Mel Gibson's Meltdown

Slate ^ | 07-31-06 | Christopher Hitchens

[veronica]

I was just in the middle of writing a long and tedious essay, about how to tell a real anti-Semite from a person who too-loudly rejects the charge of anti-Semitism, when a near-perfect real-life example came to hand. That bad actor and worse director Mel Gibson, pulled over for the alleged offense of speeding and the further alleged offense of speeding under the influence, decided that he needed to demand of the arresting officer whether he was or was not Jewish and that he furthermore needed to impart the information that all the world's wars are begun by those of Semitic extraction.

Call me thin-skinned if you must, but I think that this qualifies. I also think that the difference between the blood-alcohol levels—and indeed the speed limits—that occasioned the booking are insufficient to explain the expletives (as Gibson has since claimed in a typically self-pitying and verbose statement put out by his publicist). One does not abruptly decide, between the first and second vodka, or the ticks of the indicator of velocity, that the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion are valid after all.

There's a lot to dislike about Gibson. He is given to furious tirades against homosexuals of the sort that make one wonder if he has some kind of subliminal or "unaddressed" problem. His vulgar and nasty movies, which also feature this prejudice, are additionally replete with the cheapest caricatures of the English.

[Peach]

He has told interviewers that his wife, the mother of his children, is going to hell because she subscribes to the wrong Christian sect (a view that he justifies as "a pronouncement from the chair").

Problems and issues. Lots and lots of issues, which is hardly surprising given his nutty father.

But Hitchens nails it and those trying to give Mel a pass because he was drinking don't seem to understand the saying: in vino veritas.

[joylyn]

I like Hitch in general, but he HATES religion. This is a guy who once wrote a hit piece on Mother Teresa!

[Dark Skies]

I didn't know that and am quite surprised since pics can have a strong influence on an article.

[Thorin]

Christopher Hitchens is an unrepentant Communist and an anti-Catholic bigot. I'm not surprised to see him join the loathsome Abe Foxman on the hate Gibson bandwagon.

Like Foxman and the other leftists, Hitchens will never forgive Gibson for making "The Passion of the Christ."

[mnehring]

Christopher Hitchens claims that he is partially Jewish and that therefore he has a right to vilify Israel every chance he gets without being criticized.

..and I'm partially Brit so can I write an article criticizing Hitchens without being criticized myself?

[colorado tanker]

Hitch has obviously been itching to get licks in against Mel because the Brits come off so bad in Braveheart and The Patriot. Lighten up, Hitch, at least Mel didn't point out in The Passion that at the time the Brits were staining themselves blue.

[presently no screen name]

That bad actor and worse director Mel Gibson

Hitchens REAL feelings are showing about Mel before this incident. He's biased so it makes his article null and void but everyone seems to have a NEED to 'get their opinion' on record.

[oceanview]

has Gibson admitted to making these statements? has he denied it? or, has the police car video/audio been released?

[maineman]

A drunk man says what a sober man won't.

[sine_nomine]

Well said. I wonder what goes in in Gibson's brain. His words are as bad as Hillary's and Bill's, but he did apologize. That counts for a lot.

[Xenalyte]

However, your basic assumption, that Hitchens would have chosen a picture like that if he'd had the choosing, I see absolutely no reason to doubt.

[tessalu]

Even a fool has a right to change his mind. Forget Mel.

[Skooz]

Surely you don't expect Kasparov to say he himself is the greatest of all time.

If he believed it to be true, he would.

[kabar]

Jesse, Al, and Hillary didn't exactly get off scott-free, if I remember.

The Dem Party is supported by most of Hollywood including many big time Jewish contributors. Where was the outrage when Jesse and Al were vying for the Dem nomination? Why were they even tolerated to run in the primaries? Hillary was elected to the Senate from New York of all places. They got off scot-free and will continue to get a pass just like Byrd gets from the Black Caucus. In the bigot business, some are more equal than others. For example, Trent Lott.

But anyone should be able to see their rather tame remarks come nowhere close to being in the same loathsome league as Gibson's, especially in light of his history on the subject.

What is his "history" on the subject?

[frogjerk]

Excellent Post!

[MarkeyD]

Seems to be headed down the same path as Nick Nolte.

[Honestfreedom]

In all fairness to Gibson much of the Australian fim industry is devoted to turning out anti British material. Look at Breaker Morant and Gallipoli (which Gibson starred in before hitting it big).
In terms of his now obvious Jew hatred there is a lesson for Jews in it. We have in many cases grabbed onto religious Christians as friends and rightfully so since they have in many cases been friends. However, not every conservative religious Christian is a friend.

[Halls]

I agree seeing I think Mel is a great actor!

[mnehring]

What I don't get is why people feel they have to distance themselves from someone with whom they mostly (or almost completely) agree, once they are charged with some character flaw such as antisemitism.

Character Flaw? If True that is much more than a character flaw. That is like saying that Robert Byrd only has a 'character flaw' for being in the KKK.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Or he could have supposedly Asian or Amerindian genes and has a lower threshold for drunkeness (apparently Jews also have a low threshold, but they are genetically diverse since their diaspora).