that they understand how much is at stake in this by professionally shunning Mel Gibson and refusing to work with him, even if it means a sacrifice to their bottom line."

Mr Emanuel's commentary appeared on the Huffington Post weblog.

Gibson, who in a statement of apology at the weekend admitted to battling alcoholism throughout his adult life, was admitted to a non-residential rehabilitation facility yesterday.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department also released his official arrest photo.

An explanation, if not excuse for Gibson's actions, emerged with a report that he had been pulled over by police in Malibu twice before for speeding in the past three years.

According to the Hollywood entertainment news website TMZ.com, the first incident occurred on the Pacific Coast Highway, near Gibson's Malibu home. He allegedly was clocked at 130 km/h in a 90 km/h zone. Gibson was said to have avoided eye contact with the police officer, who suspected Gibson had been drinking but let him go.

The second incident is said to have occurred in the past 12 months, with Gibson clocked at 110 km/h on a 75 km/h stretch of the highway. The website claimed Gibson continued a conversation on his mobile phone for the duration of the stop, and then was allowed to keep driving.

The third time, now notorious, occurred at 2.36am last Friday, when Deputy James Mee pulled over an intoxicated Gibson to be met with a barrage of anti-Semitic epithets, all caught on tape.

Among them was the assertion that "the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world".

Los Angeles is home to the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Centre, whose founder, Rabbi Marvin Hier, said: "Look, the issue with Mel Gibson is very simple. Mel Gibson is driving under intoxication. There are no Jews in sight. He can blame his car, he can blame his liquor, he can blame the sheriff. But he can't blame any Jews because there are none around. That's precisely who he blames. Yet that's the problem. That shows he has a problem with Jews."

Did any of you see this coming? I was kind of in shock but yet it wasn't a surprise at all really after The Passion of The Christ. Discuss.

[Nymphetamine]

I'm aware of this and I think this is in the wrong section.

[marzipan]

Moved to Entertainment

[*StanleyThePanda*]

Uhm.. Wow.. thats interesting.
Thats sad though, I liked Mel Gisbon.

[*mipadi*]

Did any of you see this coming? I was kind of in shock but yet it wasn't a surprise at all really after The Passion of The Christ. Discuss.

See what coming? The drunk-driving arrest, or the anti-Semitism? I think Gibson was just spouting off garbage like most drunk people do. It's rather ridiculous to take drunken rambling that seriously.

[goodcharlotte]

Ha. I heard about this on Q100. I find it was over publicized honestly.

[timeflies51]

I heard about that. Ugh, that apology doesn't mean anything to me.

[*Zatanna*]

See what coming? The drunk-driving arrest, or the anti-Semitism? I think Gibson was just spouting off garbage like most drunk people do. It's rather ridiculous to take drunken rambling that seriously.

Haha. Hi Michael. :)

And I agree, the anti-Semitism isn't shocking at all, drunken rant or not.

It really is more of a problem that he's driving (was driving) intoxicated than his theological assessment.

[technicolour]

See what coming? The drunk-driving arrest, or the anti-Semitism? I think Gibson was just spouting off garbage like most drunk people do. It's rather ridiculous to take drunken rambling that seriously.

Yessssss. Oh where have you been?

[*StanleyThePanda*]

See what coming? The drunk-driving arrest, or the anti-Semitism? I think Gibson was just spouting off garbage like most drunk people do. It's rather ridiculous to take drunken rambling that seriously.

Hmm.. that is very true.
And hi. haha

[Mikael]

This post has been edited for security reasons.

[smoke]

Yeah, people get all worked up over this stuff way too much. I still like him. Everyone messes up sometimes.

[*mipadi*]

Yessssss. Oh where have you been?

Oh, you know, I've been around. Here and there. Doing stuff.

[*ECD & C0*]

that stinks, but he said he was sorry i watched it last nigt

[Nymphetamine]

Oh, you know, I've been around. Here and there. Doing stuff.

Wow. You've done ALOT!

[*mipadi*]

Wow. You've done ALOT!

I didn't want to go into details, because no one around here actually cares, but since you called me out, most of my time has been alternating between work, seeing some friends before we all go back to school, and implementing the AIM functionality in the ChatKit project, hence my "disappearance".

[Nymphetamine]

I care. Like I said, you've been doing ALOT!

[Ington]

See what coming? The drunk-driving arrest, or the anti-Semitism? I think Gibson was just spouting off garbage like most drunk people do. It's rather ridiculous to take drunken rambling that seriously.

The intoxication only let out Mel Gibson's inner thoughs. Its harder to lie when you're drunk.
Besides, everyone knows Mel Gibson is a closet jew-hater. He just accidently stepped out for a minute.

Besides that, I hope his career ends here.

[*I Shot JFK*]

i'm with rebecca. im more concerned about the drunk driving. its easier to just shut him out for ant-semitism, but if you hit someone drunk, tehre's no coming back.

and actually, its no tharder to lie when you're drunk, ariel. you just care less.

[Ington]

If you care less, its harder to lie. You figure it doesn't matter, so you just tell whatever you think.

[*mipadi*]

The intoxication only let out Mel Gibson's inner thoughs. Its harder to lie when you're drunk.
Besides, everyone knows Mel Gibson is a closet jew-hater. He just accidently stepped out for a minute.

Besides that, I hope his career ends here.

I'm not sure whether this is facetious or serious.

I think the bigger issue here is that he drove drunk, not that he spouted off some slurred drunken words when he was arrested.

[Ington]

A lot of celebrities have been charged with that. Its not like its something new.

Besides, reading the other posts, it seems as though this topic isn't aimed at his drunk driving, but what he said.

[*I Shot JFK*]

Just because it's not new doesnt mean it isnt worth worrying about. in fact, the fact that it wont go away makes it even MORE worth worrying about.

[*Zatanna*]

A lot of celebrities have been charged with that. Its not like its something new.

Besides, reading the other posts, it seems as though this topic isn't aimed at his drunk driving, but what he said.

Ah yes, but the irony is that the media (and the public) is obsessed with his words instead of his actions.

[Ington]

Because that's what makes it special and different from other cases.

Just because it's not new doesnt mean it isnt worth worrying about. in fact, the fact that it wont go away makes it even MORE worth worrying about.

But it does make it not worth posting about.
The difference between this case and all other celebrity acts of stupidity is what he said.

Sure, drunk driving makes me worry. But really, I'd rather not worry about every celebrity who did something stupid.

[ichigofan]

The Passion of the Christ wasnt a Anti-Semitic Movie, He was just showing the story of Jesus through his own eyes and he made a great film.. The catholic church [ie past popes] have turned their back on the jewish community in times where religion,race,color etc shouldnt have been the issue, but noone calls them Anti Semites. Im not defending mel gibson, I think he needs to go to rehab and a psychiatrist but considering his father is actually a anti-semite and he was raised around that hate it kind of makes sense

[*mipadi*]

A lot of celebrities have been charged with that. Its not like its something new.

It's not like it's anything new to make anti-Semitic remarks, either. My point is that drunk driving worries me because it's dangerous no matter how often it's done. But a guy just making drunk-talk? That's not very dangerous.

There wasn't even a need to publicize Gibson's drunken remarks. It was done by someone who resents his fame and wants him to look bad. There was, arguably, no need to make a big deal out of his arrest in the first place, but driving drunk is much more dangerous than drunken babble.

[technicolour]

It's not like it's anything new to make anti-Semitic remarks, either. My point is that drunk driving worries me because it's dangerous no matter how often it's done. But a guy just making drunk-talk? That's not very dangerous.

There wasn't even a need to publicize Gibson's drunken remarks. It was done by someone who resents his fame and wants him to look bad. There was, arguably, no need to make a big deal out of his arrest in the first place, but driving drunk is much more dangerous than drunken babble.

YESSSSSS!

I just posted the same remark earlier, but, I dont care, because you're right.

Someone hates his guts. A lot of people have hated his guts.

[oXMuhNirvanaXo]

I heard about this. I love this actor and they shoulden't taken it the way the did because he was drunk.

[*I Shot JFK*]

Yes, Ariel, but our response to his words is to say that they don tmatter as much as his actions. So it is entirely postworthy and relevant

[*baby_in_blue*]

I like Mel Gibson, but he`s a bit....something.

[Nymphetamine]

Mel Gibson is HOT!

[*Zatanna*]

^ Sandra, Sandra, Sandra...

So does him being hot make him excuseable from driving intoxicated? (Or should one's attractiveness prevent them from being bushwacked by the media for making seemingly uncouth remarks?)

[Nymphetamine]

Honestly, hot men shouldn't go to jail. I'm not kidding, Mel is TOO hot to go to jail.

I have a odd way of thinking.