Mel Gibson Oprah countdown

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Carlson2005 · #1 Post by **Carlson2005** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:49 am

Okay, now that Mel's really put his foot in it - and you can bet that Disney are thanking the gods that Apocalypto didn't open as scheduled now - how long do you think it'll be before Mel goes on the TV talk show confessional circuit begging forgiveness and playing the recovering victim? Obviously he'll kick off with Oprah, but the big question is - when? My money's on six weeks before Apocalytpto opens - too soon will look desperate and he'll need to make a show of rehab. Any advance on six weeks?

AndyDursin · #2 Post by **AndyDursin** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:16 am

I'm thinking December right before APOCALYPTO opens as well.

BTW one of two funny scenes in SCARY MOVIE 4 is the lead character going on Oprah at the end, doing a Tom Cruise re-enactment. It's too long but is amusing in its own way (that and the spoof of THE VILLAGE with Chris Elliott in the Adrien Brody "idiot" role -- it doesn't sound funny imagining Elliott saying grace by standing up, spouting genetilia, and then dumping a pot of mashed potatoes on his head, but upon seeing it, you might feel differently!).

mkaroly · #3 Post by **mkaroly** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:55 am

Oh Mel.....say it isn't so!

Wow-

what a huge error on his part. Even if he goes on Oprah I think the damage is done and nothing he can say will make it better. I'm going to agree with Andy and say before APOCALYPTO comes out. If he apologizes now (which he has) maybe the brunt of this wil blow over soon enough. But wow!

Monterey Jack · #4 Post by **Monterey Jack** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:58 pm

Paul MacLean · #5 Post by **Paul MacLean** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:50 pm

They way people are making hay over this, you'd think Gibson was the first Hollywood celebrity who had misbehaved.

Surely you haven't forgotten...

Frank Sinatra (who had mob connections and beat-up photographers)

Anthony Perkins (who was busted trying to deal cocaine in London)

Woody Allen (ditched Mia Farrow for their adopted daughter)

Jack Nicholson (who bashed-in someone's car with a golf club)

O.J. Simpson (who murdered his wife)

Johnny Depp (who's wrecked hotel rooms while in a druken stupor)

Hugh Grant (who was caught with a hooker)

Don Simpson (who used to beat-up call-girls)

Kiefer Sutherland (who tried to destroy a hotel's Christimas tree while in a drunken stupor)

Michael Jackson (who likes "slumber parties")

Russell Crowe (who had his bodyguards subdue a TV producer so Crowe could beat him to a pulp).

Heck, at least Gibson admitted his wrong-doing and apologized. I don't think any of these other people did that.

Paul

Eric W. · #6 Post by **Eric W.** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:13 pm

Mel Gibson apologized for being an ignorant bigot and obvious Anti-Semite? I must've missed that one.

AndyDursin · #7 Post by **AndyDursin** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:56 pm

Paul's right.

If every celebrity had to go on TV to apologize for a rant made while they were drunk (and not in public, too!), Oprah could launch a separate cable network just to hold the hours of apologies.

Paul MacLean · #8 Post by **Paul MacLean** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:18 pm

I don't know the man, I have no emmotional investment in his life, and I'm not defending him -- he did a stupid thing. But alcohol brings-out the worst in people, and I've seen many drunk people say things which they did not really mean. I do think this is getting blown out of preportion, when compared to other celebrity misbehavior.

Paul

Eric W. · #9 Post by **Eric W.** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:54 pm

Paul MacLean wrote:I don't know the man, I have no emmotional investment in his life, and I'm not defending him -- he did a stupid thing. But alcohol brings-out the worst in people, and I've seen many drunk people say things which they did not really mean. I do think this is getting blown out of preportion, when compared to other celebrity misbehavior.

Paul

I think, in some cases, it's all excused off all too easily simply because they are celebrities.

Carlson2005 · #10 Post by **Carlson2005** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:08 pm

Well, there's a major difference. While some of the incidents on Paul's list are exaggerated (for example, Crowe didn't beat that producer - he did get his bodyguards to pin him back but didn't hit the guy), aside from the fact that many of them did get hauled over the coals for it (Crowe’s phone incident killed Cinderella Man and got him a criminal record; Jackson’s US career is over and his trials have left him bankrupt; O.J. went through two trials with a 50/50 success rate; and Sinatra went through at least two investigations and sets of hearings over his mob ties), none of them involve anti-Semitism in a town where every major studio chief is Jewish. Similarly, none of them were committed by someone who, even aside from the controversy over that movie, has refused to disown or distance himself from his father's views that the Holocaust never happened and that the entire Jewish population of Poland moved to New Jersey as part of their plan to take over the world...

Also, as for saying things you don't mean under the influence, often that really translates as saying things we do mean when we're loaded but wouldn't dream of saying when we're sober. Know the old saying, in vino veritas? As Newsday critic John Anderson put it in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter: "How many people when they are drunk and angry start lashing out at the Jews?"

mkaroly · #11 Post by **mkaroly** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:19 pm

You know, now that I think about it, there's a good chance Oprah won't even let him on her show. This is quite the controversy!

AndyDursin · #12 Post by **AndyDursin** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:31 pm

Carlson2005 wrote:Well, there's a major difference. While some of the incidents on Paul's list are exaggerated (for example, Crowe didn't beat that producer - he did get his bodyguards to pin him back but didn't hit the guy), aside from the fact that many of them did get hauled over the coals for it (Crowe’s phone incident killed Cinderella Man and got him a criminal record; Jackson’s US career is over and his trials have left him bankrupt; O.J. went through two trials with a 50/50 success rate; and Sinatra went through at least two investigations and sets of hearings over his mob ties), none of them involve anti-Semitism in a town where every major studio chief is Jewish. Similarly, none of them were committed by someone who, even aside from the controversy over that movie, has refused to disown or distance himself from his father's views that the Holocaust never happened and that the entire Jewish population of Poland moved to New Jersey as part of their plan to take over the world...

Also, as for saying things you don't mean under the influence, often that really translates as saying things we do mean when we're loaded but wouldn't dream of saying when we're sober. Know the old saying, in vino veritas? As Newsday critic John Anderson put it in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter: "How many people when they are drunk and angry start lashing out at the Jews?"

True but still, he's drunk, it wasn't out/intended for public consumption...I could write up people I know who offended my sensibilities and beliefs when they were SOBER but I'm not making a federal case out of it. I'm also not saying what he said/did isn't reprehensible, because IF it is true then it is, but it's not like he went out and made a speech to the KKK about it.

Michael's right, though, Mel will stand alone on this one. I doubt Oprah will enable him to even have an outlet to apologize! And I'm sure after the Passion film people have been waiting to take him down, and sadly he just provided the outlet for them to do so.

And also, the guy has a problem, he's apparently going to be treated for it, and while his dad might be insane, what would you do -- actually come out and tell people your dad is nuts? His comments speak for themselves!

Eric Paddon · #13 Post by **Eric Paddon** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:40 pm

I'm still waiting for Alec Baldwin's career to suffer for standing up on Conan O'Brien and demanding that people stone Rep. Henry Hyde and his family to death because he didn't like the fact that Hyde was chairman of the Clinton impeachment hearings.

And that wasn't something done under the influence, that was done in a public spotlight where he was allowed to get away with it.

What has offended me most about this Gibson controversy is how it has made some people (especially at another message board that shall remain nameless) suggest we should look at "Passion Of The Christ" in a new light because of this, which is so much rubbish. The greatness of this movie has nothing to do with what the director did some two years after the fact, it's what the film did in touching the audience who saw it, and frankly if I used a moral failing of a director as an occasion to reasses the work of every film they did previously, then I'm surprised no one has said that Woody Allen's films should now be seen in a new light because of his shenanigans.

I'll let Gibson sort out his own problems in life, but I for one will gladly stand up to anyone who suggests we should now dismiss POTC as an anti-Semitic work because of this incident.

AndyDursin · #14 Post by **AndyDursin** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:53 pm

Eric Paddon wrote:I'm still waiting for Alec Baldwin's career to suffer for standing up on Conan O'Brien and demanding that people stone Rep. Henry Hyde and his family to death because he didn't like the fact that Hyde was chairman of the Clinton impeachment hearings.

And that wasn't something done under the influence, that was done in a public spotlight where he was allowed to get away with it.

What has offended me most about this Gibson controversy is how it has made some people (especially at another message board that shall remain nameless) suggest we should look at "Passion Of The Christ" in a new light because of this, which is so much rubbish. The greatness of this movie has nothing to do with what the director did some two years after the fact, it's what the film did in touching the audience who saw it, and frankly if I used a moral failing of a director as an occasion to reasses the work of every film they did previously, then I'm surprised no one has said that Woody Allen's films should now be seen in a new light because of his shenanigans.

I'll let Gibson sort out his own problems in life, but I for one will gladly stand up to anyone who suggests we should now dismiss POTC as an anti-Semitic work because of this incident.

Couldn't have said it better myself Eric.

I think it's a sad incident because Mel is a superb filmmaker and one of the most recognizable stars on the planet. As much as his comments may tarnish his image, and reprehensible as they may be, people have to be foolish to think there haven't been many lining up on the left to knock him down a peg after THE PASSION. Like I said, it's unfortunate that he gave them the ammunition to do so, but it doesn't cloud my view of THE PASSION and what an extraordinary piece of filmmaking it is -- nor does it change my view of BRAVEHEART, THE PATRIOT, or any other film he's been involved with.

mkaroly · #15 Post by **mkaroly** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:32 pm

AndyDursin wrote:
Eric Paddon wrote:I'm still waiting for Alec Baldwin's career to suffer for standing up on Conan O'Brien and demanding that people stone Rep. Henry Hyde and his family to death because he didn't like the fact that Hyde was chairman of the Clinton impeachment hearings.

And that wasn't something done under the influence, that was done in a public spotlight where he was allowed to get away with it.

What has offended me most about this Gibson controversy is how it has made some people (especially at another message board that shall remain nameless) suggest we should look at "Passion Of The Christ" in a new light because of this, which is so much rubbish. The greatness of this movie has nothing to do with what the director did some two years after the fact, it's what the film did in touching the audience who saw it, and frankly if I used a moral failing of a director as an occasion to reasses the work of every film they did previously, then I'm surprised no one has said that Woody Allen's films should now be seen in a new light because of his shenanigans.

I'll let Gibson sort out his own problems in life, but I for one will gladly stand up to anyone who suggests we should now dismiss POTC as an anti-Semitic work because of this incident.
Couldn't have said it better myself Eric.

I think it's a sad incident because Mel is a superb filmmaker and one of the most recognizable stars on the planet. As much as his comments may tarnish his image, and reprehensible as they may be, people have to be foolish to think there haven't been many lining up on the left to knock him down a peg after THE PASSION. Like I said, it's unfortunate that he gave them the ammunition to do so, but it doesn't cloud my view of THE PASSION and what an extraordinary piece of filmmaking it is.

Agreed.

Mel Gibson Oprah countdown

When do you think Mel will guest on Oprah?

Mel Gibson Oprah countdown