Mel Gibson

Jobydrone · July 22, 2010, 11:21:19 AM

One of my favorite quotes of all time is from the movie version of the Stephen King novel "Christine":

"You can't polish a turd."

If someone is a racist, anti-semitic, misogynist, wife-beating alcoholic, then no amount of Hollywood magic is going to cover it up forever. I'm amazed the man was able to hide his true colors as long as he did.

QuadShot · July 22, 2010, 11:45:16 AM

I love that line. But, if you really think back on some of the interviews that Mel has done over the years, you can see this stuff start to seap out. For example, many years ago (not certain how many), he was interviewed on like 20/20 or something. It was like an indepth chat with Mel Gibson. He talked (guardedly) about his religion. Now, I'm not going to start a religious debate here, I'm just saying what was talked about. He was once an "old fashioned Catholic", but then came out in 2002 against it saying he believes the Vatica to be a "wolf in sheeps clothing". From what I remember, he is some sort of fundamentalist Catholic, actually a "sect" of the Catholics called Sedevacantism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedevacantism. Mel has been building up to this latest outburst for a long time and yes, it is sad. But in the end, how does it affect my life? Nada. Three months from now, it'll be just an archived page on a forum somewhere...Al :dstar

Blackride · July 22, 2010, 05:09:38 PM

Why would someone feel sorry for him? This is all self inflicted. He is yet another hollywood person that thinks they can do anything. There is room in America for discussing almost anything but he is not doing that. He is ranting like a lunatic.

Bromptonboy · July 22, 2010, 05:18:43 PM

Quote from: QuadShot on July 22, 2010, 11:45:16 AM
a "sect" of the Catholics called Sedevacantism

Yes - they don't recognize the reforms of Vatican 2 (like getting rid of Latin in Mass, etc).

Blackride · July 22, 2010, 05:27:11 PM

Quote from: Bromptonboy on July 22, 2010, 05:18:43 PM
Quote from: QuadShot on July 22, 2010, 11:45:16 AM
a "sect" of the Catholics called Sedevacantism
Yes - they don't recognize the reforms of Vatican 2 (like getting rid of Latin in Mass, etc).

Any person can twist a religion. It's the people that live by it's vitues that represent it.

X · July 22, 2010, 06:00:29 PM

Quote from: Blackride on July 22, 2010, 05:09:38 PM
Why would someone feel sorry for him? This is all self inflicted. He is yet another hollywood person that thinks they can do anything. There is room in America for discussing almost anything but he is not doing that. He is ranting like a lunatic.

I don't think it has anything to do with Hollywood. Some people are screwed up. Being a star doesn't make you less screwed up, it just makes you more noticed.

Here is something that many people seem to forget. To be a star, you need to have drive and ego. Docile people don't become stars. It's a shark tank there and only those with the drive rise to the top. Sure, there might be a few exceptions, but as a whole, the best and most believable actors are full of emotion. Sometimes that emotion gets the best of them. Sometimes they fall victim to the negative emotions instead of hanging on to the positive ones.

When you have to put yourself into dark places for the sake of your job, sometimes that darkness sticks with you after the cameras stop rolling.

The only difference between Mel Gibson and some nobody with the same view is that we don't see or care about the views of the nobody unless it directly affects us.

QuadShot · July 22, 2010, 06:07:08 PM

X, you are absolutely right. Actors are by nature, a bit different. Thanks for pointing that out.

Ktrek · July 22, 2010, 08:10:20 PM

Quote from: Blackride on July 22, 2010, 05:09:38 PM
Why would someone feel sorry for him? This is all self inflicted. He is yet another hollywood person that thinks they can do anything. There is room in America for discussing almost anything but he is not doing that. He is ranting like a lunatic.

I say I feel sorry for him because I think it is an attitude of "compassion". As the Savior said to those who caught a woman in adultery "let him who is without sin cast the first stone". I certainly have no right to cast stones at him. I prefer to pray for him and desire that he gets some much needed help. It's a shame that his dirty laundry has to be exposed. Love covers a multitude of sin!

Kevin

Feathers · July 23, 2010, 02:29:35 AM

Quote from: Ktrek on July 22, 2010, 08:10:20 PM
Quote from: Blackride on July 22, 2010, 05:09:38 PM
Why would someone feel sorry for him? This is all self inflicted. He is yet another hollywood person that thinks they can do anything. There is room in America for discussing almost anything but he is not doing that. He is ranting like a lunatic.

I say I feel sorry for him because I think it is an attitude of "compassion". As the Savior said to those who caught a woman in adultery "let him who is without sin cast the first stone". I certainly have no right to cast stones at him. I prefer to pray for him and desire that he gets some much needed help. It's a shame that his dirty laundry has to be exposed. Love covers a multitude of sin!

Kevin

Why should someone NOT feel sorry for him? What's tha alternative? Snner and make fun or feel nothing? I'd far rather there were more perople feeling sorry for others than having no feelings/malevolent feelings towards them.

(I don't mean 'feeling sorry' as in 'looking down one's nose at' either, I mean a feeling of genuine concern. I'm not saying it needs to have a great effect on your daily life, but a little compassion is a worthwhile thing to have!)

Blackride · July 23, 2010, 04:35:39 AM

I didn't say that because I didn't feel sorry for someone that I do not have compassion. I feel "sorry" for people that have no control over their situations. I pray for people like this (Mel) that they find the Lord to save themselves. I know this is getting into religion but kinda hard to avoid it with this topic if you ask me.

Jobydrone · July 23, 2010, 06:47:48 AM

I agree with you 100% Blackride, there are many people much more worthy of our compassion and pity. How about feeling sorry for the woman who he punched in the face? Or the policeman doing his job getting a dangerous drunk driver off the road and then had to endure his abusive, racist, anti-semitic tirade?

There is much good that comes out of this public airing of the man's major dysfunction. As stated above, perhaps he will be motivated to seek out some much needed psychiatric and spiritual counseling.

Rico · October 18, 2010, 12:03:36 PM

Well, Mel is sort of trying to do something. Looks like he has landed a cameo in "The Hangover 2" movie.

http://www.celebuzz.com/mel-gibson-lands-cameo-hangover-s263281/

QuadShot · October 18, 2010, 12:07:44 PM

:)

Bromptonboy · October 19, 2010, 06:06:04 PM

Hang Over 2 - 2 go in...one comes out....

alanp · October 19, 2010, 06:50:29 PM

I was just writing on Facebook that of all his antics, I found his drunk driving most disappointing. Here he is, had just made a powerful religious movie and goes out and risks the lives of others on the road. I lost so much respect for him after that. No ones perfect and we all stumble, but risking other people's lives is extremely disappointing.

I've taken tech support calls with people who have been worked up into a frenzy at that level, when I worked at cox cable, we had to sit there while they ranted and couldn't hang up on them. More people flip out like that than you would think. As far as him getting physical I really hope that one is false. And I really think he was using the explosive words to shock (say horrible things for shock value because he is that angry) rather than to take shots at people of other races.

My acting professor always told us he thought hollywood actors used recall of events in their lives to invoke emotion to the point that they make themselves nuts and are prone to insane behavior and I wonder if that's the deal here.

The recordings probably wouldn't keep me from watching one of his movies, though I haven't seen any of his at the cinema anyway.