Mel Gibson’s passion of drunken anti-Semitism

Ah, more evidence of how fervent Christian fundamentalism converts people into jerks. First we hear that Mel Gibson, he of “The Passion of the Christ” fame, has been arrested for drunken driving.

“Well,” I think, “that shows Gibson has human failings like everyone else. Hopefully this will knock him off his holier-than-thou religious horse.”

But then a review of the arresting officer’s report finds that Gibson went on an anti-Semitic tirade when he was arrested. According to TMZ.com:

The report says Gibson then launched into a barrage of anti-Semitic statements: "F*****g Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson then asked the deputy, "Are you a Jew?"

The Jewish Anti-Defamation League, among many others, had serious concerns about anti-Semitism that seemed to be evident in “The Passion of the Christ.” Diane Sawyer asked Mel Gibson about these accusations in a 2004 interview.

Sawyer asks, “Are you anti-Semitic?” Gibson says, “No, of course not...For me, it goes against the tenets of my faith…To be anti-Semitic is to be un-Christian, and I’m not.”

Right, Mel, you’re not. A true Christian, that is. Like lots of fundamentalists, Gibson talks the spiritual game a hell of a lot better than he plays it. Here is the mug shot of Hypocrisy.

Listening to conservative talk radio this evening, I was surprised to hear little sympathy for Gibson. Not many were buying the theory that his anti-Semitic rantings were caused by his drunkenness.

I agree. I haven’t been drunk since my high school days. But I remember that guys who were jerks before they got drunk turned into bigger jerks after downing a six-pack. Angry guys got angrier. Funny guys got funnier. Alcohol brought out what was inside them.

So I find it hard to believe that a devout loving Christian with no anti-Semitic leanings would, upon being arrested for drunken driving, yell “F*****g Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

“F***** cops!” I could believe. Not “F***** Jews.”

Let’s raise a glass, then, to one more in a long line of crusading moralistic fundamentalists whose Christianity is loudly evident on their lips but sadly absent from their hearts.

Mel Gibson has entered a recovery program. I wish him the best of luck in getting free of dependence on alcohol. And also, dependence on Catholicism. Neither are doing him any good.

[Next day update: today Gibson admitted to making anti-Semitic remarks but denies that he is an anti-Semite. Interesting. Does this mean that he now will admit that he made a pro-Christian movie, but will deny that he is a Christian? The Jewish Anti-Defamation League finds Gibson's protestations of "I said it but I didn't mean it" unconvincing. I agree.]

Comments

[lisa]

"Alcohol brought out what was inside them."

precisely.

[Edward]

I am not entirely clear on the concept of noteriety. Is it that someone who commands an audience is expected to be morally upright? Or that by being assumed to be morally upright, they command an audience? I am not convinced of someone's psychic condition based on their graphic output.

I do not usually observe myself ascribing high standards to people who claim or receive my attention. If someone is amusing, I am amused, and will tell others of my amusement. I probably won't tell them that there now exists the secret to absolute humor, and that all my amusement will be benchmarked starting now.

Mel Gibson is someone.

Yikes on dangerous behavior. Yikes, as well, on assuming I know the whole story.

[-Canuck-]

Shameful? Yes.

A cry for help? Probably.

What is more shameful is the two-faced people who pretend to be outraged by Mel’s anti-Semitism but are at the same time outraged by Israel defending itself against state-sponsored terrorist actors. Terrorists that aim to bring about the destruction of the worlds only predominantly Jewish nation.

[Dennis]

We all have biases and prejudices to a certain degree. In a drunken moment during the duress of BEING ARRESTED Mel said some stupid things to the cop that arrested him in private-he wasnt speaking in public for crying out loud!! What he said was between him and the cop who probaly would'nt have wrote what Mel said if he was'nt Jewish.

[Brian]

Well, Dennis, arrest reports are public information, so Gibson was indeed speaking publicly in that sense.

I'll agree with you that he was a stupid drunk. But he also was a stupid drunk who filmed "The Passion of the Christ."

That makes it understandable why there's so much interest in his words and actions.

It also points out the hypocrisy of religious zealots who claim that they've found the Lord, yet really haven't even found their own common humanity.