Posted by codemorseLet's dish on the celebs for a minute.
From the
NY Times:
In a little over 24 hours, Mr. Gibson’s arrest and subsequent behavior in Malibu had already prompted talk of a claimed cover-up, an exposé, worldwide news coverage, an apology and then a full-blown push for alcohol rehabilitation, even as his representatives and executives at the Walt Disney Company rushed to catch up with the event’s effect on the filmmaker’s movie and television projects with the company.
On Monday, Hope Hartman, a spokeswoman for Disney’s ABC television network, said the company was dropping its plans to produce a Holocaust-themed miniseries in collaboration with Mr. Gibson.
Passion of the Christ, which many saw as being anti-semetic, didn't register that way for me.
I think this is because Gibson's movie is largely accurate in its translation of the "anti-semetic" elements from established Church dogma/Biblical scripture to film.
Gibson's film doesn't suggest that the Jews killed Jesus. If anything, the church has suggested that through the framing of the crucifixion story in medieval passion plays, mystery plays, church-approved speech, etc.
Personally, I believe that the purpose of having the crowd turn against Jesus is to illustrate how man turns so quickly from the reverential to the dismissive. It's a story the Bible tells over and over. Just look at Moses and the golden calf for the exact same story, told with different elements.
That the crowd is probably largely Jewish (and why wouldn't it be? Jesus was a Jew who lived in a Jewish neighborhood. Of course his fellow men were Jews) is of no moral consequence. Blaming "the Jews" for killing Jesus seems like blaming the white race for whipping Kunta Kinte.
Gibson's latest remarks, however, do not help him with his critics. His subsequent apology is wonderfully written (and probably bought at a pretty price - insert lame "30 pieces of silver" joke here) and perhaps even sincere. But that doesn't really matter now. The damage is done. Saying something insanely stupid is something we all do, but when's it this stupid and insane, it's hard not to drop your jaw over it.
I'm of the belief that it's possible to appreciate good art without bringing the artist's life into the equation. In order to enjoy, say, Chinatown, I don't need to think about Roman Polanski at all, let alone his past history. But in an increasingly celebrity-saturated culture, it does become harder to separate the artist from their art.
Instead of releasing statements, Gibson should put his money where his mouth is. Contribute to awareness groups that help to reduce anti-semetism. Make a few public service announcements, specifically addressed to the Evangelical community that worship him so much now. Explain to them that he realizes this is going to look like an attempt at career-rehab, but that it is not, and that he's doing it to make clear that sometimes people say stupid, hateful shit that they probably shouldn't. Produce that Holocaust documentary with his own damn money, and hire the best Jewish historians he can find. Release it, and let his work speak for him.
Or choose the typical Hollywood bullshit, make one apology generally, and let people think you're a crazed anti-semite.
