Dr Marc Lamont Hill
“Liquor make you tell the truth.”
My Aunt Sarah used to tell me this whenever someone in the family would try to apologize for getting drunk and hurting someone’s feelings. Her point was that, despite our attempts to “blame it on the alcohol,” the state of inebriation doesn’t prompt us to say things we don’t really mean. Instead, spirits simply remove the inhibitions that suppress our innermost thoughts and feelings. As a result, we should not put much stock in the subsequent apology, which has more to due with embarrassment than remorse.
This has certainly proved to be the case for Mel Gibson.
In 2006, an intoxicated Gibson was pulled over for speeding on a Malibu highway. As the police attempted to take him into custody, Gibson went on a lengthy and vicious anti-Semitic tirade, blaming the Jews for everything from global warfare to Bobby Brown leaving New Edition. Fully aware that such moves are a severe occupational hazard, a sobered up Gibson quickly issued a public statement in which he expressed regret and shame for his antics. More importantly, he expressed disbelief at the anti-Semitic venom of his own comments, assuring the public that his drunken rant was not reflective of his true beliefs. To underscore his point, Gibson quickly checked into a rehabilitation center, sparking a new celebrity trend of using rehab as means of wedging space between their hate-speech and their individual character.
Soon after the incident, Jewish leaders like Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League, made it clear that they were unwilling to accept Gibson’s apology. Simply put, they didn’t believe him.
The mother wit of my Aunt Sarah aside, there were multiple reasons to believe that Gibson was less than contrite. Despite numerous attempts, Gibson failed to unequivocally reject his father’s claims that the Holocaust never happened, instead choosing to sidestep the question with fancy rhetorical footwork. Also, The Passion of the Christ, Gibson’s record-breaking film, placed exclusive blame on the Jews for the death of Jesus at the expense of Roman accountability. Additionally, Gibson had made a career of uttering equally vicious public statements against other groups, such as women and the LGBT community. Surely, all of these issues weighed into the ADL’s decision to reject Gibson’s dubious apology.
Now, in the wake of Gibson’s most recent outbursts, they have been proven right.
According to several published reports, Gibson has been caught on tape and e-mail making equally offensive comments during an argument with his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. In the midst of an intense argument over custody of their 8-month-old child, Gibson repeatedly called Grigorieva a “b—-,” “c—,” and “whore,” promised to burn down her home, and threatened to sodomize her. Gibson warned his ex that her appearance would get her “raped by a pack of niggers.”
Apparently, they didn’t cover racism and misogyny during his last trip to “hate rehab.”
continue reading here: http://theloop21.com/society/mel-gibson-save-your-apology
Danny Glover needs to kick his ass
Mel Gibson is a racist loser!!Point Blank.You can’t blame your failings on Jews this time, so his pathetic ass goes after blacks when arguing with his ex-girlfriend. What a waste of space!Never watched any of his movies and never will. Why should this shock black people in general that white people in hollyweird are KKK racist like white people in general.Post Racial Society NOT!!!!!!!!
The truth comes out when you’re drunk. Common knowledge.
Like Charley Murphy says, when a celebrity gets caught saying something that they “didn’t mean” then they go to rehab to save face.
@DezNash: I agree, but Mel would probably be too damn drunk to even notice Glover’s foot in his ass.
@FRUITOFISLAM: I feel you – as long as we live on stolen land, run by the descendants of those who stole it, who pass off stolen, whitewashed, backwards knowledge as the end-all be-all of intelligence and truth, and as long as white supremacy/racism rules same, then we will continue to see hollyWEIRD actors and actresses, and execs continue showing their true colors. Doesn’t surprise me one bit about Mel Gibson. The Passion of the Christ was just another whitewashed, racist depiction of a man who historically would have been a BLACK AFRICAN (if he even existed at all, which is a whole nother discussion I’m not even getting into).
What Mel said was anti-zionist, not racist or even anti-semitic. Mel had trapped himself by saying “the jews” when he should have said “the zionist”. All Jews aren’t zionist and vice versa. Us negroes are too quick to jump to the defense of zionist against Mel. Mel has never been racist. Yes, I disagree with his depiction of Christ and all the biblical characters and he does deserve criticism for that. However, when will a black film maker step up and depict Jesus as he really looked?
HUH? mel beat his girl and wanted to see her raped..and then on top opf that wanted a bunch Niggers to do it. me’s an idiot.. nothing to defend here.. As for the Jews/ zioniost.. That community is more than ample to speak for themselves..The fact he beat down his girl and called for her to be raped was enough digust for me..
LMAO…it was bound to happen!
Completely agree with Dr. Hill, alcohol is not responsible for making us say things we don’t believe (mental illness can however). It was unfortunate to see people coming to his defense in 2006 and I am certain there will be many more people that will come to his defense now. These comments are not defendable.
Why is it that some hateful comments are less offensive than others? Why was it considered “a little slip up” in 2006? I think it was clear who this man was then and ever more clear now.
It is everyones responsibility to stand against hateful comments no matter who they are directed at. As a white, non-religious man I still take offense at hateful comments projected at the Jewish, black, Islamic communities.
Time we let Mel (and those who come to his defense) how we feel about him and that we will not forgive this behavior anymore.