Mel Gibson: Unsurprising but still shocking

First he came for the Holocaust survivors, and I did not speak because I was not a Holocaust survivor. Then he came for the Jews, and I did not speak because I was not a Jew. Then he came for African-Americans, and I did not speak because I was not African-American. Then he came for a white woman, and there was barely a stir because really, no one was surprised or even shocked.

If you’re wondering who the “he” in this riff on Martin Niemöller’s poem “First They Came” is, it’s not a metaphor; it’s Mel Gibson, who is once again out to flaunt his gross displays of race and gender privilege. His presence in the headlines this year has mostly been to record his divorce from Robin Moore and his relationship with a younger Russian pianist, Oksana Grigorieva. However, soon after Grigorieva gave birth to daughter Lucia, Gibson separated from his girlfriend and the public spectacle of their breakup became fodder for entertainment talk shows. But in an increasingly public and ugly turn-of-events, Gibson has made a stomach-turning play for power.

In a recording made by Grigorieva which was sent to RadarOnline, Gibson is quoted as saying, “You’re an embarrassment to me. You look like a f–king pig in heat and if you get raped by a pack of n—ers it will be your fault.” Throughout the tape, Gibson hurls further insults at his former lover, calling her a “whore” and “c—t,” then threatening her with rape: “I am going to come and burn the house down… but you’ll have to blow me first.” Lest we think the media has sided with Grigorieva, it’s worth noting that the same article which reported the incident refers to Grigorieva as Gibson’s “baby mama.” Not a musician, partner, or mother. E! Online instead used its own racist/sexist double-whammy of a slur to defame Grigorieva and ensure that the public sees her as little more than a gold-digging homewrecker.

Racism, sexism, veiled threats to those who challenge Gibson’s sense of power and entitlement – none of these are shocking coming from the 54-year-old actor/director and all of which can be traced to a history of family connections to anti-Semites and previous instances of hate speech.

In 2006, Gibson was arrested in Los Angeles County, CA under suspicion of DUI and let out a tirade of racist and sexist slurs, including the comment that “f–cking Jews… are responsible for all the wars in the world,” as well as referring to one of the female arresting officers as “sugar tits.” He blamed the hate-speech on his 0.12 blood alcohol level and the open container of Cazadores tequila in his car’s cupholder, as well as a lifelong battle with alcoholism. He also took pains to separate himself from the views of his father, Hutton Gibson, a Holocaust denier who “believes al-Qaida wasn’t behind the 9/11 attacks” and “claims all his children share a similar worldview.” If Gibson thinks Dad is so outlandish, why would he fund the construction of a chapel built by Hutton Gibson in Los Angeles? Oh, right. Los Angeles is where all of the Gibson family racism occurs.

Faced with the too-harsh glare of the public spotlight, Gibson expressed remorse for his racist comments and refused to comment about the allegations of sexism. In his second apology statement, he claimed that “Every human being is God’s child, and if I wish to honor my God I have to honor his children. But please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith.”

In true Hollywood fashion, Gibson found that the world was soon eager and ready to forgive him for his outburst. Buffered by race and class privilege, Gibson was sentenced to a few years of probation and mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meetings; he served no jail time and soon made the A-list round of mea culpa apologies in the U.S. media. In 2009, a judge expunged the DUI, ensuring that Gibson’s permanent legal record would not be marred by his heinous actions. Later on that year, when Gibson presented an award to Brad Pitt at the 2009 Spike Guys’ Choice Awards, Pitt accepted his award with the charming one-liner, “Thanks, sugar tits!” Because if a great humanitarian like Brad Pitt thinks it’s funny to use a sexist insult against an officer of the law, well, we all just need to get over it, don’t we?

Grigorieva reportedly made the recordings because she feared for her safety, possibly because she wanted the world to know the depths of depravity to which Gibson readily sinks himself. But really, where is the accountability from the public? Who will speak for the communities which Gibson defames? Because there is certainly more than one in just this tirade, and these communities overlap in their identities.

I realize that when faced with the overwhelming power and privilege possessed by a white wealthy male, Oscar-winning actor and director, it seems futile to speak because it likely won’t stop Gibson from being cast in mediocre action movies or from directing terribly unintelligible ones (Apocalypto, I’m looking at you). But the public can hold Gibson accountable in other ways. Feminists, for example, can speak out against the racism of his words. We can each refuse to forget his repeated instances of hate speech or to keep silent and condone his actions. If it turns out that our Braveheart is little more than a misogynistic Klansman, we can remember when we choose to give our earning power to his sh*tty movies.