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July 13, 2010

What We Say When We Talk About Mel Gibson

By Tom Teicholz

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The recent news that Mel Gibson is no longer a client of William Morris Endeavor should come as no surprise. Many news and entertainment programs, including NBC’s “Today Show,” pegged the delisting to Gibson’s recent domestic assault allegations and tabloid leak of surreptitious tapes of racist rants he allegedly made, all arising from his custody dispute with his baby-mama Oksana Grigorieva.

But Gibson was already on borrowed time at the agency. In 2006, following his Malibu arrest and anti-Semitic rant, Ari Emanuel, then at Endeavor, writing in the Huffington Post, called on all Hollywood to shun Gibson. Gibson’s great defender was his longtime agent Ed Limato, then at ICM, who famously threw a drink in the face of Page Six’s Richard Johnson for comments about Gibson at a Vanity Fair Oscar party. Subsequently, Limato moved his operations from ICM to William Morris, and when William Morris and Endeavor merged last year, Emanuel and Limato found themselves having to make a cold peace.

A few weeks ago, Limato died. Then the other shoe dropped. Regarding Gibson, no one could call Emanuel a hypocrite. For his part, Gibson’s self-destructive self-immolation has cost him his marriage, much of his fortune, his standing in Hollywood and — depending on what happens next — could lead to criminal prosecution for domestic violence.

Which begs the question: Are the travails of Mel Gibson a fitting comeuppance, a vindication of those who saw something noxious in Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” a Shakespearean tragedy where character is destiny, or, perhaps in and of itself, proof that God exists? Or some combination of the above?

Rewinding through Gibson’s oeuvre and focusing on “Braveheart,” “The Man Without a Face” and then “The Passion,” the consistent theme appears to be that violence and harsh confrontation beget redemption.

Gibson entered the fray with his “The Passion of the Christ.” I would argue that each generation gets the version of Christ it deserves. So, if “The Greatest Story Ever Told” was made for the post-World War II “Greatest Generation,” “Godspell” for the ’60s flower children, and “Jesus Christ Superstar” for the “me” decade 1970s, then “The Passion of the Christ” embodies a rift in American culture, a moment when war and existential threats seemed everyday experiences. When Gibson told us he was being true to the Gospels in making his movie, he was not wrong. But it was his specific choices from among the versions that reflected Gibson’s own soul and character.

The enormous success of the film is history now, but it’s almost hard to remember the time when Jews questioning Gibson’s “Passion” were made to seem as if they were asking for a revisionist Jewish version of the New Testament.  Indeed, even Gibson’s Jewish publicist, Alan Nierob, defended him.

At one point, Gibson claimed he was going to make a film about the Maccabees,  which some took as a form of atonement, but which, to me, carried an implied threat — of exposing an ugly side to Jewish heroism. For most children, the Maccabees are the heroes of the Chanukah saga, but in a Gibson world of violence and martyrdom, the Judean fighters might seem closer to the Taliban, fighting against the corrupting Hellenism of their time by murdering fellow Jews.

Then, in 2006, after being arrested for driving while intoxicated, Gibson made his comments about the Jews causing all the world’s wars. Privately, it seemed a confirmation of Gibson’s darkest thoughts, but publicly many excused Gibson’s rant as a drunkard’s heat-seeking attempt to provoke with the most offensive comment possible.  Gibson slipped back under the radar.

What has complicated the discussion about Gibson was that most American Jews of recent vintage spend a good deal of time hearing about anti-Semitism (and donating money to fight it), but few actually have experienced it.

I have met several Holocaust deniers and, strangely enough, I met most of them in Jerusalem — during the course of covering the Demjanjuk war crimes trial. They were always ruddy, Middle America types or English academic types. All very friendly. What they had in common was that they saw themselves as men (and they were all men) of principle committed to finding the truth. Their quibbles were obsessive: If one fact was wrong, then that proved that all the facts of the Holocaust had been false or exaggerated.

Gibson, too, seems to alternate between Mel the Gregarious and Mel the Scary, a man seeking things his way and a man out of control — with anger and self-righteousness fueling a bigotry he won’t acknowledge.

For several years, Gibson seemed a time bomb waiting to explode. There was the church he funded in Malibu that didn’t accept Vatican II, and then the rumors that he had a girlfriend, followed by denials, then his wife filing for divorce, and the announcement that not only did Gibson have a girlfriend, but she was pregnant with what would be Gibson’s eighth child.

Did Gibson think being famous, being wealthy, put him in control? I’m sure he was warned. But an affair and a child with a much younger woman? What did he think would happen?

Which brings me back to my original question: What can we say about Gibson? There is no question that he alone is the engine of his current problems. It is also clear that his bigotry and sexism are part of his vile arsenal, and he can no longer deny the taint on his character. In the days and weeks to come, we may hear explanations for Gibson’s behavior or promises of treatment of one kind or another. He may go on to make other movies, self-financed or even studio distributed (and they could even be good), but no one will ever look at him the same way again. Gibson may pray for things to work out or for forgiveness from family, friends and colleagues; and others may pray for him. But I won’t be one of them.

A version of this article appeared in print.

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I Forgive Mel Gibson

“We may see the shadow in others and,
if we dare,
know it in ourselves.
Mostly, however, we deny it in ourselves
and project it onto others.
It can also have a life of its own, as the Other.
A powerful goal that some undertake is
to re-integrate the shadow, the dark side,
and the light of the ‘real’ self.
If this can be done effectively,
then we can become ‘whole’ once again,
bringing together that which was
once split from us.”
- Carl Jung

Comment by Stephen Real on 7/13/10 at 3:55 pm

As a child, I grew up with a father who hated “Jews”  I am no anti-semite, but even today at 38, I have to make a conscience effort to rid myself of this irrational thinking and feelings of “hatred” towards Jewish people. I wish I didn’t have to constantly keep my thinking in check, but the fact is I was programmed in a way. So I think I understand Mel Gibson.  I don’t think he really hates Jewish people, just like I don’t hate Jewish people or at least I don’t want to.  He said some awful things that time when he was drunk, but I don’t think he meant any of it really. Do you understand?

Comment by trinity on 7/13/10 at 4:30 pm

Polanski good, Pollard good, Gibson bad.
This self-serving tribalism has worn thin.

Comment by Solomon Morel on 7/13/10 at 5:01 pm

He is obviously experiencing the curses that G-d has promised when you live in a manner offensive to Him.  There is no reason for us to do a thing - The consequences are, and will continue to be, upon him.  It’s a shame he will always have so much in royalties, for he may never experience a real bottom.  He still is alive though…  Maybe he will get a program and do the work (AA).  T’Shuvah is for all.

Comment by Ron Tippitt on 7/13/10 at 5:29 pm

“GALLIPOLI” & “A YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY” & NOW THIS!!

Comment by WM GOLDSTEIN on 7/13/10 at 5:43 pm

Mel Gibson was popular in Australia with his Mad Max movies.  He has now gone from hero to zero - to many fans.  As for his racial and anti-Semitic rantings,
there ain’t much between his ears.  He must be descended from Amalek.

Benzol, Melbourne, Australia

Comment by Benzol on 7/13/10 at 6:21 pm

Mr. Gibson is an alcoholic, exhibiting out of control and acting out behaviors befitting an active alcoholic. Three main characteristics of alcoholic behavior are avoidance, denial, and procrastination. Mr. Gibson seems to have hit his bottom. His life, relationships, family, and community have been impacted. He desperately needs help. It’s too bad when the legal system is the only way to guide an alcoholic into recovery. You can lead a horse to water, but you certainly cannot make him drink. My heart goes out to his children. He will have to accept his own set of personal consequences.

Comment by Dr. Amy Austin on 7/13/10 at 6:34 pm

You are absolutly correct in your portrayal of Gibson.  He is his fathers son.

Comment by Ernie Smolen on 7/13/10 at 7:20 pm

I was told Oksana’s mother is Jewish

Comment by gus kohn on 7/13/10 at 7:22 pm

Mel gibson is a great actor, what he did in his film is to defend the truth in perspective Christians, and has made him a hero in the film world, in real life he is just an ordinary human being just like us who have many problems and weaknesses.

Only in god we have peace and righteousness.

ps:sorry for my bad english and i’m from indonesia.

Comment by Christian Lee on 7/13/10 at 9:55 pm

The Passion… seemed to me to be a movie version of the 12 stations of the cross, a picture montage that is in virtually every Catholic church in Europe.  Yes Gibson is an anti-semite, but isn’t the Church also?

Comment by chuck on 7/13/10 at 10:22 pm

Mel Probably got in over his head having to transform from Down Under Cowboy to Tinseltowwn Show Biz Bigshot. He got so caught up in The Hollywood (phony)lifestyle that he never realized it is unlike the real world most of us live in.  Sorry Mel but “All That glitters Is Not Gold”.

Comment by ALLEN L. MITCHELL on 7/14/10 at 7:49 am

In the beginning Elohim created all things for His glory, honor and praise. He created powerful angels together with ministering spirits sent forth to do His will. Lucifer (Satan) was a covering cherub on Elohim’s throne of glory. Lucifer rebelled and one-third of the angels followed him as he was defeated by Elohim. Since Elohim created man Satan has been there to deceive and destroy what Elohim has created. Elohim will perform all covenants and promises made to Abraham and his descendants. Satan has deceived ALL of humanity but his

Comment by dwight s stewart on 7/14/10 at 4:00 pm

CONTINUED
Elohim will perform all covenants and promises made to Abraham and his descendants. Satan has deceived ALL of humanity but his set time on earth will soon have an end. He will soon make the world like a wilderness and destroy its cities - he hates the nation of Israel and he also hates Christianity - both have been deceived by Satan the Adversary. For Chistianity Satan thought to change the times and laws of Elohim and he has been very successful at doing so. For the nation of Israel the very prophecies, which are so many, reveal that the Ancient of Days Moshiach, His Holy One, has already come and will in His

Comment by dwight s stewart on 7/14/10 at 4:07 pm

CONTINUED
appointed times redeem all of humanity to Himself in glory as we are His children and offspring. He will soon glorify Israel and she will be the joy of the whole earth. “The Passion of the Christ”, well, according to inspired scripture of truth, both the Tanakh and the New Testament,show that is how the Ancient of Days Holy One died being beaten beyond recognition for the sins of all humanity. Soon the tabernacle and throne of David will be raised up and he will once again be the king/prince of Israel (Hosea 3:4-5; Eze. 34:22-31; Eze. 37:24-28; Jer. 30:7-9; Jer. 33:14-26). I have no doubt Satan is afflicting Mel Gibson - he did tell how the Son of man was crucified for

Comment by dwight s stewart on 7/14/10 at 4:09 pm

CONCLUSION
all humanity - and Satan does not like that - just as Satan knows that Israel is the apple of Elohim’s eye therefore Satan desires to destroy you by and through the surrounding nations as Satan knows the old hatred. HUMANITY’S ENEMY IS SATAN OUR ADVERSARY - HE NOW HAS A SHORT TIME LEFT - BUT HE WILL CONTINUE TO DECEIVE HUMANITY.

Comment by dwight s stewart on 7/14/10 at 4:13 pm

Mel Gibson is a distraction. He is 1 man. More important is Iran and its threat of nuclear weapons to Israel and the Leftist union with Iran Hezbollah and Hamas with the Left’s divest from Israel and its boycott Israel movements and anti-Israel letters to editors across the US, and the flotilla incident, plus more. If they succeed in breaking Israel’s weapons inspection protocol which was pursuant to UN Sec Res #1860, Iran will in effect get a port on the Medit. Furthermore, Jews should be more concerned with Polanski.

Comment by TMay on 7/16/10 at 10:08 am

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