I’ve never been the type to throw things at the television screen out of anger. But I’ll admit I did shout something nasty at my TV when I caught Mel Gibson yukking it up with Jay Leno and calling himself “Octo-Mel” since his pregnant girlfriend is carrying his eighth child.
My anger, of course, was directed at Gibson’s hypocrisy. Not so long ago, Gibson was the world’s best-known Traditionalist Catholic, talking about his preference for the old-style teachings of Vatican I (no divorce, no Russian girlfriends while still married). These days, he’s not yet divorced and living the kind of life he preached against. What’s worse is that Gibson seems unrepentant, to use church lingo. Even publicity mongers Jon and Kate Gosselin seemed more chastened when confronted with their alleged indiscretions. And that’s saying something.
I'm not here to defend Gibson; his behavior was inexcusable but then he's apologized for his earlier mis-deeds and has come across as genuinely repentant so what else do you want? His latest foibles - an extra-marital affair, an extra-marital fathering - are undeniably unacceptable but we haven't heard the whole story yet. Not that I believe he'll come up with something to justify his behavior but I do think he probably understands what he's done and will try to make amends for it. As a Christian, he knows he's not perfect.
I have no idea of the faith of the linked-to-article's writer but what I think really gets under his skin is Gibson's Christian faith. Except for Gibson's opposition to Vatican II, the writer never makes a direct link to Gibson's finger-wagging-at-others-but-not-himself kind of hypocrisy. Add to this, Gibson has committed the sin of making a successful film about the root of his faith. How terrible. (Gibson's a mad-talented film-maker, by the way. Don't think so after The Passion of The Christ? Take a look at Apocalypto and tell me what you think. Yeah.) No, it seems Christians fall harder than anyone in the world of celebrities. Profess no faith and, well, your transgressions are shrugged off.
Posts
