Mel Gibson with Diane Sawyer. Is he nuts?

[maxrandb]

Seriously. I watched the interview with Diane Sawyer the other night, at least as much of it as I could stomach. What really raised my eyebrows was his personal behavior. I'm not a clinical psychologist, but the way his eyes kept darting all over the place, and the way his hands and body would flop around were really kind of "creepy". It was almost like he was suffering from the same thing that Michael J Fox has.

Anyway, it just struck me as weird. Not to mention the whole "Passion" stuff.

"make everything from toy guns that spark,
to flesh colored Christ' that glow in the dark,
It's easy to see without looking to far, that
not much is really sacred." - Dylan

[eileen_d]

1. Here is a link to the video, for those who want to judge for themselves

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Primetime/Entertainment/mel_gibson_passion_040216-1.html

I saw it, and I actually have more respect for Mel now; he made the case for his movie quite well. The other people interviewed also provided good insight.

Not that I would choose to hang out with Mel - it's quite obvious that he has a pretty enormous ego, which makes listening to him for any length of time insufferable. But as I said in another post -- he's an actor and director, so that's to be expected. ;)

[silver state d]

2. Yes

his eyes are like those platic googly eyes just rattling around in his half emty skull. Drugs? Ha, this is your brain on Jesus.

[MsUnderstood]

3. I watched "when we were soldiers" last week

And I don't know how accurate, but it annoyed me to no end that they kept zooming in on Mel's face like that is going to give us a window into his soul . . .

[texastoast]

32. Read the book

The movie got distracted and downplayed the theme of the book, which was the difference in a good leader and a bad leader in the field.

[blondeatlast]

6. Nice. Thanks. Welcome to DU, from a Christian.

:toast:

[qwertyMike]

36. Oscar Wilde

and I went to the same school in Ireland - Portora Royal.

Years apart

I think I had more cold showers than he,

I also plan to die in Paris

[Fargin Ice Hole]

ooooo Snaps!!!!!!!!

Brain on Jesus!!!!!! LOL!!!!

[leesa]

24. This is your brain on Jesus...funny!

I thought it was funny. Sort of insulting to the historical Jesus though since he would be truly appalled at the nasty Fundie christians, I suspect. But I know what you mean. Turn on to Jeeeeeezuz, turn your brain OFF! I remember it all, the evil of thinking...the scorn heaped on 'doubting Thomases'.

[mdmc]

37. welcome to du,ss d

peace!

[DrWeird]

4. I thought it looked fairly weird.

But to be a devil's advocate, it also looked like it could have been somebody who is a shy but very nice gentlman who never meant to step on anybody's toes and would be greatly embarassed to learn that he unintentionally hurt anybody.

Whether or not that's the case I have yet to decide.

[JasonDeter]

5. I thought he was incredible! Especially given the hostile

attitude of Sawyer. If only she would have interviewed bush* as agreessively as she did Gibson. The Gibson movie will be the greatest evangelical tool in the last 2000 years. Mel Gibson will be a hero in the Christian community up until the return of Christ!
Awesome guy, my family and friends look forward to seeing the movie and he will probably make 100's of millions of dollars on the movie too. Awesome!

[Malva Zebrina]

7. So Gibson is now an evangelist?

Is that true? Is he in the same catagory as the evangelist Bush? You know, the born again guy that keep killing innocent people and children, babies and pregnant women because a god speaks to him and tell him what to do?

Are these two both the same types of believers in the same type of Christianity?

And if not, how not?

Both apparently believe in the same things. so can we say that Gibson believes that killing babies, pregnant women, old men is justified under this religion?

[JasonDeter]

12. No, he has just created a great tool for evangelism.

He is witnessing his Faith in Jesus Christ. Very articulately too imo. bush* hasn't mentioned Christ once. Jesus said if your ashamed of Me my Father will be ashamed of you. People who say they're Christians can talk about God or Almighty God all day but its the One who died for you that is the focus of your attention and your testimony. bush* has done none of that. bush* has used God as a shield to kill people, that is an abomination and representitive of what the devil would do not the Father of Jesus Christ.

[Malva Zebrina]

14. E xcuse me

but a movie is a witnessing to the faith?

I beg to differ with you, but it is a movie and not a Sunday school learning experience.

You know, entertainment. You are aware of what entertainment is, I assume.

A creative figment of someone's imagination, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is what is usually deemed to be entertainment.

It, in today's world, is an entertainment produced to make money off of people who would be entranced by the productions of an actor who appeals to them over any theology or actual study!

What seems a little off base about that? Anything?

If not, I would suggest you go and meditate a little upon who it is exactly that you would have "teach" you theology. Is it a Mel Gibson, the actor or is it your pastor or one who is well versed in theology or any who present to you any in depth questions that actually make you think rather than tout and enmbrace a goddam actor as your teacher in faith.


It is only a movie and an interpretation by a producer of that movie hoping , perhaps, to make a lot of money from it. For all you know, he may very well need it.

That is the nature of today's Hollywood productions, in case you are not aware. It may be the case that Gibson is willing to do and say anything in order to make a fortune on this movie. You do not know that one way or the other.

and you are taking it as a legitimate proclamation of your faith?

Is that an accurate assumption?

You are taking Mel Gibson's interpretation, as an actor, a legitimate interpretation of your faith and you are substituting him,an actor as a teacher to you about your faith?

If so, I find that rather amusing and somewhat unbelievable.

Wow--good luck.

[bonemachine]

18. Now, I'm not a Christian

But I don't see any reason why a movie can't be as much a form of witnessing as a book, tract, song, play or any other communication medium.

[Malva Zebrina]

22. well I suppose anything can be interpreted as a witnessing

Hell, even a seal sticking it's head up in the freezing waters in the northern Atlantic can be said to be witnessing then. Even an evil person such as George Bush can claim then, to be a witness. How do you determine who is a legitimate witness and who is merely playing on your naive beliefs or assumptions?

Hell, anything can be said to be "witnessing" and anything, therefore can be applied to any evil, such as that which Bush has done and has resulted in killing, actually murdering, thousands of children, unborn children and old men and women, right?

I mean, George Bush can claim to be "witnessing" to the Iraqi people when he has killed and murdered ten thousand of them, right?

He claims to hear from the god that tells him he is doing right by these murders.

[JasonDeter]

23. Its not so unbelievable if you just think about it.

What Gibson is depicting is a literal interpretation of the Gospels from the Garden to the Crucifiction. That doesn't take a genius to do, it doesn't take a Pastor to do. It just takes someone who can read and stay as close to the origional version as possible. So you spent a whole lot of words just to say you don't trust people to be able to watch the Gibson movie and read the Bible and compare to two!
I do.

[Az]

33. Which version?

Each Gospel seems to have its own take on the story. Which version did he go with?

[Malva Zebrina]

40. Look Jason

I do not rely or depend upon actors to influence my beliefs.

I depend upon them to entertain me and nothing else.

You know nothing about Gibson other than what has been published in the glitzy mags or People magazine or other entertainment publications and you are willing to place all of your trust in him as a legitimate interpretor of your beliefs. You are willing to place your faith in the hands of an actor?

I suggest you take an in depth course on the bible or just try, maybe not now, but maybe in a later part of your life, parsing all of the confusion and contradictions re the crucifixion stories. Then I suggest you may want to read some real, educated, more brilliant and thoughtful theologians, in depth. Forget about Mel Gibson and the thrill of have YOUR religion be verified in a spectactular movie, by an actor.

In some future time, in your more reflective moments, you may want to take the time to investigate instead of being a willing participant in the imagination of an actor and an entertainer.

[DoYouEverWonder]

43. I didn't know Mel was fluent in Aramaic

or even Greek for that matter? How could he possibly read the original version? Which one would that be?

Now if you want to get down to original sources, you might want to try the texts from the Nag Hammadi Library. They are much closer to the real teachings of Jesus than much of what has been disseminated into today's New Testament. Unfortunately, the people who were trying to carrying on the real teachings of Jesus where deemed to be heretics and killed off around 400 BC when christianity became the state religion. IMHO, it's been downhill since then for mainstream religion.

[annagull]

28. Don't forget, the "focus group" is mightier than the Word of God

Since Mel the Baptist took out the most offensive line in the movie not because Jewish groups objected to it, but because it didn't play well in the focus groups before they released the movie:
It looks as though director Mel Gibson is responding to concerns over his controversial Biblical epic "The Passion of Christ."
According to the New York Times, Gibson has cut a scene from the film where the Jewish high priest Caiaphas "calls down a kind of curse on the Jewish people by declaring of the Crucifixion, 'His blood be on us and on our children.'"
This is according to a close associate on the film who spoke to the Times on a condition of anonymity. The associate said the scene didn't work in focus group screenings.
http://www.nbc11.com/entertainment/2818400/detail.html

It isn't about Evangelical Christians. Of course, it's about money, or the focus groups wouldn't matter to Saint Mel.

[Habibi]

15. Is that true?

Bush not mentioning Christ or Jesus once? If so, that's very interesting.

[JasonDeter]

26. I haven't heard him say Jesus once since his famous

"Jesus is my favorite philosopher" line at a 2000 debate. I have been a Christian for 22 years and I have yet to hear anyone who knows Christ as Savior call Him philosopher.

[mouse7]

27. Ahhh... is that why Gibson edited film by focus group?

Gibson ran the movie through focus groups and edited based on their recommendations, not because of supposed priciples of "accuracy."

[Sterling]

30. Bush uses Jesus all the time.

I am not sure if he actually uses his name but he most certainly does wrap himself in born again Christianinty.

[blondeatlast]

8. Self-edited; my post could be misinterpreted.

Keeping in mind my spiritual beliefs and the wisdom in my sig line.

[JasonDeter]

9. Facinated how so many jumped on an obvious humorus line

edited in reponse

[Maddy McCall]

20. Delete

Intent of poster is not clear, so I will withold my vile remarks. :-)

[Piperay]

10. Yech, he gave me the creeps

he just seemed weird, his whole attitude stuck me as cold or something. Gibson seemed like many who have traded one addiction for another and is obsessive.

[Malva Zebrina]

19. Gibson , when he was in Rockland, Maine making a movie

attended AA meetings. That, of course, should not be held against him at all, but I would be inclined to believe that he substituted one addiction for another. that being an alcohol addiction transformed into a religious addiction and in these times, under the manipulative George Bush the supposed "born again" Christian, who percieves that means a total permission to murder anyone , any person in his way in Afganistan or Iraq, as religiously mandated by a god who speaks to him personally,with the sanctification of the religiouw right, Gibson saw an opportunity to capitalize upon that.

He never appealed to me as an actor. I always saw him as an over acting, ham actor, appealing to the over emotional schtick. I do not think he is particularly talented as an actor. I would not go out of my way to see any movie of his. I am not impressed. He strikes me as a person who overdoes it.

[Killarney]

11. He seemed very weird and shifty.

[Trajan]

13. What fascinated me most ...

... Was his reference to the 'Holy Ghost' as a He ...

The Holy Spirit has gender ? ...

Pray tell ...

Hmmmmmmm .. Im trying to picture a spiritual being ... with a crank ...

Cmon ... someone help me here ...

Chuckles ...

Oh well ... Since Moses saw the posterior of Yahweh, and since Ezekiel saw the mighty loins of the lord in 'fiery amber' hues ... I suppose Ole Mel would want to paste a peter SOMEWHERE on the goodly ghost's 'person', if it will help him feel better ...

I mean: for a spiritual being ... What is better ?: phallus or mons ? ..

I suppose it was for these kinds of questions that Iconoclasm became all the rage in Old Asia ...

[neoteric lefty]

16. what if Gibson refered to the

Holy Ghost as an 'It'? i.e. "I truly believe in the Holy Ghost. It is fun to take shots with at parties." If I were a Christian (am I am not) I would think it would be weird and unnatural to refer to the Holy Ghost (God) as an 'it'. Seems cold to me to refer to a spiritual being who you are supposed to have intimate relationship with as an 'It'. I dont know, that is just me.

now what if he called the Holy Ghost a 'She'. Now that would create quite a debate, but that is for another time. However, I see no reason to argue with someone to call God a 'He' or a 'She' as long as they realize that God cannot be a man or a woman.

[texastoast]

34. I can clear this up

God is God. God should never be referred to by anything so informal as a pronoun.

Same with the Holy Ghost.

All this can get pretty repetitive, but I personally think I'm absolutely grammatically and contextually correct.

Jesus can be a he. Not a He, but a he.

Hee-hee.

[thelocalkgb]

17. Yeah he's obviously crazy

Who would want to be that close to Diane Sawyer?

[RandomKoolzip]

21. Am I the only person in the world who gives not a single shit?

I simply DO NOT CARE about this movie, or about Gibson, or about "witnessing in Christ," whatever the fuck that means....This is a DISTRACTION, like Michael Jackson, Paris Hilton, etc. Y'know, no talent celebrity flogging "controversy" to keep his Q rating up, and his Bush pals out of the news. You guys gotta stop falling for this shit.

Gibson can go fuck a rolling donut, and take the infernal American corporate media and Lifeway Industries and Jerry Falwell with him.

[fujiyama]

25. But, the movie is about....

JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEBUS!

[annagull]

29. moneymoneymoneymoney---or it would be free, to spread the Word

Isn't that why Mel put up his very own money?

[AgadorSparticus]

31. you're not alone. I could give a rat's ass about this movie.

[californiahippie]

35. It seems more about Mel Gibson's ego than Jesus to me

You can have it.

[texastoast]

38. I give no more of a shit about this movie . . .

than I did about what Natalie Maines said about Bush. They have the right to express their opinion/vision. But I have little doubt that Mel created this entire movie from a definite place of entrenched Catholic guilt.

And my own opinion is that unless Mel does something which is from my perspective horrible, I will love him until I die. I can sure agree with you that Paris Hilton has zero talent (but she is one fun bimbo to watch), but Mel and Michael Jackson are very gifted. Watch some of Mel's early movies, like Gallipoli and Road Warrior. Shit, did you not see Braveheart? Listen to Jackson's Thriller.

During Sawyer's interview, I loved Mel's comment that he wished he could hide where no one would find him. He said he knew where he could do it. He planned to set up his tent right next to the weapons of mass destruction. So that makes me think the fella is not covering for Bush in any way.

Jerry Falwell probably does fuck rolling donuts, Jim Baker, and Pat Robertson.

[Ilsa]

39. I fail to see the evangelism aspect of making this movie.

People who go see it are probably already Christians and they want to see what the fuss is about. Nonchristians are likely to miss the whole thing.

I'm a Christian and I have no intention of seeing it. I wouldn't want to waste my time (or money) on someone else's digital "interpretation" of the Gospel(s) (whichever he used).

[greekspeak]

41. This is getting wierd...sorry I missed the interview

In my university dept, Religion, my fellow grad students are abuzz at how "manic" Mel Gibson was on the interview. They think he may be a little bit...off. Is the man a little loony?

[WarNoMore]

42. There is quite a lengthy article about this in

Salon. You need a day pass (which is very simple)