Andrew Sullivan on the loving and forgiving director of The Passion:
Mel Gibson was asked what he felt about potential backlash against his movie, “The Passion of the Christ.” He responded, with classic Christian grace: “I don’t know where it’s going to fall. And quite frankly… you want to hear something? I don’t give a flying fuck.” The man who allegedly only put as much violence in his movie as occurred in the Gospels was also asked how he would greet Frank Rich, one of his more prominent critics. Gibson replied, “I want to kill him. I want his intestines on a stick … I want to kill his dog.” This is the man now hailed as the savior of America’s evangelical Christians. I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry.
Can you believe it? Yes, I’m afraid I can.
1
By vaara
You’d think Saint Mel would be a bit more grateful to the media, which has given him millions of dollars’ worth of free publicity.
March 1, 2004 @ 4:30 pm | Comment
2
By boy
Wasn’t that the point?
Hear, hear!
March 1, 2004 @ 7:02 pm | Comment
3
By oli
‘intestines on a stick’ fine, but killing the dog? he’s crossed the line there.
March 2, 2004 @ 1:12 am | Comment
4
By Idle
I’ll never trust the media when they quote someone. It’s not saying that Gibson didn’t make those comments, but I’d rather not get offended by it.
March 2, 2004 @ 1:22 pm | Comment
5
By richard
Idle, the media is the only method any of us have to know what people in the news are saying. If this were made up, Gibson would certainly have denied it. As a former newspaper reporter, I can say that at least in my experience and interaction with reporters, very little was made up (make that “nothing,” on second thought.). Misunderstood, got some words wrong — yes. Fabricated — very rarely. It’s a sure ticket to lose your job and isn’t worth it.
March 2, 2004 @ 1:37 pm | Comment
6
By Simon World
Essential Guide
Mel Gibson’s new movie The Passion has got people worked up. As a kind service the Guardian has compiled an important linguistic guide for those seeing or commenting on the movie. “Een, Yuudaayaa naa, ellaa b-haw yawmaa laa hweeth ba-mdeetaa.”…
March 4, 2004 @ 8:35 am | Comment
7
By gary
Richard, as Jayson Blair has demonstrated, reporters will only lose their jobs if they fabricate AND get caught.
And yes, I agree, Mel Gibson is seriously creeping me out.
March 5, 2004 @ 4:41 am | Comment
8
By Richard
True, Gary. Blair was smart enough to keep his fabrications low-profile; no politicians or movie stars. I don’t believe any reporter in his right mind would make up the kinds of things Gibson is quoted as saying — if they were blatant falsehoods, the reporter would be throwing away his own career. Not really worth it, in most reporters’ eyes. (Of course, they twist and mangle and slant all the time, but that’s another story. And Gibson may well have been joking or being ironic. But I don’t doubt that he said it.)
March 5, 2004 @ 12:23 pm | Comment