A Mel Gibson opinion

It's important for film fans to separate the person from the entertainer.

Mel Gibson isn’t the enemy, folks; our hypocrisy is.

Now, before you unsubscribe because we don’t agree on something, think again. It’s weak to do that. You don’t subscribe or read me because we always agree; it’s for the commentary and opinion to bounce off your own. If you think Gibson is a downright scoundrel who doesn’t deserve to see a sunrise for the rest of his life without judgment, so be it. Don’t jump off the ship. See what I have planned next. Also, maybe dish out a few shekels to read my ENTIRE take on Mel.

Here’s the deal. We all have a Mel in our family who is a little rigid thinking and not good at big parties. They get too boozed, get loud, say the wrong things, and get blasted for it. But we tolerate it because they’re blood or there are a couple of indelible qualities to go with the shameful aspects of their personality. In the end, there’s a thought or two about abandoning all love for them--but it never quite materializes.

So, if there’s a Mel in every family and it’s not like he’s a demon child, why is it so damn hard to watch his movies? What he ranted about Jewish people is awful and should be deleted from the books, just like those other unfiltered rants at his girlfriend. He abused his girlfriend and was sentenced to three years probation and legal counseling. Since that crazy tirade back in 2010, he has cleaned up his act and apologized approximately 389 times.

What more do you want before the stoppage of seeing every Gibson project as a rough destination? At the age of an adult, why can’t people separate the person from the actor, because he is a great actor and filmmaker? He makes good movies and turns action comedies into legit half-out-loud events. Any run through the Lethal Weapon series will fortify that, and those old goodies should still be enjoyed.

If we got all the pretenders in Hollywood together and separated the loud people with abusive tendencies from the Boy Scouts, the groups would be more even than you’d think. There's a load of assholes, non-caring souls, and feeders out there who don’t give a shit about you or how you feel about them. After all, it’s a business and we aren’t paying for a ticket to be their friend.

I don’t want to be friends with Gibson, apologies or not. Watching his film work without condoning his personal life beliefs is possible. I already have a Mel in my family who gets too crazy and berates people, and that’s enough. What I can do is turn on one of his movies, and not feel the need to explain to a jury why it’s okay… yet here I am.

It’s the same reason bisexual and homosexual people eat at Chick-Fil-A because they’re hungry and don’t care about the beliefs of the company when a means to an end meal must be reached. It’s the same reason you interact with a customer service rep who looks like he or she wouldn’t like to be there and have the attitude to go with, but you’re there to get something so that’s the goal.

When did the beliefs of someone or a few of their worst moments cast a definite light on who they are? Furthermore, why are we judging their careers on it? There’s much bigger fish to fry than Gibson.

It’s not like there wasn’t a massive blowback to his world. Except for a few bigger roles, Gibson has been banished to direct-to-DVD status for the past 15 years. It’s not like he’s making more What Women Want sequels or Lethal Weapon follow-ups. He’s played Santa, a gringo transporting goods, and the bad guy who goes after Sylvester Stallone or Frank Grillo. He pops up here or there and still directs because that’s okay for people to see as long as he isn’t on camera, but there isn’t a household name tag on him these days.

Heck, there’s a new President with enough sexual assault allegations and racial thoughts to fill a library reading room and he’s going to be running the country. I want to ask all of the people who voted for Trump if they would watch a new Mel Gibson movie because he’s just a bad person who did and said those things once upon a time. If they say no, my next question will be for their thoughts on how the leader of the free world has done triple or worse than Martin Riggs in his life and escapes judgment enough to be elected to the highest office twice.

We all have our opinions on Trump, but why are we roasting Mel and electing Donnie? Let’s remember that part of a movie’s enjoyment is knowing that the people onscreen are NOT our friends and it’s okay to watch their work without wondering if they are a good role model.

As always, I appreciate the readers who make it to the end and don’t jump out of the boat.