Bulletin: Gibson Enters Recovery Program

46. Well, before I make another film about Christ, I think I oughta go and learn from Him ... How about I begin with "Blessed are the peacemakers"? Or, "Let your yea be yea and your nay nay"?

Posted at 5:35PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Passionate about Christ

47. Nick C:

I assume you mean the reference to the Spanish language magazine. I didn't mean to imply that this was the fault of that magazine, nor that they condoned it; it happened to be printed in Spanish, and at the time (as I recall it) Mel had a hissy-fit when it was put on the record elsewhere. However, I didn't need to mention that detail, and understand why you could find that offensive. My apolgies...

Posted at 5:38PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Don

48. Well said Don. I have refused to watch anything starring this man since those now infamous remarks re gays, etc. just as I have boycotted other artists with similar bents, regardless their targets. (Not that I'm breaking anyone's bank by doing this. Just won't add even one of my hard-earned pennies to their coffers!!) His remarks of late didn't surprise me one iota. What did surprise me is that it WASN'T covered-up by the police nor by Hollywood. For that, I'm very glad.

AA, by the way, is a wonderful organization. Those that have a problem with it are most often those that can't shove their ego aside enough to be honest, a key AA tenet. I have two friends clean and sober for 21 and 13 years respectively, and they tout AA for giving them the tools with which they attained sobriety. Trouncing an institution like AA on a site like this is an extremely foolhardy thing to do when there could be one person reading these posts who might benefit from AA, and is kicking the idea around to attend a meeting. Saying it didn't work for you is one thing, but claiming it to be ineffective for all borders on being negligent re the welfare of your fellow man.

Posted at 5:39PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Sammy-Sam

49. um, may i remind everyone that it was hezbollah, a notorious terrosist organization who attacked israel without warning. are we now supporting terrorists? why does mel care about israel anyway? i'm sure he';s happy to let the jews be destroyed by hezbollah--he probably funds hezbollah.

and sweetie, mel has made millions in his industry--quite a feat for an anti-semite considering the industry is run by the "jewish mafia" as you call them. you sound like you have a problem with jews too. do you feel personally frustrated and blame the jews for your failure?

Posted at 5:40PM on Jul 31st 2006 by i'm jewish and proud

50. This is all a result of alcohol dependence and I would encourage anyone with this dependency, not just Mel, to seek some sort of rehab. The programs can & do work. I think Mel is just angry at himself in the final analysis and as a landsman don't take his outburst seriously at all.

Posted at 5:43PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Marcus Fishman

51. mel gibson said this said that who cares i think we are spending to much time on this again i ay WHO CARES HE SAID IT GET OVER IT

Posted at 5:45PM on Jul 31st 2006 by mark

52. when people drink, their true feelings come out-

Posted at 5:45PM on Jul 31st 2006 by frank

53. Gee, a drunk had a violent outburst, made some horrible racial comments ?? Those police officers hear and see the type of stuff Mel did day in and day out with most DUI arrests. And this is news why??

People have been getting drunk and abusive since the invention of the vile substance...and been saying they are sorry for all the stupid things they said and did ....and THEY get away with it!! Think of all the embarrassing office parties...The only reason this is news is it gives Mel haters a chance to rant!!

There are plenty of sickos in Hollywood...and they pop in and out of rehab when it suits them publicity wise. Some really work hard and the rehab really works for them. Instead of wishing the worst on Mel, let's pray he is serious and is one of the ones who, with support and hard work, make it out well and change their lives.

We have no idea what incident in his life at this time has caused this meltdown, but let's be thankful that none of us will ever get drunk and be subject to the intense public scrutiny of a celebrity. So, we find out Mel is human after all, and when he is drunk regurgitates some of the evils taught to him as a child...let he who is without sin cast the first stone...
Some people act worse sober...Some people write into websites and spit nastiness and hatred...about situations that they only have media fed info about...and about people that they have no real knowledge of...which is worse??

Posted at 5:48PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Debbie

54. Mel is a human being like the rest of us. Therefore, flawed like everybody else. He's got is glorious moments and big downfalls (he is not God). He has apologized and admitted is additions many times. Is the world not going to accept his apologies because he is a famous millionaire, give me a break. Make sure you have never made ANY mistakes in your life before you throw the first stone.

Posted at 5:48PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Lizette

55. Did anyone notice how TMZ used the worse picture they could find of Mel when this story broke and now that he claims he's going to rehab, we see Mel all clean cut????

Posted at 5:50PM on Jul 31st 2006 by bamer

56. Ya this is tooo bod for mine firend. Ya ya.
Ya, he was suppose to make a Holocaust movie for me.

Ya ya. "The Passion of Adolph"
I hope they do not keep him in the rehap camp too long.

Tell him not to take a shower there.

Always your fan

A. H.

Posted at 5:50PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Adolph

57. I was waiting for his next film.
"The Passion of Adolph"

Posted at 5:53PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Adolph

58. Haaha, the guy from PASSAGES...comments suggest a problematic perspective in and of themselves. I think Gibson's made a wise decision in going elsewhere.

Posted at 5:54PM on Jul 31st 2006 by -S-

59. Mel Gibson's anti-semitism runs deep. These deep seated feelings were clearly nurtured by his father, who has publicly stated that the holocaust was mostly fiction. He not only needs to be in treatment for his alcohol addiction, but a course on tolerance wouldn't hurt either. I hope he gets the serious help he needs.

Posted at 5:56PM on Jul 31st 2006 by AC

60. As a battling alcoholic (35 now, started at 12), I take some offense at the allegations/claims that his being drunk is what made him say these things. We fight every damn day to stay sober (some days are easier than others), and if I said something half as inflammatory as this to a police officer, logic alone would state that I'd expect to spend the night in lockup and have a very hard time with the judge. And I would feel that I deserved more poor treatment than that.

Now you know how I feel about alcoholics and personal responsibility. That said, celebrity brings with it enormous rewards and enormous challenges. I don't particularly care about any sob story about the pressure of being Mel Gibson, but I do understand personal (real or perceived) pressure as it pertains to alcohol. And I can only imagine it's worse (by an order of magnitude) for high-profile types. While I can't imagine saying ANY of these things in even the worst heights (or depths) of drunkeness I have experienced, I see this as a personal low for Mel Gibson. He obviously has a problem much more pervasive than the alcoholism, but whether he believes in what he said or not in his statement (I'd tend toward the former, sadly), he has bottomed out like so many addicts do. He's done something that jeopardizes the security and future of his family. Granted, it happens on a bigger scale there (I can't remember the last 300 million dollar check *I* cashed), but it's the same total collapse that most addicts experience at one time or other.

So don't let him off the hook (he said what he said, and that's still definitely his responsibility to deal with), but consider giving him a better chance to apologize after rehab and some soul searching. Honestly, there's no statement that can apologize for what he said to the cops, so I kind of feel like the Anti-Defamation League is just beating him down for publicity. Of course it's inadequate. Of course it sounds trite. But how would THEY phrase an apology after such a transgression? It would be great if none of us did terribly, offensively, apallingly dumb things (booze notwithstanding) in the first place, but that's sometimes what humans do (celebrity or not).

Don't just allow him to skate, but let him try to take some responsibility for this after he's had some rehab time to think rationally about what's happened. And moreover, it wouldn't be the end of the world if we extended this privilege to any non-celebrity prisoner, too. It's better to bring people back to society than to banish them, whether by ostracizing, imprisoning, or whatever.

Get off his back, please, let him try to recover, and let him try to fix it. Anyone in his dumb, stupid, bigot-toned, AND IRREVERSIBLE position would hope for such compassion. And really, if he screws it up after this, to hell with him.

In conclusion, I think I can say with some experience that his life is terrible right now: his family is worried and upset (his children don't know what to do or say in school or to their friends, and his wife is probably unspeakably furious at him for one or more of several reasons), his agent is understandably freaking out at him, his other handlers are wondering about their jobs, and so forth. So the pressure doesn't stop at the entrance to rehab, nor does it stop when you're done. There's plenty to do when you're out, and if he's a decent husband, father, and employer, he'll try his best to do it all. If he's not, then the whole process starts again, with less patience from EVERY person involved. A tougher nut to crack with every single trip through the process.

Being an addict stinks, but it's still your thing to control. So let him get a handle on it before he is officially judged for eternity. I personally hate what he said, and I (frankly) haven't agreed with many of his other comments about society, politics, and so on in the past. But again, being a boozer stinks, especially after you've fallen again. A deep breath among us all is in order, and it's up to him to take the next public step.

Posted at 6:00PM on Jul 31st 2006 by Tom