Mad Mel
 

How many here think that Mel Gibson is an anti-semite??To reference a couple of old sayings' if it sounds like a duck ,walks like a duck and looks like a duck it's probably a duck "and people don't say anything when they're drunk that they don't think when they're sober."I can kind of vouch for this one having been on many a bender in my time.Anyways that awful "The Passion of The Christ"+ his latest drunken tirade leads me to believe he is indeed anti -semitic .I think his desperate damage control now is transparent .

He says he is in therapy now to find out why he said that. He's trying to make amends, change, etc.
I think Dr. Phil changed my mind about Mel last night. You know, at least he's taking responsibility, etc. :p
I think he is an anti semite though. It's hard to ignore your parent's opinions when you are growing up, hard to not internalize them.
The question I guess now is whether he really is trying not to be, like he says.

Obviously he knows his opinions are wrong and I hope he is genuine in wanting to change the way he thinks. Although asking the Jewish community to help him get over his anti-semitism is a little arrogant imo.

1) The man spoke his mind when he was arrested.

2) He only apologised/recanted when it became apparent there was enuff outrage to hurt him.


bottom line? I like Mel but I hate his attitude. He is a hypocrite, and I hope Hollywood shuns him BIG TIME.

I did like Braveheart except for the gratuitous anti -gay scene he inserted in it.I could not sit through "The Passion' and was looking forward to Apocalypto which I now unfortunately can't watch.:distress:

The Passion was actually quite a good film - I didn't find it in the least anti-semitic...:shrug:

Now whether or not Mel is an anti-semite - I'd say there's a good chance. There are many factors at play - his upbringing, his über Catholic sect that's too conservative for even the Vatican and well there are probably other factors at play as well.

Sadly I think a lot of us have some deep-seated dislike or even hatred for one group or another...society and history shove things at us constantly and on some level it's very hard to let go of that.

I've said some really stupid crap when drunk - none of you have?? I think his asking the Jewish community for help and forgiveness is a nice sentiment - now lets see if he follows through.

He portrayed Jews as barbaric, violent thugs and the beating of Jesus in real time was just too much. I closed my eyes.

I didn't believe Mel was an anti-Semite until this incident. But now I definitely think he is.

I think I can safely say I don't have any hatred of any group.

Havent seen...
 

the Passion, Never cared to in the first place...But I have seen South Park's "The Passion of the Jew" :lol:

I, do however, have some hatred for certain folk in the world...But not because of their religion nor their ethnic background, But for their smugness & incompetence/negligence

I don't know. What has he said about Jews? I haven't been following.

The last time I enjoyed a Mel Gibson performance was in Weir's "Year of Living Dangerously," & I think that was back in 1982. So it's been a loooong time.

Yeah, I've said "You know what? You're a f*cking assh*le" and things like that. But I've never, out of the blue, made any anti-Semetic comments, or racist comments, or anything like that. This kind of stuff doesn't just slip out because of alcohol. Alcohol may loosen lips, but it's pretty apparent to me that he really feels this way on some level.

Well yeah - beyond normal drunk stupid stuff to say, I know I've said really mean things about say lesbians - I mean really mean - when drunk. Now I was shocked at myself after sobering up because I couldn't believe I'd uttered the words out loud. So after that incident I began looking at the deep-seated internal things that made me say that.

I'm not saying that because he was drunk and said that it's ok - I'm saying there's obvioulsy deep-seated aggravation there and I think it's good he's looking into that (if he, in fact, is.)

----

The Passion did not portray all jews as barbaric thugs. But even in the Bible there WERE bad jews...just as there are bad thuggish jews (and Christians) today. The whole thing about Jesus was he was trying to restore dignity and such to the temples that were being overrun with corruption (hmm...sounds like many a church today)! I just didn't see the film as anti-semitic. And anyone who thought ill of Jews after seeing it missed the Entire point of the film.

Overall I think it was a film aimed a very targeted audience - so it doesn't surprise me that it's still met with dislike and such but oh well. I won't ever see it again, once was enough.

I think it was perceived that way though right or wrong. It isn't entirely clear to me why else it would be considered anti-Semetic. I definitely didn't see it that way but I can see how Jews would interpret it that way.

But that likely happened :shrug: So, how is his showing it that way anything but factual?

You make a good point. Also I think the information that his father is a known anit-semite (and Holocaust denier) and that Mel refused to speak out against his father ("my father's never lied to me") sort of made people think one way and stick to that opinion regardless or what they saw (though many of the most outspoken against the film never even saw it!)

True, it was confusing to me that people would condemn the film without even seeing it! Not speaking out against his Dad's beliefs was definitely bad for Mel's image and convinced many he was anti-Semetic himself. I was on the fence about believing that about him without any hard evidence. But that is no longer the case.

I just don't think it had to be so long to get the point accross. It was way too disturbing. But that is a choice that a director makes and I see why he filmed it that way. I would not have.