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Will Gibson's tirade against Jews hurt his career? By Arthur Spiegelman 16 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A top film industry agent asked his colleagues on Monday to boycott working with Mel Gibson as Hollywood debated whether the "Lethal Weapon" superstar's career will suffer from anti-Semitic remarks he reportedly made when arrested for suspected drunk driving.
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But his comments surprised few in Hollywood, which two years ago wondered whether Gibson "would ever eat lunch in this town again" for making "The Passion of the Christ," a film that triggered debate over whether it was anti-Jewish before it opened.
Once in theaters, "Passion" became a runaway hit and Gibson was back at the top of Hollywood filmmakers.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said on Monday that it sent its full file on Gibson's arrest to the District Attorney to decide if the 50-year-old actor should be charged with drunk driving. At the same time, the department denied allegations it covered up Gibson's remarks, which were revealed by the celebrity Web site TMZ.com.
Gibson, whose personal views are far to the right of traditional liberal Hollywood, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving early on Friday and was reported to have launched into a tirade against Jews, asking the arresting officer if he was a Jew and blaming the Jews for starting all wars.
The actor, who holds strong conservative Catholic religious and political views and whose father is a Holocaust denier, apologized on Saturday, saying, "I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything said."
He added he had battled alcoholism "for all of my life" and was taking action to prevent another relapse.
A spokesman for Gibson, who won an Oscar for directing "Braveheart," said the actor had entered "an ongoing program of recovery," but declined to give specifics.
HOLLYWOOD RANKLED
Meanwhile, top film industry agent Ari Emanuel issued a statement on HuffingtonPost.com in which he called on Hollywood to stop working with Gibson. "At a time of escalating tensions in the world, the entertainment industry cannot idly stand by and allow Mel Gibson to get away with such tragically inflammatory statements," he said, adding:
"People in the entertainment community, whether Jew or Gentile, need to demonstrate that they understand how much is at stake in this by professionally shunning Mel Gibson and refusing to work with him, even if it means a sacrifice to their bottom line."
Rabbi Marvin Heir, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group, called on ABC to reconsider its plans to air a mini-series being made by Gibson about a pair of lovers trapped in the Holocaust.
"If I were ABC I would not have Mel Gibson do a film about the Holocaust. It would be embarrassing," Heir said.
An ABC spokeswoman said the project was at such an early stage that the studio has not even received a first script.
Many in Hollywood debated whether the incident would indeed have an ill effect on Gibson's career, with some saying that they doubted it would because the actor was a money maker for the studios.
"The rule is forgive and forget when you can bring in a film that makes $100 million," one movie insider said.
Film historian David Thomson said Gibson has "been stepping over the line for several years. But the key thing is that he makes money for people and he will not only continue to eat lunch in this town but he will buy lunch."
[ August 01, 2006, 17:14: Message edited by: Bob Frey ]
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Mel Gibson Under Fire By Joal Ryan 1 hour, 27 minutes ago
Lindsay Lohan's life might be looking pretty good to Mel Gibson about now. Whereas Lohan is being chewed out for "ongoing all-night heavy partying," Gibson is being derided as a "bigot" and an "anti-Semite." And his career is being subjected to speculation that it's endangered.
As the Los Angeles Times put it Monday: The A-list Oscar winner "finds himself at the mercy of a Hollywood establishment that may or may not be inclined to extend forgiveness."
Gibson's trouble began last Friday when the actor-director was pulled over by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy for allegedly speeding along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. A bottle of tequila was reportedly found in his 2006 Lexus sedan; a sobriety test allegedly was flunked.
But it was Gibson's words--a reputed, profanity-laced rant against the "f--king Jews," who "are responsible for all the wars in the world"--that has drawn the wrath of the Anti-Defamation League, a Hollywood power agent and more than a few others who suspected that the star's 2004 Biblical epic, The Passion of the Christ, was rooted in anti-Semitism.
"His tirade finally reveals his true self, and shows that his protestations during the debate of his film--that he is such a tolerant, loving, person--were a sham," ADL national director Abraham H. Foxman said in a statement. "It is unfortunate that it took an excess of booze and an encounter with a traffic cop to reveal what was really in his heart and mind."
Agent Ari Emanuel, the model for the hardcore Ari Gold on HBO's Entourage, essentially concurred with Foxman in a **** entry for the HuffingtonPost.com. "Now we know the truth [about Gibson]," he wrote Monday. "And no amount of publicist-approved contrition can paper it over."
Chimed in writer-director Nora Ephron in her own HuffingtonPost.com column: "Let's just stop to savor the moment when (in case there was any doubt about it) there's finally proof positive about how Mel really feels."
Upping the ante, Emanuel called for a Hollywood boycott of Gibson.
"People in the entertainment community, whether Jew or gentile, need to demonstrate that they understand how much is at stake in this by professionally shunning Mel Gibson and refusing to work with him, even if it means a sacrifice to their bottom line," Emanuel urged.
Gibson, 50, has five movies in the works as an actor, director and/or producer, per the Internet Movie Database. Chief among those projects is Apocalypto, his directorial followup to Passion.
The movie, a relatively big-budget, absolutely no-name action-adventure set in the ancient city of Maya, is scheduled to be released by Disney on Dec. 8. The studio is also in business with Gibson for a TV miniseries about the Holocaust. Disney hasn't commented on the state of Apocalypto; Disney-owned ABC has said the Holocaust project is still in its early stages. "There is no script," a rep told the Times.
As for Gibson, he's holed up, Michael Jackson-style, with his "medical, legal and spiritual advisers," the Times reported.
In a statement released Saturday, Gibson denounced his actions during the arrest, copped to an alcoholic relapse, and apologized for saying "despicable" things that he does "not believe to be true."
Foxman called the mea culpa "insufficient."
"We would hope that Hollywood now would realize the bigot in their midst and that they will distance themselves from this anti-Semite," Foxman said.
The ADL was one of the Jewish groups that criticized Gibson's Passion of the Christ, arguing its account of Jesus' final hours would inflame anti-Semitism. Gibson maintained that neither he, nor his film, which went on to gross more than $300 million worldwide, was anti-Semitic, and he distanced himself from remarks by his father, Hutton Gibson, that questioned the authenticity of Holocaust atrocities.
The Holocaust miniseries for ABC, based on the true life story of a Jewish woman in Nazi-occupied Holland, was announced late last year, and was viewed as a bridge-building effort by Gibson.
According to Newsday film critic John Anderson, as quoted by the Hollywood Reporter, the bridge has now been burned: "How many people when they are drunk and angry start lashing out at the Jews?"
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, meanwhile, is under almost as much fire as Gibson. The nitty-gritty details of its Gibson bust weren't made public until TMZ.com posted four pages of what it says was the original arrest report. The department says its actions in the matter are under review. The Associated Press says its examination of the official arrest report shows that Gibson's alleged offensive comments are present.
Gibson, who was in custody for about eight hours on Friday being released on $5,000 bail, has a Sept. 28 scheduled court date. On Monday, the sheriff's department turned over its evidence to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. D.A. spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said a decision on charges, and whether or not to file any, may come later this week.
The jury on Gibson's Hollywood career may be out much longer.
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Official report cites Mel Gibson remarks By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ, Associated Press Writer Mon Jul 31, 5:19 PM ET
LOS ANGELES - An official police report on Mel Gibson's arrest on drunken driving charges substantiates claims that he made anti-Semitic remarks and threatened a deputy, a law enforcement official said Monday.
On Monday, sheriff's department officials sent prosecutors their case, which also says a tequila bottle was found in Gibson's car when he was pulled over on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Gibson had released a lengthy statement Saturday apologizing for saying "despicable" things to sheriff's deputies when he was arrested, but he did not elaborate. The entertainment Web site TMZ.com had reported that the sheriff's department was considering eliminating the anti-Semitic remarks from its official report.
The report forwarded to prosecutors cites Gibson as making disparaging comments about Jews, according to the law enforcement official, but spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The district attorney's office confirmed prosecutors had received the case and it was under review. A tentative arraignment date was set for Sept. 28.
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Yes he directed passion of christ... Perhaps you can see a link between a film denouncing the actions of Jews and his now publicly announced hate for them.. Dunno? maybe not oh well
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'Mel-tdown' - Gibson lashed by Jews for reported slurs by Tangi Quemener 2 hours, 38 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - "Mel Gibson Has Had Better Weekends" one Hollywood gossip Internet site opined before amending that thought into a more succinct headline: "Mel Gibson: A How Screwed Is That Guy? Round-Up."
Defamer.com seemed to be summing up the mood of a nation briefly jolted away from war in the Middle East by the superstar's drunken weekend encounter with Los Angeles County Sheriffs in which he reportedly launched a scathing diatribe against Jews.
The TMZ.com celebrity site released a police report in which the devout Catholic director of the blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" referred to "f...ing Jews" after his car was pulled over in the dawn hours Friday at twice the legal speed limit.
"The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," he was quoted as saying in the report after first asking the arresting police officer: "Are you a Jew?"
The American-born, Australian-raised Gibson, 50, later told officers they had to release him because "I own Malibu" -- the posh Los Angeles suburb of Hollywood stars that witnessed Gibson's arrest.
Some are also asking if it witnessed the end of Gibson's career.
Even CNN briefly interrupted its coverage of the war in Lebanon with the headline: "Mel-tdown?"
Gibson has issued a public statement apologizing for uttering "things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable."
"I am deeply ashamed of everything I said, and I apologize to anyone who I have offended," said the Oscar-winning actor and film director.
A breathalyzer test showed his blood-alcohol level was 0.12 percent -- above the 0.08 percent California limit -- and Gibson said he was again going into treatment for alcoholism from which he revealed he had suffered all his adult life.
But neither the star nor his agent addressed the issue of Jews.
And Jewish organizations from Australia to the United States are saying that Gibson should not be forgiven.
"Mel Gibson's apology is unremorseful and insufficient," said Abraham Foxman, president of the US Anti-Defamation League.
"It is not a proper apology because it does not go to the essence of his bigotry and anti-Semitism," Foxman said.
His counterpart in Australia called the incident "despicable."
"If that is not rank anti-Semitic expression I don't know what is, and one can only shake one's head in dismay and think where does that come from?" Vic Alhadeff of The New South Wales Board of Jewish Deputies told Australian radio.
Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" stirred a heated debate in the United States and abroad. It received harsh criticism in 2004 for alleged anti-Semitic overtones and excessive violence. But the film became the highest grossing R-rated picture to date.
He also has spoken of the important role of faith in his life and has financed the construction of independent Catholic chapels in Malibu and in West Virginia.
But some industry analysts said the damage Gibson has done to his career may be beyond repair because he had broken a taboo that may have permanently ostracized him from Hollywood.
They say other stars have strayed from the straight and narrow and survived.
The Dixie Chicks country music trio infuriated their southern conservative fan base by lashing at President George W. Bush because of the war in Iraq. Their recent tour saw slow ticket sales in America's South but brisk album sales across the nation.
The 1980s children's TV star Pee Wee Herman was arrested in 1991 while performing indecent sexual acts while watching a pornographic film in a public theater. His show is making a comeback this year.
But the "Lethal Weapon" series celebrity?
"Damage control squads doubtless will rush to his side, but the fallout from his anti-Semitic tirades to the arresting officer will be formidable," producer Peter Bart wrote in an editorial for Hollywood's Variety daily.
"The critics will forever kill him. Sectors of the audience will shun his work. His celebrity as a filmmaker has been seriously compromised."
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Gibson's father told the New York Times that he did not believe the Holocaust happened. This nut apparently didn't fall too far from the tree. LOL
quote:Originally posted by Relentless.: Yes he directed passion of christ... Perhaps you can see a link between a film denouncing the actions of Jews and his now publicly announced hate for them.. Dunno? maybe not oh well
-------------------- "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
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I don't care about his personal bigotry, but I don't think I'll defend him either.
I also don't do background checks, but if my brick mason was stupid enough to announce to the world that he was a white supremicist, I'd probably look elsewhere.
LOL
-------------------- "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
posted
It doesn't take real intellectual talent to read a level and mix morter.
I sure wouldn't go looking through the rolls of the synagog for the best attendence record to find someone to build a house I wanted standing 30 yeaars later.
The conviction I'm looking for in a mason ain't religious, it's a conviction to make me cool, dry, and safe for a long long time.
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quote:Originally posted by Gordon Bennett: Gibson's father told the New York Times that he did not believe the Holocaust happened. This nut apparently didn't fall too far from the tree. LOL
Actually he said:
"It's all -- maybe not all -- fiction, but most of it is," he said, adding that the gas chambers and crematoria at camps like Auschwitz would not have been capable of exterminating so many people.'
"Do you know what it takes to get rid of a dead body? To cremate it? It takes a litre of petrol and 20 minutes. Now, six million of them? They (the Germans) did not have the gas to do it. That's why they lost the war."
"They claimed that there were 6.2 million in Poland before the war, and they claimed after the war there were 200,000 -- therefore he must have killed 6 million of them... They simply got up and left. They were all over the Bronx and Brooklyn and Sydney, Australia, and Los Angeles."
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The photographic and physical evidence to the contrary is overwhelming. Holocaust deniers are sick.
quote:Originally posted by ClayN: Actually he said:
"It's all -- maybe not all -- fiction, but most of it is," he said, adding that the gas chambers and crematoria at camps like Auschwitz would not have been capable of exterminating so many people.'
"Do you know what it takes to get rid of a dead body? To cremate it? It takes a litre of petrol and 20 minutes. Now, six million of them? They (the Germans) did not have the gas to do it. That's why they lost the war."
"They claimed that there were 6.2 million in Poland before the war, and they claimed after the war there were 200,000 -- therefore he must have killed 6 million of them... They simply got up and left. They were all over the Bronx and Brooklyn and Sydney, Australia, and Los Angeles."
-------------------- "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
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whats wrong in saying something bad about jews? I see plenty of messages criticising muslims everyday! so why should criticising jews be such a big deal? i am not against jews, but i am against gagging myself talking anything against them!
[ August 01, 2006, 21:32: Message edited by: ruskin_muskin ]
-------------------- All my posts are based on my own opinions and not to be taken as buy/sell recommendations.
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hey. rm.... the Arabs attack the Jews. the Jews kick the arabs butts... the Arabs start complaining that they can't compete, and hide behind their women and children, what have i missed? sheesh...
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise.
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the mid east conflict has its seeds long before the 70's war.. it was in part created by carving a separate state by taking land from various small countries. you might want to debate about ancestral right of isrealis, but i am talking about more recent 1900's history. and yes, jews did kick arab butts.. arabs complain they cannot compete because they dont have technology to fight the most advanced weapon systems in the world ( i hope you are not naive enough to assume that US doesnt supply weapons to isreal). how many people can isreal kill to win its peace?? i hope either side realises that when they see 50 people killed in bomb attack, its not mere statistics but real people, who have real families and who have human blood flowing in them.
-------------------- All my posts are based on my own opinions and not to be taken as buy/sell recommendations.
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quote:Originally posted by ruskin_muskin: the mid east conflict has its seeds long before the 70's war.. it was in part created by carving a separate state by taking land from various small countries. you might want to debate about ancestral right of isrealis, but i am talking about more recent 1900's history. and yes, jews did kick arab butts.. arabs complain they cannot compete because they dont have technology to fight the most advanced weapon systems in the world ( i hope you are not naive enough to assume that US doesnt supply weapons to isreal). how many people can isreal kill to win its peace?? i hope either side realises that when they see 50 people killed in bomb attack, its not mere statistics but real people, who have real families and who have human blood flowing in them.
no chit? Was that in the papers?
-------------------- Nashoba Holba Chepulechi Adventures in microcapitalism...
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YES.. Isreal has right to exist.. no doubt about that.. no other nation state has a right to make a claim of destruction of an independent soveriegn state.. the mad guys in iran just up the ante so as to get some publicity every now and then..
Buying land.. how about I buy up half of virginia (assumign I am that rich).. and then call it a separate country? would an independent country like ours allow that to happen??
-------------------- All my posts are based on my own opinions and not to be taken as buy/sell recommendations.
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