Private or Not, Mel's Rant Has Huge Consequences

By Zach Dionne Posted Jul 16th 2010 09:00AM

Pop-Ed: I listened to the first rant and cringed. I listened to the second one and never wanted to hear another thing about Mel Gibson again. Immediately vowed, in fact, from the heart, to never watch another Gibson flick, new or old.

I also spoke with three disenchanted New Yorkers who had some serious words for Mel -- click through for the video and to hear me out.

If it's ever made sense to go ahead and lump together a celebrity's personal life and their professional body of work, it's now. Mel Gibson's rant at ex-girlfriend and baby mama Oksana Grigorieva began as a private conversation, yes. But once everyone heard it, scanned the N-word-dropping headlines and the angry, hollered sex demands, it couldn't be unheard or unread. Gibson flashes ignorance and prejudice in 2006 in a drunk, anti-Semitic outburst, and as early as 1991, railing against homosexuals. Now he's shattered his image as hard as humanly possible. Mel is a madman, and there's no forgetting it.

One PopEater commenter wrote: "I just go to the movies. We would never go to the movies again if we stopped and looked at everything that everyone did. Drugs? Is that good? Cheating? Drunk driving? I would not act like Mel, but he makes some good films." That's like saying, "I wouldn't beat a woman, but I'm cool with Chris Brown 'cause he's got that song I like." C'mon.

And what about Whoopi? Yes, Ms. Goldberg, I understand Mel Gibson's casual use of the N-word does not, in your opinion, qualify him for the Racist Hall of Racism. But you skewed the situation drastically by pointing into one dim corner and saying, "Mel's not a racist! He's been to my house!" I fully acknowledge, per your second wrongheaded speech/diatribe against bloggers, that you didn't defend Mel. What you did do was ignore the rest of a brightly lit room bursting with your pal Mel's insensitivity and inhumanity. I won't waste words addressing Gibson's instances of misogyny or racism or anti-Semitism or violence when these tapes so strongly show Mel to simply be a vile, self-centered, despicable creature. Why go to such pains, Whoopi -- and dedicate not one but two segments on 'The View' -- to saying he's not a racist? The point is, he sucks!

Owen Gleiberman at Entertainment Weekly makes a spot-on assertion that regardless of how producers and audiences react to future Gibson projects, this star of many movies I will never watch again has shotgun-blasted himself in the foot when it comes to roles. "If he tries to play someone smiley and nice, it would look like a bad joke," Gleiberman writes. "But if he takes on the role of someone brutish and mean, a walking-tall cauldron of righteous payback -- in other words, a typical Mel Gibson character -- it will put the scandal of his domestic explosion front and center all over again." Ditto for directing -- how can Mel helm one of his patented gorefests like 'The Passion of The Christ' or 'Apocalypto' without drawing comparisons to how he, y'know, punched Oksana in the face and told her she deserved it?

It's tough to tell what Mel is flipping his lid over in these tapes. Maybe Oksana truly did "ruin his life" in some way. Maybe she tried to extort millions from him. But no matter who did what, Gibson's stance in the limelight gave millions a chance to see how to conduct oneself as a cool customer. Instead, they witnessed a lesson in boiling over to volcanic proportions and completely losing control.

After Chris Brown's abusive explosion on Rihanna, I subbed in 'Love in This Club' any time I considered listening to 'Forever.' Moving on to Mel, has he ever starred in or directed anything classic enough that a boycott is so heinous to imagine? When Hollywood has a bottom line to meet and coffers to fill with a proven star, rebuking Gibson's actions isn't guaranteed. Do what you can as an individual to say any person treating another person this way -- regardless of race, gender, status in society, and doors closed or open -- isn't any kind of acceptable. Watch '300' even if you think it pales next to 'Braveheart.' Put in your 'Die Hard' DVDs when 'Lethal Weapon' pops up on TV. Watch the Home Shopping Network instead of 'The Passion.' Just don't give Mel any more of your time, money, or respect.

Follow Zach Dionne on Twitter.

Tags: Mel Gibson

Comments

(56)

Friday 16 July

By N2

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WHY IS GIBSON SO IMPORTANT TO AMERICA? WHY ARE CELEBS IN THE TOP NEWS STORIES WHEN WE HAVE 20 YEAR OLD SOLDIERS DIEING EVERY DAY IN AN UN-WINNABLE WAR? WHY DOES OUR COUNTRY OVERLOOK THE IMPORTANT AND FOCUS ON CELEBRITY. THIS PHENOM MAY BE PART OF OUR BIGGER PROBLEM, "SURVIVAL".
GIBSON IS A NAZI, WOMAN HATER, RACIEST. WHY IS THERE EVEN THE QUESTION OF HIS PROFESSIONAL SURVIVAL. WE SHOULD LOATH HIM AND PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT MAKES OUR COUNTRY STRONG.

By mhz

Couldn't have said it ANY BETTER, myself. Amen. Move on ppl. Women get it. He's a radioactive ANIMAL. Why doesn't everyone else? Talk about a dim society!!!

By James

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I didnt actually read your rant N2, but you wrote in all caps so you must be right.

By Babykit

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YOU ROCK!

By alk

I don't care about mel but am not sptupid either, those tapes are totally fake I can tell you that and since she was secretely recording him she obviously had a plan before hand. This a scorned woman who was dreaming with his millions, you don't break a marriage like the one he had with his wife she looks false and gold digger..and her face is all done

By paula

I Agree and I still will watch all his movies no matter what. He is a great actor and I don't really care about his personal life.

By Jazzhog

I love this man, first as and actor, second as a director and third as a real stand up family man. Unfortunately Hollywood is in a world of it's own. Actors tend to do things mostly for publicity and sometimes it backfires. In this world we are always on trial, each and everyone of us. Of course when your a celebrity of Mel Gibson's caliber, you tend to be looked upon through a microscope. Anything that goes on with your career or personal life hits the media like a ton of bricks. There are two sides to every story and I for one back Mel 100%. He is a superb actor and and in my book he deserves the benefit of the doubt. The truth will prevail...

By J.E.B.

Let's give OJ Simpson the benefit of the doubt, too. Let's start watching old OJ Simpson movies, and forget about his past mistakes. He was a good acter too. Good football player. Then came that messy litle legal scrape, and the slow-motion car chase, and the trial. Mel Gibson has blown his credibility, damaged his name permanently. I'll never watch another one of his movies.

By rookie

Oh that Mel Gibson! I don't care if he is Anti-Semetic, Racist, and Sexist. He is just so adorable! Love him, love him, love him.

By bac

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Your blog is so correct!!! Those tapes are so fake! This woman has a motive and it is cash. I hope it blows up in her face when the tapes are deemed false!

By Nita K Baptiste-Shreve

I have decided that I still adore Mel...the man never said he was a saint...he is only huMAN. I know that in the heat of a break up with a ex I have said things that I am glad that were not record but I am not important enough to be record...nor can anyone make millions off my rants. I believe Mr. Gibson got into a bad relationship and is mad at himself for letting it get out of hand...I believe he is a good hearted man...I will go to his movies and support him 100%. Maybe someone should ask Timothy Dalton about this woman, why has he not defend the mother of his child...we should take a long hard look at that....Mr Dalton

By Leanne Liljedahl

I agree we waste too much time and energy on celebrity "sins". Clinton - his own business between he and his family, Tiger Woods - afflicted "according to media" with a disease - sex addiction? (spoiled brat) Whatever. Millions of people are. They don't make the news. Mel - reportedly says terrible things to his women and is physically and mentally abusive. In this day and age probably half the population have similar relationships and never make the news. Let it alone. I still like his movies - right up to the snuff movie he made about Jesus. That was way over the top, I haver had the desire to watch it and never did. But that's just my feelings on such movies. Let it rest. We have too many important issues to be concerned about than waste time on this trash.
Leanne.

By NLuvWLif0344

Mel Gibson has been a hard drinker since before his early days as Mad Max and there is no question that he now has brain damage from it. I make no excuses for Mr. Gibson; he's a significant alcoholic. What does surprise me are the number of women who are willing to forgive and forget. It's this rush to forgive by stupid, weak women that make it easier for men to abuse women and harder for women to prosecute abusive men. What Mel has done and said is unforgivable and he needs extensive psychiatric help, he needs to stop drinking, and he needs to spend some time in jail if he did, in fact, hit and break the teeth of Ms. Grigorieva.

By hank

Beware the Demon Rum..Thats what it sounds like when you release it from the bottle

By bob

I am wondering isnt it illegal to record a conversation with out the consent of the other person on the same line ?? and I question the motivation on wanting the public to hear the tapes if she felt she was in danger why not give it to the police and take him to court over it and get a restaining order ?? sounds to me both parties are playing games and no is as innocent as they claim

By rose

It must be legal. are you old enough to remember Watergate? Nixon taped screaming profanities? Threatening individuals? He too was a loser. Do you watch these judge in court room shows on tv? They've allowed taped conversations in their coutrtrooms.

By mw

Like Lindsay Lohan, Mel needs to go away, and rehab or whatever. Lets stop writing about him, wacko

By Joan

I don't know if those tapes are Mel Gibsons' voice or not. I have not decided either way. I will see what the courts decide. If it is his voice he owes some people a bigger apology than anyone can ever give them.

By denise

He was good in his hay-day. The man is old and demented. Needs psychological help. So d**m disappointing to see. I think he needs family intervention. He's way out of control!!

By one sweet girl

All I have to say is no one has ever heard my ex go off on me when he doesn't pay his child support for months on end and then I finally threaten to keep him from seeing his son....I get screamed and verbally degraded 10 times worse than those fake tapes that that money grubbing publicity hound made up....anyone can edit a tape to make it say what they want...I get the abuse for real...but the point is any man will be quite upset if you try to take their money and kids...

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