# What is your take on the Mel Gibson story? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 30, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627 "2006-07-30T23:32:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/21 "2006-07-31T13:02:45Z")
I’m far more offended by his drunk driving than a few racist slurs. Racist slurs are very offensive indeed, but drunk driving still kills a huge number of people, and personally I’m fucking sick of drunk drivers getting community service and minor license suspensions. In any event, maybe he’s a jerk and maybe he isn’t. I have enjoyed many of his films and his being a jerk doesn’t make them any less worthy. I don’t have to deal with him on a personal basis. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/22 "2006-07-31T13:11:47Z")
How many times have I heard of the wonderful father who turns into a real asshole when he’s drunk and beats his wife and even his kids, only to sober up and appologize even to the point of crying when he’s sobered up. Its no secret that Gibson was raised in an anti- semitic home. Ideas you bought or remember as a kid stay with you even if you know better when you are much older. Its easy for me to understand that a drunken Gibson would resort to the easiest avenue in his mind to insult the cop. That which he learned early in life. I can’t stand bigotry. Yet for example, on an individual basis if a black man had done some harm to me and no one else was around that could be insulted and in the heat of the moment I can see myself calling him a “fucking n…” As far as the “cover up” is concerned I don’t see a problem with it. The sanitized version adequately reports the legal transgression and everything else is meaningless dressing as far as the law is concerned. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/23 "2006-07-31T13:23:15Z")
I don’t care much at all. My own mother can say some racist things when she’s got a couple of glasses of wine in her. I don’t like it, but all you people out there would never even know - because she’s not famous. This guy is a professional actor. The only difference between that and a professional bar tender or a professional burger flipper is the money. He may or may not be bigoted. The apology may or may not be geuine. Notwithstanding the fact that we can never prove what’s really in his head, if he in fact **is** a bigoted, insincere areshole, so what? He’s not in charge of a nation, or a religion, or the UN. He’s a Hollywood actor. Who cares? And I know you can argue that as a Hollywood actor, he has influence. But that’s our own silly fault rather than his. We put him there. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/24 "2006-07-31T13:31:08Z")
Well said! Who gives a shit? He’s a bloody actor! He may be a fairly decent actor but his odd religous beliefs and his weird bigotry are his. I have no clue if my dentist or doctor hold odd beliefs why would I care if some random actor does? Let him embarrass himself without the rest of us caring a jot. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/25 "2006-07-31T13:49:16Z")
> [@](#): > > _tLD_ > He’s a Hollywood actor. Who cares? His film _The Passion of the Christ_ makes this worthy of interest. The controversy about that film was important as a matter of religion, culture and politics. The film was wholeheartedly embraced by certain varieties of Christians and seen as anti-Semitic and wallowing in gore at the expense of Christian virtues by some others. The idea that the film was anti-Semitic was roundly dismissed by many of the former at the time. It will be interesting to see what happens to the “traditionalists” view of the film now, because it’s hard to see how Gibson could be any clearer. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/26 "2006-07-31T13:56:56Z")
I for one will definitely make it a point to go see all of his movies from now on. Not because I believe in his bigotry but because NOW I know what a loon he is. That fact just adds to the (Comic) entertainment value of any of his movies. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/27 "2006-07-31T14:27:53Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] From what I know about alcohol and alcoholism, it can certainly make you say things you’d like to take back, but does it realy make you say things you don’t mean at _all_. [/QUOTE] Leaving aside the rest of it, this has always annoyed me. Yes there is truth behind the _in vino veritas_ but it should not be taken as a rule set in stone. I’ve said many a thing while drunk and angry that I didn’t believe in the same way I’ve done when I was just angry. I’ve also dealt with Drunken idiots that were spouting all kinds of nonsense that they certainly didn’t believe. To just say that everything said while drunk has to be true because of drink is bollocks in the extreme IMO. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/28 "2006-07-31T14:42:33Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] I’m far more offended by his drunk driving than a few racist slurs. Racist slurs are very offensive indeed, but drunk driving still kills a huge number of people, and personally I’m fucking sick of drunk drivers getting community service and minor license suspensions. [/QUOTE] I think an argument could be made that anti-semitism has killed more people than drunk driving. ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/29 "2006-07-31T14:42:44Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Deputy Mee then wrote an eight-page report detailing Gibson’s rampage and comments. Sources say the sergeant on duty felt it was too “inflammatory.” [/QUOTE] You know, I’m honestly curious about this. Is it really SOP in a police report to write down eight pages worth of specific quoted remarks made during a DUI stop? I mean, if this was Jim-Bob the local good old boy who got stopped for driving drunk and acting belligerent, would the police even note whether he made some bigoted comments, much less transcribe them all word for word? [QUOTE=Miller] The apology does sound pretty sincere to me. His dad’s a major anti-Semite, and Mel grew up listening to that stuff. It can be easy to just overwrite that sort of programming. I can see someone from that background getting drunk and relapsing back to thoughts and opinions that he’d mostly outgrown and distanced himself from. [/QUOTE] I’m inclined to agree with this and give Gibson the benefit of the doubt over whether the drunken comments reveal true bigotry. He acted like a total a-hole and apologizing doesn’t make it okay, but that apology does sound like he’s genuinely ashamed and not just trying to weasel out. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/30 "2006-07-31T15:02:19Z")
I was talking in general by the way. I suspect the shit that came out of Gibson’s mouth was an accurate look into his feeligs. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/31 "2006-07-31T15:29:22Z")
[QUOTE=Linty Fresh] Wow . . . I used to disagree with those who painted Mel a kook and an anti-Semite on the basis of **The Passion of the Christ** , but it looks like I’m going to have to change my opinion on both counts–although I still don’t think that **Passion** was anti-Semitic in and of itself. [/QUOTE] This was pretty much my line of thinking when I heard the story on the radio on the way to work this morning. I remember an outcry of “Mel’s an anti-semite!” after PotC, but I never gave it much thought. Now it seems he really does have a hard-on for the Jews. I wonder why. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/32 "2006-07-31T15:45:21Z")
[QUOTE=hawthorne] His film _The Passion of the Christ_ makes this worthy of interest. The controversy about that film was important as a matter of religion, culture and politics. The film was wholeheartedly embraced by certain varieties of Christians and seen as anti-Semitic and wallowing in gore at the expense of Christian virtues by some others. The idea that the film was anti-Semitic was roundly dismissed by many of the former at the time. It will be interesting to see what happens to the “traditionalists” view of the film now, because it’s hard to see how Gibson could be any clearer. [/QUOTE] Of course, many, many people will see any Christian film as being anti-Semitic. The traditionalist view of the film should remain the same, because the film remains the same. hh ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/33 "2006-07-31T16:02:07Z")
[QUOTE=handsomeharry] Of course, many, many people will see any Christian film as being anti-Semitic. [/quote] What people would those be? ---
**Author:** ![Gene\_Frenkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gene\_Frenkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gene_Frenkle)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/34 "2006-07-31T16:07:25Z")
You guys are forgetting that of the 260+ million people in just the US, let alone the world, probably less than one percent give enough of a shit about anti-Semitic comments to have an affect on his career. I don’t think the average red stater cares enough about these comments enough to stop going to see one of his films. Hell, his core audience, probably _agrees_ with him on this issue. Ultra liberals aren’t flocking to see his films since he became a cook anyway. And since he can now afford to fund his own films, he doesn’t have to worry about a studion not backing him. ---
**Author:** ![Gene\_Frenkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gene\_Frenkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gene_Frenkle)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/35 "2006-07-31T16:10:17Z")
And the South Park caricature of him is looking less and less like a caricature. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/36 "2006-07-31T16:17:14Z")
[QUOTE=wm–] You know, I’m honestly curious about this. Is it really SOP in a police report to write down eight pages worth of specific quoted remarks made during a DUI stop? I mean, if this was Jim-Bob the local good old boy who got stopped for driving drunk and acting belligerent, would the police even note whether he made some bigoted comments, much less transcribe them all word for word? [/QUOTE] Possibly. It’s definitely SOP to record anything a suspect says that can be evidence of threaten or dementia (“anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law” if necessary). Anti-semitic remarks, particularly by a very well known and rich person who’s threatening to sue you/get even/etc., would have been a very understandable thing to record from a CYA perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/37 "2006-07-31T16:17:19Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] Everything I have read from the buff books (Car and Driver, Road and Track etc) where they have done tests at closed tracks, at 0.08 you are shit faced. 0.12 is falling down drunk. [/QUOTE] According to this site: [http://www.ou.edu/oupd/bac.htm](http://www.ou.edu/oupd/bac.htm) for a 160 pound person (MG is tiny IRL) 7 beers in 2 hrs = .14% 3 manhattans in 2 hrs = .11% That surprised me a bit, because I had thought that a couple of quick drinks would raise your BAL higher than this calculator says. Messing around with this calculator suggests that it may not be the most accurate thing in the world. Also, as noted above, individuals differ tremendously regarding how they react to ETOH. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/38 "2006-07-31T16:47:54Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] I’m far more offended by his drunk driving than a few racist slurs. Racist slurs are very offensive indeed, but drunk driving still kills a huge number of people, and personally I’m fucking sick of drunk drivers getting community service and minor license suspensions. [/QUOTE] Absolutely. [QUOTE=hajario] I think an argument could be made that anti-semitism has killed more people than drunk driving. [/QUOTE] Well, anti-semites have certainly killed plenty of people, but they didn’t do it by uttering anti-semitic slurs. Spewing anti-semitic bullshit might make someone a bigot and/or an idiot, but the words themselves don’t kill. [QUOTE=Gene Frenkle] You guys are forgetting that of the 260+ million people in just the US, let alone the world, probably less than one percent give enough of a shit about anti-Semitic comments to have an affect on his career. I don’t think the average red stater cares enough about these comments enough to stop going to see one of his films. Hell, his core audience, probably _agrees_ with him on this issue. [/quote] You know, i’ve made a lot of arguments on this board against voting Republican, and against the current ascendancy of Christian conservatism in some parts of the United States, but to imply that most red staters are anti-semites, or don’t care about anti-semitism, is just silly. Sure, the United States still has no shortage of anti-semites and racists and bigots of many different varieties. But your blanket condemnation is rather ridiculous, i think. [QUOTE=Gene Frenkle] Ultra liberals aren’t flocking to see his films since he became a cook anyway. [/QUOTE] Well, you learn something every day. Gibson’s foray into the culinary arts had not previously been brought to my attention. As for the reason i don’t see his films, that has less to do with his politics and more to do with the fact that they are often lame. I think Gibson’s best stuff is far behind him, in movies like _Gallipoli_ and _The Year of Living Dangerously_ and the Mad Max films. _Braveheart_ was OK, the Lethal Weapon movies were godawful, and some of his other stuff like _Payback_, _The Patriot_, and _What Women Want_ are virtually unwatchable. ---
**Author:** ![Gene\_Frenkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gene\_Frenkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gene_Frenkle)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/39 "2006-07-31T17:00:39Z")
Geez, I thought that looked wrong- make that **kook** ---
**Author:** ![Gene\_Frenkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gene\_Frenkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gene_Frenkle)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627/40 "2006-07-31T17:04:45Z")
And no, I didn’t mean to imply republicans are all anti-semites, I meant, do you think Joe Texas is not gonna go see a Mel epic because Mel hates Jews? Not bloody likely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-take-on-the-mel-gibson-story/366627.md?page=3)