# Mel Gibson's comeback - mission impossible? (see Woody Allen) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271 "2010-07-28T04:28:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/41 "2010-07-28T23:32:25Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Sorry to semi-hijack my own thread, but who was the actor who called his daughter a fat pig on a phone call? Was that Alec Baldwin? For some reason I think it was, but it goes to show how these things kind of fade from my memory. See posts 9, 17, 24, 25, 36, and 37. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/42 "2010-07-28T23:35:06Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Well, maybe his next movie can portray him as a normal, sane person and tamp down his growing image as a loony toon. Apparently it’s called [The Beaver](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321860/). Let’s see what it’s about: > > > [@](#): > > > > A guy walks around with a puppet of a beaver on his hand and treats it like a living creature. > > Ok, maybe not THIS movie. Oh, come on, you glum cunt!\* [He looks fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.](http://ll-media.tmz.com/2009/09/29/0929_mel_gibson_spl129147_020_splash.jpg) \*My new favorite Mel Gibson quote ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/43 "2010-07-28T23:58:04Z")
Mel Gibson is finished. He makes Woody Allen look like a harmless person. There are new photos of his wife (after he beat her up) that will rock the world. I know you’re waiting for a link. It’s out there. You guys are smart. Look it up. Fuck Mel Gibson. His history of racism and homophobia is well documented. Now add wife beater to his resume. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/44 "2010-07-29T00:02:58Z")
You mean his girlfriend; no one has said anything about him beating his wife, in fact she’s gone on record saying he never showed any anger toward her. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/45 "2010-07-29T00:05:00Z")
And one more thing. Woody Allen defended himself in public and in court. He never let up. Mel Gibson has offered no defense or denial of anything. In fact, I read he was quiting show biz and going back to Australia to live on a ranch and try to make amends to his first wife and kids. apples and oranges. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/46 "2010-07-29T00:07:37Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > You mean his girlfriend; no one has said anything about him beating his wife, in fact she’s gone on record saying he never showed any anger toward her. In Steve Martin voice - EXCUSE ME. Add girlfriend beater to his resume. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/47 "2010-07-29T00:08:23Z")
> [@kevja](#): > > > [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > > > You mean his girlfriend; no one has said anything about him beating his wife, in fact she’s gone on record saying he never showed any anger toward her. > > In Steve Martin voice - EXCUSE ME. Add girlfriend beater to his resume. Damn straight! I’m not going to stand her and let you tarnish the good name of Mel Gibson by calling him something completely untrue! ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/48 "2010-07-29T00:13:02Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > > [@kevja](#): > > > > > [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > > > > > You mean his girlfriend; no one has said anything about him beating his wife, in fact she’s gone on record saying he never showed any anger toward her. > > > > In Steve Martin voice - EXCUSE ME. Add girlfriend beater to his resume. > > Damn straight! I’m not going to stand her and let you tarnish the good name of Mel Gibson by calling him something completely untrue! If you’re attempting to be funny, I fail to see the humor. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/49 "2010-07-29T00:18:04Z")
Thanks, **TWDuke**! Sorry for being so dense. :smack: **Dio** , this isn’t a thread to rehash the Mel saga and your personal opinions about his behavior. There is another thread for that, which you have participated in. Let’s keep this one to comparing Mel’s ability to come back vs. the comeback of Woody Allen. Thanks. As far as Woody Allen goes, I’m a bit amazed at some of the answers in this thread regarding his somewhat odd behavior, and therefore this shouldn’t have been so surprising. Also, the idea that she pursued him and was the aggressor seems to be an urban legend. I’m not saying it’s not true, I just find it hard to believe. The fact that he was sleeping with and then married his girlfriend’s daughter goes over the line for me. I thought it did for many people. At the time, I remember it being a big scandal. But obviously, it didn’t ruin his career. Depending on who you talk to, it hardly made a dent. The idea that he’s always been odd, weird, or whatever, doesn’t validate the behavior. It’s simply wrong. Not legally, of course, but certainly it doesn’t pass any smell test for normal, acceptable, social behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/50 "2010-07-29T00:30:20Z")
Yeah, but it’s not about validating his actions. It’s about whether or not people’s perceptions of him were shattered. In Woody’s case, they weren’t, because no one thought he was wholesome or even especially stable, so they didn’t have to reassess how they saw him. Here’s another example: Paul Reubens. Funnily enough, he’d already ditched the Pee-Wee persona, and at the time of his arrest, was just lying low. (But not low enough, hurr hurr.) So it helps if public perception was formerly based on a completely made-up persona. ETA: **TWDuke** , nice hair splitting. Some people think that phone call was verbal abuse. As such, they don’t think it’s okay, and if someone else does think the call was okay, one has to wonder what they think rises to the level of abuse. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/51 "2010-07-29T00:31:24Z")
> [@kevja](#): > > > [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > > > > [@kevja](#): > > > > > > > [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > > > > > > > You mean his girlfriend; no one has said anything about him beating his wife, in fact she’s gone on record saying he never showed any anger toward her. > > > > > > In Steve Martin voice - EXCUSE ME. Add girlfriend beater to his resume. > > > > Damn straight! I’m not going to stand her and let you tarnish the good name of Mel Gibson by calling him something completely untrue! > > If you’re attempting to be funny, I fail to see the humor. Man, I bet you hate dead baby jokes, too. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/52 "2010-07-29T00:37:43Z")
The only answer I have to the OP is that I sincerely hope not. Gibson sucks. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/53 "2010-07-29T01:24:08Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > ETA: **TWDuke** , nice hair splitting. Some people think that phone call was verbal abuse. As such, they don’t think it’s okay, and if someone else does think the call was okay, one has to wonder what they think rises to the level of abuse. It’s not hairsplitting to point out that your question was framed to exclude any middle ground. The fact that you are clearly capable of putting it in more moderate terms suggests that it was deliberately phrased as to put anyone who disagreed with it in the worst possible light. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/54 "2010-07-29T01:34:45Z")
It wasn’t my question; it was **RealityChuck** ’s. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/55 "2010-07-29T01:36:15Z")
Sorry, Rilchiam, I realize now you didn’t ask the original question and it’s too late to edit. I still think “So verbal abuse of a child is OK in your book?” is a ridiculous question not formulated to elicit honest debate. No one has said verbal abuse is OK, and it’s impossible to answer yes without looking like an utter tool. I frankly can’t see how it’s hairsplitting to point that out. ETA: All the more puzzling that you defend it. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/56 "2010-07-29T05:50:14Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > I just wanted to add one last note to the Woody Allen discussion. > > Word is that Soon-Yi was very much the aggressor in pursuing Woody, almost as a parallel to the young Mia pursuing the older Sinatra. And reports are that Soon-Yi is very dominant over Woody in their relationship. > > Carry on. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/57 "2010-07-29T12:32:52Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > > > > It wasn’t very nice, but I have a hard time viewing Alec Baldwin’s voicemail as threatening, abusive or even all that out of line (if the accusations he made are true). > > > > So verbal abuse of a child is OK in your book?😕 > > Calling her a pig was over the line. But read the rest of what he says. He’s reading her the riot act for playing gotcha games with an agreed-upon phone call. That isn’t even in the same universe as telling your wife you hope she gets raped by a pack of wild niggers. Wild Niggers. Not a good band name. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/58 "2010-07-29T12:45:21Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > > > > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > > > > > > It wasn’t very nice, but I have a hard time viewing Alec Baldwin’s voicemail as threatening, abusive or even all that out of line (if the accusations he made are true). > > > > > > So verbal abuse of a child is OK in your book?😕 > > > > Calling her a pig was over the line. But read the rest of what he says. He’s reading her the riot act for playing gotcha games with an agreed-upon phone call. That isn’t even in the same universe as telling your wife you hope she gets raped by a pack of wild niggers. > > Wild Niggers. Not a good band name. In the black remake of BILL & TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, it will be spelled WYLD NYGGYRZ! ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/59 "2010-07-29T13:02:24Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > Wild Niggers. Not a good band name. Maybe for gangster rappers. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271/60 "2010-07-29T13:58:07Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > > [@Shakester](#): > > > > Soon-Yi Previn **is not Woody’s daughter**. She is the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow and André Previn. > > > > Which means she is not only not his biological daughter, she is also not his adopted daughter **or** his step-child. > > > > What happened is that he exchanged his girlfriend for his girlfriend’s daughter. Tasteless? Very. Incestuous? No. There was never any legal connection between Woody and Soon-Yi, and nobody ever considered Woody to be the father, legal guardian, or anything else to Soon-Yi other than her mother’s boyfriend. > > I stand corrected. I thought he was her step father at the time :smack: > > Still, it just smacked of skeevy behavior. No, he’s not going to jail, but it was as close to incest without being incest for my comfort. No legal connection, but having sex with your girlfriend’s daughter, and then marrying her? That’s too strange for me, and put Woody on my creep-o-meter forever. > > Thanks for clearing up the relationship connection. I was wrong. What was horrible about Woody is that hr hid the relationship from Mia, yet left nude photos of Soon-Yi out when he knew Mia was coming over to his aparmtnet to pick up their son.He did not go to Mia and said"Look, I’m having an affair with your daughter." He also filed for custody of their biological son and two adopted children, and ended up looking like a smuck in court. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibsons-comeback-mission-impossible-see-woody-allen/548271.md?page=4)