It was announced today that Mel Gibson is directing a remake of “The Wild Bunch” which has led many to wonder why the famously anti-Semetic and violent former-Hollywood-heavyweight is being given another chance to rebuild his career, in spite of his past.
Comedian Sarah Silverman took to Twitter to remind her followers about one of Gibson’s quotes.
“Fucking Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.” https://t.co/75bKVqaSwr — Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) September 25, 2018
While being arrested for driving under the influence in 2006, Gibson famously made anti-semetic remarks to the officer arresting him. Here’s a news clip from 2006 detailing it:
This caused Gibson to be mostly blacklisted from Hollywood, not asked to star or direct in anything and the butt of many jokes.
In 2010, Gibson’s at the time girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, recorded and released some of their phone calls, where Gibson cursed her out, admitting to breaking her teeth because she “deserved it” and using horrific racial slurs. Here’s one of the conversations:
That seemed as though it was the final nail in the “Braveheart” star’s coffin. However, he started working on smaller, low profile movies like Jodie Foster’s “The Beaver” and “Machete Kills” slowly making his way back into the Hollywood landscape. His first high profile directing gig since the new scandal, “Hacksaw Ridge” was critically lauded and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director. After that, he took a supporting role in “Daddy’s Home 2” and it was official, Mel Gibson had returned. And now he’s getting the high profile directing gig of a “Wild Bunch” remake.
With the #MeToo movement still going strong, why is Gibson able to return? Was almost decade long “blacklisting” enough of a punishment? Should he be celebrated for his artistic visions, or even forgiven at all? With problematic directors like Woody Allen finally “taking a break” from making movies after rumors have surrouded him for decades, why is Gibson allowed to return?
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