Is Mel Gibson beyond a p.r. handler’s help? He’s a great actor whose work seems to improve the older he gets, but someone whose real life is likely to cut down on some of his box office draw. To wit:
Gibson has issues. Note his comment to reporter Sam Rubin (who happens to be Jewish):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt9-429xZX4
Attn. Mel: There are people who “have a dog in this fight” who will refrain from going to to theaters to watch your films or buying your DVDs. It’s likely they will watch it for free on Netflix but mea culpas coupled with the attitude shown in the above clips can negate past apologies. In both of these instances, it would have been wiser to get off the question and move on.
If someone wanted to see stories suggesting Mel Gibson was anti semitic (whether he is or is not) THIS is what you find on Google News and THIS is what you find on Google Web.
All of this put together suggests that Gibson isn’t someone who attends many bar mitzvahs. But perhaps he is misunderstood…If so, stronger p.r. advice, more thoughtful Gibson answers and perhaps a tearful appearance on Oprah might get the desired message out…
In the meantime, Gibson the person continues to take attention away from Gibson the artist and actor.
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image add/mr. gibson in beard/ dr.e/ed.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.