Looks like Mel Gibson's real personality has come out. And the survey says: Anti-Semite.
Not as if this wasn't suspected before, what with the arguably anti-Jewish scenes in his film The Passion, as well as his refusal to denounce his father's bizarre Jewish conspiracy theories. But now "Mad Max" has drunkenly laid the truth bare - he just doesn't like Jews.
Gibson has since apologized for his remarks, calling them despicable and not representative of his true beliefs. He has also entered a rehab facility. But while I'd certainly like to think his apology was heartfelt, the accumulated evidence suggests he's just trying to save face. Millions of other people get plenty drunk, but they don't start spouting lines about Jews controlling the world. Furthermore, he never even specifically mentioned Jews in his apology.
So what to do about it? Just as Gibson is entitled to his views, we're all entitled to ours. And in my opinion (something I probably share with countless others), he has completely lost my fandom. Until he demonstrates genuine change (and we should certainly forgive him if he does), I'm quite happy to shun his celebrity and ignore his films. (Not that he's starred in anything I've liked recently, but still.)
Of course, the good thing is that perhaps Gibson will overcome his biases. He has completely embarassed himself, and such incidents often act as catalysts for people to learn their lessons. Indeed, even at its very worst, his anti-Semitism is nothing compared to that of hardcore Jew-haters like Ahmadinejad. Mel Gibson is small fry. Iran's leadership is evil and must be stopped.
The terrorist Mullahcracy, then, along with worldwide jihadism, should still be the primary target of efforts to fight anti-Semitism. Not that I'm defending Gibson; his comments were indeed sick and disgusting, and he should be held fully accountable. But if a drunken rant is the extent of his bigotry, I wouldn't write off his chances for repentance and change.
Israel, meanwhile, faces an existential threat from an evil foe determined to destroy it. Everyday prejudice such as Gibson's should always be countered, but let's not lose sight of the more overarching goal - throwing a murderous enemy off of our backs. That's something with which, of all people, the star of Braveheart and The Patriot should truly sympathize. If Gibson wants to stay honest to his greatest films' principles, he should love and admire the Jewish people.
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