# Is Mel Gibson Forgiven Now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106 "2017-01-25T01:50:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/1 "2017-01-25T01:50:04Z")
Mel’s “Hacksaw Ridge” received a lot of Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. I don’t think it will win any big awards, since this seems like “La La Land’s” year. Even so, I’m surprised by all the nominations. Does this mean Mel is no longer persona non grata in Hollywood? Can he make mainstream movies again? Even as an actor? ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/2 "2017-01-25T02:06:19Z")
Of course he is. Most people give a shit about things just as long as giving a shit about them is cool. So long as he was the cause celebre everyone hated him. Once there was another distraction people lost interest and his behaviour lost traction. There are still some people that hold the grudge but they are by far the minority. The majority have either forgotten or think, “It’s in the past.” I don’t think he’s forgiven in the proper sense of the word I just think that most people have stopped giving a damn. I think most people separate the artist from the art. Most people will forget that a drunken Mel Gibson called a cop “sugar-tits” and said some anti-Semitic shit when faced with the prospect of “it looks like a good movie.” I personally am in the separate the art from the artist camp myself - but I’ve had numerous reasons to ponder that very question. I don’t know how many others have thought about it all that much. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/3 "2017-01-25T02:16:45Z")
I haven’t forgiven him, not that my opinion matters when I’m not a member of the Academy or SAG, etc. It saddens me that this opinion isn’t more universal, but it’s not surprising. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/4 "2017-01-25T02:20:10Z")
Roman Polanski won Best Director for _The Pianist_ in 2002, which shows just how much the Academy cares about the morality of its nominees. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/5 "2017-01-25T05:09:51Z")
If the work is exceptional, as The Pianist was, as Hacksaw Ridge is, the work should be recognized. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/6 "2017-01-25T06:26:16Z")
His tirade was in early 2006. Later that same year Apocalypto was released to generally favorable reviews. With a budget of 40 million it made over 120 million back in gross. It was nominated for and won numerous awards. Not the least of which was an Oscar. Mel was asked to emcee the 2006 Acadamy Awards (but declined). In the sense you are asking about it seems he was forgiven quite a while ago. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/7 "2017-01-25T06:35:50Z")
I don’t forgive him in the sense that I just don’t give a shit. His personal life doesn’t affect me, and I don’t see myself as holier than thou, so I don’t see a need to forgive him for anything. I respect him as an actor and director and I like his movies. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/8 "2017-01-25T11:08:35Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > His tirade was in early 2006. Later that same year Apocalypto was released to generally favorable reviews. With a budget of 40 million it made over 120 million back in gross. It was nominated for and won numerous awards. Not the least of which was an Oscar. > > Mel was asked to emcee the 2006 Acadamy Awards (but declined). In the sense you are asking about it seems he was forgiven quite a while ago. Indeed. It’s not clear to me he was _ever_ persona non grata as the OP describes. If he’s less visible to the movie-going audience, it could easily be that he got too old for and/or lost interest in starring in _Lethal Weapon_-type action movies and “disappeared” by shifting much of his workload to producing and directing. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/9 "2017-01-25T11:22:06Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > His tirade was in early 2006. Later that same year Apocalypto was released to generally favorable reviews. With a budget of 40 million it made over 120 million back in gross. It was nominated for and won numerous awards. Not the least of which was an Oscar. > > Mel was asked to emcee the 2006 Acadamy Awards (but declined). In the sense you are asking about it seems he was forgiven quite a while ago. There’s been a far more recent one than that which cast him into oblivion anew. From [Wikipedia.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson#Controversies) > [@](#): > > In July 2010, Gibson had been recorded during a phone call with Oksana Grigorieva suggesting that if she got “raped by a pack of niggers,” she would be to blame. This is the one he was trying to live down. He’d already been forgiven for the 2006 outburst. Personally I think he’s a good director. If Polanski got a pass for a far worse delinquency then so should he. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/10 "2017-01-25T11:48:38Z")
The awarding of an Oscar isn’t - and shouldn’t be - determined, even in part, by the persons(s) who created the film. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/11 "2017-01-25T12:24:17Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Roman Polanski won Best Director for _The Pianist_ in 2002, which shows just how much the Academy cares about the morality of its nominees. I think it’s likelier that directors who behave monstrously in their private lives are more commonplace than most of us realize. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/12 "2017-01-25T12:37:58Z")
Nominating him makes them look forgiving. I highly doubt he’ll actually win. Because I don’t think they have forgiven him, but Hollywood is all about appearances, in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/13 "2017-01-25T12:40:58Z")
It seems to me that the Academy ought to judge purely on the quality of the artistic work, regardless of personal morality. There are other venues for judging that. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/14 "2017-01-25T12:47:53Z")
I suspect most of Hollywood still think Gibson is a bigoted asshole, just as they think Polanski is a vile rapist. Richard Wagner was a pompous anti-Semite. The Ring Cycle is still an artistic masterpiece. If people want to boycott Gibson for his remarks, I’m fine with that. If they want to praise his work and his directing talent on their own merits, I’m fine with that too. If they think that his work and talent somehow excuse his remarks and behaviour or make them acceptable, I’m not fine with that, but that’s not necessarily what’s happening here. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/15 "2017-01-25T13:25:11Z")
When I caught a glimpse of him on the Globes pre-show with his latest baby mama / wife, whatever, I kind of wondered the same thing. I personally don’t and didn’t give a shit about what he said (and I’m Jewish) though I was disappointed that someone I really liked held such opinions but that’s a separate issue from his work. Hollywood is about the bottom line and Mr. Gibson knows how to make movies that make money. Inwardly I’m sure many of the suits ( a lot of them Jewish) think him a schmuck but they’ll still work with him of it makes a buck. (hey, I’m a poet!) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/16 "2017-01-25T13:53:01Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It seems to me that the Academy ought to judge purely on the quality of the artistic work, regardless of personal morality. There are other venues for judging that. I agree. That said, I give Gibson as little thought as possible and he will not get a dime of my money until there is real change or he dies. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/17 "2017-01-25T14:28:13Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I agree. That said, I give Gibson as little thought as possible and he will not get a dime of my money until there is real change or he dies. You’re going to give money to him when he dies? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/18 "2017-01-25T16:13:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It seems to me that the Academy ought to judge purely on the quality of the artistic work, regardless of personal morality. You’d think so, but it’s never been that way ever. The oscars are just a very large, very public awarding of “employee of the year”. While the actual artistic merit of the film is a factor, it isn’t the final deciding factor. Oscar awarding is as rigged as the NBA. 🙂 eta: I haven’t “forgiven” him, nor Polanski. If they stopped getting work, I would be happy. But, that said, I liked (mostly) The Pianist. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mel-gibson-forgiven-now/778106/19 "2017-01-25T19:51:46Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > You’re going to give money to him when he dies? Then Gibson will be rich. 🆒