Apparently Mel Gibson had another racist meltdown. This time instead of blaming Jews for everything, he dropped an unfortunate “N-bomb” while berating his Russian baby mama. This is sad.
It’s sad because Mel Gibson clearly has some issues. Racism is probably one of the least of his problems. His taste in women and failure to understand the limitations of public life appear to be even more dramatic than his resentment of women, homosexuals, and minorities. He’s an immensely entertaining actor and a truly gifted director. Whenever true talent is stifled by human limitations, the entertainment consuming public loses.
What is truly tragic, not just for Mel, but for all of us, is that the mere utterance of a single word has become the death knell for entire careers. By merely speaking the word n***er (see, I can’t even type it), either in anger or jest, one can find themselves ostracized from society.
Simple laws of supply and demand teach us that the less of something there is in the world, the more valuable it becomes. The same can be said for words. By making something taboo, we give it power. If we really want to rid the world of hurtful and demeaning buzz words, we should use them excessively, but in a different context. We should all adopt the use of the word enjoyed by rappers for decades. If calling somebody a n***er was a signal of trust and affection, future generations would scoff at the true etymology of the term.
More disturbing is the fact that everyday, in politics, entertainment, and media many very well established and influential people utter statements far more racist and dangerous than anything that Mel Gibson can spew. The “soft bigotry of low expectations” is far more evil and insidious. This dangerous, active racism is an epidemic on the political and social left.
Mel Gibson may have capped off his often brilliant career with an insult fest to his ex-girlfriend, but people like Bill Maher, Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, Dan Rather, Donny Deutsch, Joy Behar , Janeane Garofalo, and Harry Reid continue to enjoy regular paychecks and TV face time despite their blatantly offensive racist comments.
After his comments would we expect to see Braveheart on CNN debating racial issues? Of course not. He will be the subject of numerous spots on racism, not a commentator. Yet, Chris Matthews still has a show, still talks about race almost nightly and has received zero retribution for stating that Obama’s State of the Union speech was so great that he forgot the man was black!
Janeane Garofalo dismisses Tea Party criticism of the president by claiming that it is 100% based on race. By merely looking at Obama as a “black man,” she is completely ignoring his many achievements. How insulting is it to ignore his years of work? To completely brush over his numerous failures, misdirections, and overall cluelessness is beyond cruel. It takes hard work and conviction to be that lame. Making it about race undermines the man’s actions and character.
Is Mel Gibson a racist? Maybe. Probably. If he is, it’s most certainly a trait he picked up working in the leftist bee’s nest of Hollywood. Our industry is one that speaks of “urban demographics,” frets about casting “diversity” and works overtime trying to understand the mindset of blacks, women, gays, and latinos. Rarely do they stop to think that maybe, just maybe, all those “special” groups are simply human beings. Human beings who enjoy good stories with strong, relatable messages.
Here’s a true story. I showed my latest film to an industry friend of mine. While he immensely enjoyed the film, he made the comment that the lead cast was “WASPY” and “lily white.” This struck me as odd because the lead actress is of Mexican decent. She was actually born in Mexico City and speaks Spanish fluently. He dismissed this, saying she didn’t “look or act Latino.”
Who’s the racist now? Mr. “Self-righteous, looking out for the minorities” or me, Mr. “I just cast the best actress for the part”?
People are people. Period. The second you start carving it up, questioning or dictating how people act or think based on superficial things like gender, color and who you get your freak on with, you are a bigot. Plain and simple. And no, Bill Maher, I don’t really care what your intentions are. It doesn’t matter.
The slave owners of the Confederacy felt the exact same way about black folks that Hollywood intellectuals and liberal legislators do. Blacks are different, have their own way of thinking, their own culture, and their own unique limitations. Confederate slave owners forced them to work in cotton fields, judging them inferior and unable to exist equally in white society. Hollywood intellectuals struggle to understand how “blacks think,” reinforcing cultural negatives and stereotypes in their pursuit to make a dollar. Washington legislators crank out laws and programs aimed to segregate our society, socially and economically. They are desperate to secure power by demonizing their opposition. An opposition, by the way, that stands for individual liberty regardless of skin color, gender, or sexual preferences.
A wise man once dreamed of a world where people were judged by the “content of the character and not the color of their skin.” If he were alive today, he would be naturally offended by Mel Gibson’s n***er rape insults. But, he would be equally offended by Bill Maher wishing our president would act like a “real” black man and flash a 9mm.
Modern Klansmen don’t have to run around in bed sheets. They get their own talk shows.
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