The endless Mel Gibson hangover

I’m sick of Mel Gibson.

I don’t care that he’s making headlines once again, as entertainment Websites tout another “Mel Gibson controversy.” This time, is appears the cast and crew of “Hangover 2” were up in arms over the possibility of Gibson joining the cast. Gee, I wonder why. Zach Galifianakis, who as far as I can tell is not Jewish but Greek Orthodox, took his disdain public.

According to TheWrap.com:

Galifianakis was rumored to be upset with the decision to cast Gibson in a cameo, explaining to Comedy Death-Ray podcast host Scott Aukerman that he’s turned down several projects on moral grounds, saying: “But a movie you’re acting in, you don’t have a lot of control — you just show up and vomit your lines out. I’m not the boss. I’m in a deep protest right now with a movie I’m working on, up in arms about something. But I can’t get the guys to [listen] ... I’m not making any leeway.”

Galifianakis cut Aukerman off with an abrupt warning sound as the host began to mention the film’s title, but after Aukerman pressed, “I know you’re filming The Hhhhhhhh ... ” Galifianakis admitted, “It has something to do with a movie I’m working on, yeah. I’ll tell you about it later. It’s very frustrating.”

What’s also frustrating is that Mel Gibson still matters. We all know he’s a wacky anti-Semitic, misogynistic, vulgar, possibly alcoholic, psychologically unstable has-been movie star. Can we get over him now? 

A Jewish Journal archive search for “Mel Gibson” brings up 204 results. In the past nine months alone, “Gibson” has appeared in ten Jewish Journal headlines. I am guilty, along with many others who are obsessed by his strange psychotic behavior, but I’m reaching my breaking point. Short of him murdering someone or making aliyah to Israel, I don’t care.

Although I do wonder why we keep drawing water from the Gibson well. No matter how much communal shadenfreude we can muster, it won’t change him; he is already a sad parody of himself. What I fear is that it’s changing us, and every time we talk about him, we give him new life.

Mel Gibson won’t get what he truly deserves until he is forgotten.