2008 Woodie Awards
Raising Mel
Gibson should be treated like any other artist
Anthony Crabtree
Issue date: 12/4/06 Section: Soap Box
Recently, Mel Gibson has come under fire for his comments pertaining to breasts made of sugar and the chosen people. More recently, Michael Richards has proven to be a racist and taken Mel Gibson's place as Hollywood's bad boy of offending people. With this, some of the heat has definitely been taken off Gibson, but for some people the comments he made will never go away, and his name will forever be met with boos and jeers from these people. Because of that, I will replace Mr. Gibson's name with the name of his superior alter ego, Mad Max AKA The Road Warrior. Now, with The Road Warrior's new movie coming out this Friday, Dec. 8, some people will most certainly not want to see it because of his actions.
People have to look at the art of the film, however, and not concentrate on their personal opinions toward The Road Warrior. This has been done for other directors before, including child molesters such as Victor Salva and Roman Polanski. We go to see their movies, forget about the things they have done and watch their films for the artistic goldmines they are. This is what we should continue doing with The Road Warrior's films. We should treat him just like a child molester, and not ignore his films for the works of art that they truly are.
Now, comments aside, some will still avoid his film because of the violence The Road Warrior has placed in his films over the course of the years, namely "The Passion of the Christ." Word from early screenings is that "Apocalypto" will be equally if not more gruesome. These folks may be difficult to persuade, as some people just find violence tough to stomach. I would say to these people, however, that this is how life was not only back in the days of the Mayans or Jesus Christ, but also how life is today.
People are violent, and that is something that not only should be addressed in film, but also needs to be. The Road Warrior tackles this issue of violence with an unflinching eye, portraying society as it was and still is.
Finally, there are the people who are against The Road Warrior simply because they believe he has gone crazy. Is placing yourself in a promotional trailer standing next to a group of Mayans and smoking a cigarette really crazy, though? The Road Warrior has always been a joker, and still is, even if some people don't understand. He may not have the obvious and simple sense of humor that Jim Carrey brings to the public, but he is still a hilarious prankster, even if it makes him look crazy.
Gibson may have offended some people over the summer with his comments, but he creates films that are real works of art, and he is also not crazy. Even if you were offended by his comments and actions, his art should still be respected.
Anthony Crabtree is building a church so he can play the banjo.
People have to look at the art of the film, however, and not concentrate on their personal opinions toward The Road Warrior. This has been done for other directors before, including child molesters such as Victor Salva and Roman Polanski. We go to see their movies, forget about the things they have done and watch their films for the artistic goldmines they are. This is what we should continue doing with The Road Warrior's films. We should treat him just like a child molester, and not ignore his films for the works of art that they truly are.
Now, comments aside, some will still avoid his film because of the violence The Road Warrior has placed in his films over the course of the years, namely "The Passion of the Christ." Word from early screenings is that "Apocalypto" will be equally if not more gruesome. These folks may be difficult to persuade, as some people just find violence tough to stomach. I would say to these people, however, that this is how life was not only back in the days of the Mayans or Jesus Christ, but also how life is today.
People are violent, and that is something that not only should be addressed in film, but also needs to be. The Road Warrior tackles this issue of violence with an unflinching eye, portraying society as it was and still is.
Finally, there are the people who are against The Road Warrior simply because they believe he has gone crazy. Is placing yourself in a promotional trailer standing next to a group of Mayans and smoking a cigarette really crazy, though? The Road Warrior has always been a joker, and still is, even if some people don't understand. He may not have the obvious and simple sense of humor that Jim Carrey brings to the public, but he is still a hilarious prankster, even if it makes him look crazy.
Gibson may have offended some people over the summer with his comments, but he creates films that are real works of art, and he is also not crazy. Even if you were offended by his comments and actions, his art should still be respected.
Anthony Crabtree is building a church so he can play the banjo.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Alison
posted 12/04/06 @ 1:50 PM EST
Dear Anthony,
I assume the main theme of your article is a pro-Mel booster, but I found this sentence you wrote practically liable.
"We should treat him just like a child molester, and not ignore his films for the works of art that they truly are. (Continued…)
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