Oh Mel, I can feel the love - Page 2

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #41 08-01-2006, 10:45 AM

The bigot who's open about it is a known nut and incites fellow believers but is unlikely to make converts (e.g. Fred Phelps). The bigot who pretends not to be gets a contract from Disney to make a film about the Holocaust where he can sneak in all sorts of anti-semetic messages to an unprepared and unwitting crowd (e.g. Mel Gibson).

**Prepoia**[$] · #42 08-01-2006, 10:53 AM

I heard this morning that his "holocaust" movie has been cancelled. No duh!

**theworm**[$] · #43 08-01-2006, 10:53 AM

imagine that

frazzledspice · #44 08-01-2006, 11:05 AM

He may have admired Jesus enough to make a kick-a$$ movie about him, but obviously he didn't get the message himself!

**drmomentum**[$] · #45 08-01-2006, 11:36 AM

Maybe the message really was the gore!

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #46 08-01-2006, 11:46 AM

He should have learned from the 2000 elections that nobody listens to Gore.

**theworm**[$] · #47 08-01-2006, 12:12 PM

Good one, MJ!

realtraveller · #48 08-01-2006, 12:16 PM

There's an article in today's Business section about this whole mess. The head of Sony Studios, agents and producers are saying that they are going to professionally shun Mel Gibson. They don't want to do business with a bigot.

I'll believe it when they drop rappers who sing about shooting women's heads off.

Or when they stop distributing movies made by a child rapist.

I'm so glad Hollywood is rooting out the bigots and criminals from their midst. (Where's that roll-eyes thingy?)

**drmomentum**[$] · #49 08-01-2006, 12:48 PM

Quote:

mjfrombuffalo said

He should have learned from the 2000 elections that nobody listens to Gore.

Well, it was a pretty popular movie in some circles. But I have to say that hearing "The Passion" described as a "kick ass" movie makes me realize that people did get the point!

-JP

**hadassahchana**[$] · #50 08-01-2006, 02:09 PM

He's admitted saying those things. But claims that he is not an antisemite. Those just happened to be the first things he thought of to say when he got hammered? Mmm-hmmm.

**theworm**[$] · #51 08-01-2006, 02:11 PM

Off Topic

I just look at that mug shot and think - stupid drunk. I hate that look

Back on Topic

The man doth protest too much.
I think he's shown his true colors. Don't know if his popularity will suffer, but he's on my no-see list along with Tom Cruise and Richard Geere.

**theworm**[$] · #52 08-01-2006, 02:14 PM

Quote:

"I would like to take it one step further, and meet with leaders in the Jewish community, with whom I can have a one on one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing."

Healing what - his addiction or his hateful comments?

**lynnzop**[$] · #53 08-01-2006, 02:51 PM

sigh.

Off the fence.

The fact that it's taken several days for this statement to come out only means to me that he's used the time to develop spin and PR. I can't read a whole lot of remorse into it.

Y'all have to excuse me if I don't do anything but tuck my tail between my legs and back out. I've always had it big for Mel, and this is beyond disappointing.

**theworm**[$] · #54 08-01-2006, 03:31 PM

well, he IS cute when he's sober. You can still enjoy looking at the jerk.

**MrsNormanMaine**[$] · #55 08-01-2006, 03:35 PM

I've noticed that he hasn't apologized for his notorious and rampant homophobia...

MNM

realtraveller · #56 08-01-2006, 04:08 PM

It's more than a little sad and a comment on our celebrity-obsession that this story is getting far more media attention than the shootings in the Jewish Federation offices in Seattle.

**Prepoia**[$] · #57 08-01-2006, 04:13 PM

Quote:

theworm said

Apologize - he's just following the word of the Lord.

Who said that? Did he say that or did you say that? Isn't the Lord the same for Jews and Christians?

**theworm**[$] · #58 08-01-2006, 04:21 PM

I forgot the snark smilie. Shouldn't have said that. Sorry.
Personally I do think there is just one Lord and I do respect everyone's right to their opinions, but I think Mel has been a jerk with his comments about Jews, Gays etc, and I think he hides behind religion, and alcoholism and fame rather than manning up.

**drmomentum**[$] · #59 08-01-2006, 04:40 PM

Quote:

realtraveller said

It's more than a little sad and a comment on our celebrity-obsession that this story is getting far more media attention than the shootings in the Jewish Federation offices in Seattle.

I disagree. It's practically the definition of celebrity.

I think would be sad if anyone came to any goofy conclusions based on one story getting more media attention than another. It's about as founded as criticizing someone for having more comments in this thread rather than another thread.

-JP

realtraveller · #60 08-01-2006, 04:58 PM

But it says something about our media and about what consumers of media want. We want celebrity stories.

A man killed a Jewish woman in Seattle because she was Jewish, but on TV and radio talk shows, on news websites and in the 'venerable' L. A. Times, Mel is getting waaaay more coverage.

I sort of get it. We think we know Mel Gibson and this Haq creep in Seattle was unknown before Friday afternoon. And we'd all rather talk about someone we know.

Still there just seems to be something wrong with it.

**theworm**[$] · #61 08-01-2006, 05:05 PM

I agree, but unfortunately, famous folks bring more attention to issues - both good and bad. Bran Pitt is bringing attention to good things in New Orleans - what the heck does he know about re-building a city, but when he speaks, people listen. When Mel speaks - people listen, and its bringing attention to anti-semitism.

**drmomentum**[$] · #62 08-01-2006, 05:20 PM

Quote:

realtraveller said

Still there just seems to be something wrong with it.

You're right, our culture creates celebrities and then we focus on them. Probably too much. I'm sure you and I both know far more about Britney Spears than either of us really want to know. But that's how popular culture works.

If I had my druthers, scientists doing spectacular work would be celebrities. Hollywood celebrates itself all the time with awards and such, and feeds the celebrity machine.

On the other hand, a man who I respected very much in my formative years (and still do), said this when asked about his Nobel prize:

Quote:

I don’t know anything about the Nobel Prize, I don’t understand what it’s all about or what’s worth what, but if the people in the Swedish Academy decide that x, y, or z wins the Nobel Prize then so be it. I won’t have anything to do with the Nobel Prize…it’s a pain in the….I don’t like honors. I appreciate it, and I know there’s a lot of physicists who use my work, I don’t need anything else, I don’t think there’s any sense to anything else. I don’t think that it makes any point that someone in the Swedish Academy decides that this work is noble enough to receive a prize – I’ve already got the prize. The prize is the pleasure of finding the thing out, the kick in the discovery, the observation that other people use it (my work) - those are the real things, the honors are unreal to me. I don’t believe in honors, it bothers me, honors bother, honors is epaulets, honors is uniforms. My papa bought me up this way. I can’t stand it, it hurts me.

So sometimes maybe I think it's just different worlds. The world of pop culture is one universe, and there are other universes that simultaneously occupy our attention, and what's appropriate for one may not be for another.

Maybe there are ways people could respect important work more, but maybe people also need an outlet. And maybe those universes don't fit together in the same way when they're covered in the news.

Heck, every night, a portion of news is devoted to sports. You can't tell me there isn't something more important going on in the world than the last baseball game, that those minutes could be devoted to. But...

-JP