Mel Gibson's Money Will Keep His Career Afloat

By Joel Keller Posted Jul 16th 2010 01:00PM

Pop-Ed: The folks at Radar Online have been doing a fantastic job keeping this Mel Gibson story alive, haven't they? For more than a week now, they've been doling out one crazy, racist, profane, violent-sounding rant after another, all directed towards Gibson's ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. If that voice on the tape is truly his -- and the Gibson camp has yet to deny that it's Gibson's voice on the recording -- then it would seem like the career of the erstwhile Mad Max is toast.

Or is it?

In this particular story's news cycle, we're in the part of it where it seems the world is falling down around a celebrity and that there seems to be no way that he or she will ever recover from it. Indeed, speculation has abounded, with talking heads weighing in all over the news landscape.

But all of these folks are either forgetting or downplaying a big factor: Mel Gibson's got money. Lots of it. And he can use it to keep making the movies he wants to make.

Make no mistake: I'm not condoning any of Gibson's behavior. If he's the voice on those tapes, and if the physical abuse allegations that Grigorieva have made are true, then at the very least the man is in severe need of help. If this is true, then he has impulse issues, a tendency towards violent behavior, and an intolerance of other races that borders on full-on hatred. The physical abuse allegations could get him in serious legal trouble.

But, as far as Gibson's ability to make movies is concerned? He probably won't experience a hiccup. He's proven in the past that he can finance his own films and make oodles of money from them. The obvious example is 'The Passion of the Christ.' Gibson made the $30 million movie on his own dime, screened it for church groups, marketed it to religious folks who don't normally go to the movies, and turned it into a $600 million worldwide blockbuster.

It's the same marketing method that made Tyler Perry a multi-millionaire: bypass the major studios, self-finance, eschew advertising in mainstream publications, and market to a demographic -- churchgoers -- that has either been underserved or under publicized. Then, all of a sudden, you're making movies with Oprah and creating sitcoms for TBS.

All Gibson has to do is make another project that's near and dear to his heart and market it to the right people. 'Apocalypto,' Gibson's second self-financed film, wasn't a blockbuster; the topic of Mayan sacrifices likely didn't resonate with any underserved audiences. Gibson can take the lessons from that film and create a third film that will be more marketable. And, unlike the other two films, he could put himself in the lead if he wants. He could also make another inscrutable film like 'Apocalypto,' make a modest profit, and go back to his mansion to count his money.

Will anyone work with Gibson again, whether he's acting, directing, or producing? Sure. Every scandal, even one as heinous as this one, fades in people's memories. In fact, Gibson's drunken, anti-semetic DUI incident from 2006 had begun to recede, with Gibson back starring in movies once again, before the tapes from Grigorieva were released.

Given the right project, and the fact that Gibson likely still has a lot of friends in the industry -- like Whoopi Goldberg -- he'll be able to find people to act in his films. If people have been willing to work with Roman Polanski, whose transgressions are at least as bad as what Gibson is being accused of, people will be willing to work with Gibson.

So, the speculation on whether Mel Gibson's career is dead or not needs to stop. This isn't Lindsay Lohan. Gibson has the money and the smarts to keep his career going for many years to come, even if it's not at the same A-list level he was at before. Don't be surprised if he's back on everyone's radar in a few years.

See PopEater take a sampler of where people stand on Mel Gibson:

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Tags: AolOriginal, apocalypto, mel gibson, oksana grigorieva, the passion of the christ

Comments

(15)

Friday 16 July

By bren

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All i can say is Amen,the is right on!!

By ITSHOTINTEXAS

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Your kidding right?.... "If people have been willing to work with Roman Polanski, whose transgressions are at least as bad as what Gibson is being accused of, people will be willing to work with Gibson."........ Roman Polanski sodomized and raped a 14-year-old girl. You are a prime example of what is terribly wrong with Hollywood.

By Andy

You are exactly right! Mel called somebody names. BFD!!! He didn't rape anybody, he didn't kill anybody. Give me a break!

By D PULLIAM

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I think Mel is getting a bad rap- I think the girlfriend is making tapes and putting them together to create havoc in his life and she is only harming what she may or may not get in child support or alimony as well as legal problems for herself

Saturday 17 July

By Stephanie

If that was the case and she really had fabricated the tapes, do you really think that Mel Gibson and Co. would sit silently for a week as the tapes were played on every news program and entertainment show/site in the country? If they were fake, he'd be shouting that fact from the rooftops.

By sandy-jack

I think the people that loved him will see his movies. He never appealed to me even before his Jesus movie. If he finances his own movies, I believe that some people will go. Won't be a blockbuster - look what happened to Tom Crusie. He is a much better actor than Mel. Just my opinion. I love Tom Cruise!

I think innocent until proven guilty. (the physical abuse part that is)Obviously the guy has demons, he has stated as much in the past. But I really get the sense that there is much more to this story than what we have heard so far. But we may never get the whole truth with the obvious way that the media has already condemned the guy. Something stinks!

By bill

men dont get that pissed off at a woman for no reason...would be curious to know what the little skank said and did BEFORE she hit the record button...

Monday 02 August

By Rick T

I totally agree with you. I'm a man and in the past have said things in anger to girlfriends and my ex-wife that I don't mean and certainly don't reflect my true feelings or beliefs. Sometimes things are said in anger on both sides that people don't really mean, it's just heat of the moment stuff. The only reason Mel Gibson is getting in so much trouble for it is because he is famous. So everybody needs to back off of Mel and get a grip!

By MAGOOS

Mel Gibson's money will carry him through. It is called F-U money!

By Ernest

Just because it is Mel and not some John Doe off the street the press jumps all over this story. BIG FREAKING DEAL! Get over it! The world doesn't owe you a damm thing or for that matter nrither does Mel Gibson.

By letsgetthisright

Is it ever okay to rape a Woman or Child???? NO!!! Good! Is it ever okay to harm a Child???? NO!!! Good! Ever okay to verbally abuse, emotionally or physically abuse Mother or Father?? NO! Good! Draw the line. It's not good EVER!!! Tell your Children that. Whether it be Roman, Mel, OJ OR your Neighbor, NOT OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay??? Good. We would not want our Nation in 2010 to think otherwise, right????????????????? Right?????????? Good. Seriously people think before you post. It's never OKAY! OKAY.

By atworkbeforemel

Now inasmuch as my posts are worthy, the NO EXCUSE forANYONE against Children, Men or Women in a Civil Nation.............posts, I will be checking out all other arguments every hour at work. That's how dedicated I am that this is A) Bad message for America and it's Children and B) Life was fine before Mel went ranting and thus will be fine once people stop making little bitty excuses for a grown Man. Would it be okay if he abused a CHILD??? NO!!!! Good. Stick with that thought and think before your post. NO EXCUSE! Good.

By yippee

He's like a pop-up Child, Woman, Racist, Person Abuser. I personally think ANYONE that can behind ABUSE of Children, Women or Men in America in 2010 (he's bankrupt by the way, therefore no chance) is sick but rant on about had it been ANOTHER CHILD, ANOTHER ADULT it would have been baaaaaaaaaaad. NO!!!! No one deserves what he did. Don't tell kids it's okay. We are America and civilized. The posts are NOT reflecting that so think of OJ. WAS THAT OKAY??? NO. GOOD. If you think it was tell Ron Goldman's Family and do tell when it is alright to ABUSE A CHILD. TYVM

By francis liberatori

gibson is "ACCUSED" of being a rascist by his legions of enemies so he gets all this negative ink from thhe libs, hollywood and journal list. Oliver Stone himself exhibits anti semitism with his "Hitler is misunderstood" crap but since he is the libs fair haired boy no one targets him.. Get serious--do you libs really think anyone othher than your choir takes ANYTHING you say seriously.

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