Is the Media Letting Mel Gibson Off the Hook?
July 10, 2010
by Patricia Garrison
|The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.
The anti-Semite Mel Gibson’s latest tirade – a vicious sexist and racist rant against ex-girlfriend Oksana Girgorieva, the mother of his 8-month old daughter, is drawing media coverage and condemnation, as the entertainment industry ponders whether this guy is now certifiable box office poison.
The condemnation of his racist remarks was swift and rightly so. But where was the outcry against his sexism, which was not only vile, but violent? In tape recordings, Gibson has admitted to hitting Girgorieva while she was holding their child, knocking out some teeth. When she cries, “What kind of a man is that who would hit a woman when she is holding a child in her hands, hitting her twice in the face? What kind of a man is that?,” he replies, “You know what? You f**cking deserved it.”
Yes, several bloggers and media outlets did identify his tirade as both sexist and racist. Some organizations and individuals have been quoted, including The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and lawyer Gloria Allred, who has demanded he make an apology to women. But, the discussion of sexism overall has been muted and the response has failed to spark any large-scale outrage against his domestic violence and threats. In fact, the blogosphere and on-line comments are riddled with apologies for this man, with far too many commenters letting him off the hook, his actions understood as some kind of response to being provoked. She did something to set him off, and so, he couldn’t control himself. In other words, maybe she did “deserve” it.
I am not at all suggesting that Gibson’s racism should be ignored. Rather, I am saying that this is overwhelmingly a violent, sexist event for which there is no excuse (nor could there ever be). The racist epithets are deeply wrong, but it is this man’s sexism that could get this woman killed. His violence and the danger he poses to her and her daughter are criminal, and he belongs in jail. We need the media to cover this story responsibly and, in some bizarre way, use it as an opportunity to put the spotlight on a growing domestic violence epidemic that has yet to get the attention and the collective outrage that it demands.
The only clip I heard is very despicable. With regard to Mel Gibson, it is mostly only tabloid worthy. Perhaps, in the greater sense of its pathological nature, this is an excellent place to discuss it in an analytical, non-frenzied way. I think we’ve all seen this (and it’s not just the language), and may have been victims or perpetrators. It is even endemic in certain ……… (I don’t want to be targeted or stoned over a single sentence).
At this time, I am more alarmed about the behavior of our Justice Department which threatens our entire population with regard to rights and justice. So, it may be awhile before I check back to see what develops.
We understand, RD. Issues discussed here only affect half the population so they only require half of your attention.
@Samanthasmom
I sense you object to something I have written above, but can not see what that can be. Nor, can the three people I am sitting with. We just wrapped up listening to and discussing some of the notes one of them is going to be presenting in a group Sunday, and thought it was a good time to check back on this topic. (all agree that I may press ‘Submit’)
RD you need therapy. Now. And somewhere else.
The only reason they are nailing Gibson on the word nigger is because all his male fans are looking for a way to beat the shit out of their girlfriends and wish gang rape on them while retaining their liberal cred. There is now apparently a certified politically acceptable way to knock the teeth out of the mother of your child. What a liberal victory!
More proof that most men sympathize with this, unpopular though this statement will make me. They see this and sympathize with this worthless piece of human waste because, hey what red-blooded guy HASN’T wanted to beat the shit out of some little slut from time to time, eh? Poor guy! Give him a break!
@Janis
Wow, you are way off base on this one. It wasn’t that word I was referring to. It should be apparent that I was writing about the spousal/partner/acquaintance abuse.
I suppose I could have typed more, but this has been a very busy day for me, so I, as probably most of you out there, have to keep at many other things, and get to hit refresh as we happen to pass by the keyboard.
I said ‘only clip,’ because there might be at least one more which will add to the damnation. I have briefly poked around to see what comments might be out there, and many condemn him — even describing particularly abusive scenarios wished on him — these were often from men.
The only shame would be, if this plays out with mere tabloid interest — here today, gone tomorrow. That is why I was acknowledging “the greater sense of its pathological nature … an excellent place to discuss….”
I hope your day is as fun and work filled as mine has been so far.
Well there isn’t going to be a discussion of violence against women based on this incident because Gibson also has disrespected male Jews and Black men (important people)in the past and to the people who own and run media that is the real story and they will never get beyond it. If anything they probably feel a little closer to old Mel after this misogynist outburst. Actually some media coverage on random male anger might also be of value to society. But when has programing of value to society been a priority for Corporate Media.
re, “(a) … isn’t going to be a discussion of violence against women based on this incident …. (b) media coverage on random male anger might also be of value to society … (c) when has programing of value to society been a priority for Corporate Media.”
(a) Probably not a serious one, and interrupted when … “Oooh, is that Lindsey with a new beau!” … until the next tape, then it will be sensationalism as usual.
(b) True, but maybe it will happen here. ‘Random!’ Sometimes, it is downright predictable — dyed-in-the-wool.
(c) Corporate Media? Tabloid? MSM? You say tomAYto, I say tomAHto.
RD, read back what you wrote,
“At this time, I am more alarmed about the behavior of our Justice Department which threatens our entire population with regard to rights and justice. So, it may be awhile before I check back to see what develops.”
Women are always expected to let our issues take a back seat to other issues. So I read what you wrote as your saying that what was going on with the Justice Department is more important than women being beaten up and murdered by their spouses and boyfriends on a daily basis. And if you could spare our little blog post some time later, you would.
If you can’t see that what you wrote sounded very condescending, then you have a tin ear to women’s issues. And so do Moe, Larry, and Curly. OK, that wasn’t nice, but it’s hot here in the Boston area.
RD is banned from my blog. His stock in trade is passive-resistance. Only half his comments make it out of moderation on my blog anyways. His last comment was a video of a baby babbling and some sentence about how women are born doing this.
That, coupled with what I see him doing to the loyal readers here, I have concluded he only exists to derail and anger the women here. Kind of like a gleeful monkey wrench. I’ve decided to nip him before he does on my blog what he is doing here.
Friends, you won’t win engaging him, I swear to you. He wants to derail you and adores the attention.
I knew RD was a male when I read his first comment.
As for the media, it’s too busy reporting on what well known women look like today.
This is the male proximity law at its finest. They pay attention to the racist stuff. It’s right next to the woman murdering, physically assaulting, sexist remarks. If the racist stuff wasn’t there, it probably wouldn’t be reported. And males really have a problem identifying with women, so all they can do in response is babble mostly inchorently in avoidance if they can’t talk about the men (see RD’s response). The rest of the males just identify with the male/s in the picture.
Well it could be the only way RD can get attention from women. But don’t feel guilty over banning commenters as all of the big sites do it, it is pretty much status quo. I have commented numerous times over at CNN under different names using different computers in different locations and I can’t get one comment that actually reflects my opinion posted. I don’t really think I’m that radical that CNN needs to consider me a threat.
Samanthasmom, I agree that RDs comment implies women’s issues should not be tackled until every problem men can dream up and create is taken care of and of course men will always have a never ending flow of very important problems. RD that attitude might fly with NOW but here we are past that thinking.
“Is the Media Letting Mel Gibson Off the Hook?”
Absolutely not! They’ve made it more than clear that the next time Mel decides to knock a woman’s teeth out and threaten her with rape and murder, he better make darn sure he uses less offensive language while doing it.
yttik,
Promise me you’ll still be around to make me laugh when I’m a little old lady. It’s not that far off.
You know what. Somebody’s got to lock this guy in a windowless cinderblock cell for an indefinite period all by his lonesome with a nice .38 caliber handgun and a bottle of Wild Turkey. I guarantee you in a week the problem would solve itself.
Awwww, Janis is being mean about the poor, innocent wife-beater …
He truly is a crazy man. Can you imagine how awful it must have been for his wife and seven kids?
This woman on the video has his baby for God’s sakes. What a pig. I knew he was an anti-semite to the nines, but now we can see he’s also a sexist pig and a racist. What a waste of human flesh. Seriously.
UW, I found out about his rather … unconventional religious leanings some time ago, long before he went on a rant about how Jews Were To Blame For His Fucked Up Life. To ANYONE with half a brain, his enormous problems with women were there well before he beat the crap out of the mother of his children and called a cop sugartits. It’s like looking at an elephant — you see a trunk, you see an ear, you see a tail. You don’t need to see the rest of the animal to know you’re looking at an elephant.
You hear about super-orthodox catholicism, hatred of gay people, love of bloody gore and movies where Pissing Mel Off is the wrong thing to do and the woman is always raped and murdered as the excuse for it, a silent wife who is never seen or heard from, a notoriously abusive father whom he defends and sides with at every chance … and it is obvious what one is dealing with. You don’t need to hear the black-hating klansman talk about them explicitly to know that he’s going to hate Jews and gays as well. Similarly, Gibson pegged my radar as a wife-beater a long time ago — there is no such thing as a religious fundie who was abused as a child and defends his abuser, hates gays, loves violence, and gets off on graphic displays of rape who is also a loving, well-adjusted husband who does his share of the laundry with a song in his heart.
@samanthasmom “… Women are always expected ….”
Much further above, and to you:
“We just wrapped up listening to and discussing some of the notes [Justice Department] one of them is going to be presenting in a group Sunday, and thought it was a good time to check back on this topic.”
I didn’t mention these were two women, and one other man — one of the women will be leading talk about Holder & Justice Dept. stuff in a group, and is also thinking how it might play out at the future Lincoln Memorial gathering.
If I had more time, I might have typed more, but all of my comments taken together are supportive, and are exactly about “spousal/partner/acquaintance abuse,” and nothing less — including mistrust of MSM = for sensationalism, and here today, gone tomorrow.
@Uppity Woman “comment was a video of a baby babbling and some sentence about how women are born doing this …. banned” — that was on “Smarty Pants Dance” (which I bookmarked w/ “Chatty Cathy”
I apologize for the title of the video you mentioned — I actually bookmark it as ‘Chatty Cathy’ (LiveLeak) — I take the video as cheery and precocious — also, I just checked the longer version (YouTube) and every companion version carries a similar title — I had never paid attention to that — sorry — I have no way of knowing if the mom and dad titled it — it was an oversight. I hadn’t been aware of the ban, but so be it.
responsible for 3 oven ready lasagnas for tomorrow — sausage for one just arrived
have to deal with “… I see him doing to the loyal readers here ….” later or tomorrow — your choice, but you might look at invectives and even bigotry expressed by others (almost like here, without reading the words for what is actually there)
We wouldn’t even have to bother “banning” that ridiculous troll “RD” if we all just ignored him. The only reason he hovers over this site (despite his repeated claims that he’s “too busy” to check in – ha ha)is that he gets a reaction here. Just ignore the shit and he’ll go away.
the second tape is so horrific
it’s making me so upset. at least switzerland can take mel gibson, too…
http://perezhilton.com/tv/Mel_.....aby_Momma/
Sayeh,
Great idea. We should call the French and Swiss embassies and ask them to take Mel Gibson and all the perverts from the US! They started the trend with Polanski, why not keep working on that reputation as the perv’s shelter
Swiss Embassy in the US Phone:
+1-202-3872564
+1-202-7457900
Email: vertretung@was.rep.admin.ch
French Embassy, Police Cooperation Dept.
Telephone: (202) 944-6000
Ignore the shit and he’ll take over. Assholes like that see ignoring as submission. They do not pick fights with women because they are looking for fair fights. Trust me — if you engage them you lose, if you don’t engage them, you lose. Banning is the only thing that works.
TNA’ers:
We are thinking of starting a letter writing campaign. We’d like your thoughts and input of who to send letters to.
What’s the outcome you want for the campaign? I know the ultimate positive outcome is Gibson surrounded by a whole lot of angry women and men armed with bats
, but seriously. Do we want him to never make another movie again?
In that case, other celebrities should be urged not to work with him, studios not to give him funding, agents not to work with him (with promises to the latter two that there will be a boycott of films made by and stars represented by those studios and agencies) …
I can’t think of a way to loop in advertisers to target that doesn’t feel tortured and gratuitous.
We’d like to end his career. He is worth $900 million so he can fund himself.
Janis – I take your point about trolls. I vote for banning too.
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