MEL ON THE DEFENSIVE

NY Post ^ | January 30, 2004 | Liz Smith

[presidio9]

'YOU'RE GOING to have to go on record. The Holocaust happened, right?" Peggy Noonan asks of Mel Gibson in the Reader's Digest for March. Gibson: "I have friends and parents of friends who have numbers on their arms. The guy who taught me Spanish was a Holocaust survivor. He worked in a concentration camp in France. Yes, of course. Atrocities happened. War is horrible. The Second World War killed tens of millions of people. Some of them were Jews in concentration camps. Many people lost their lives. In the Ukraine, several million starved to death between 1932 and 1933. During the last century, 20 million people died in the Soviet Union."

[mewzilla]

...Gibson sat down with conservative Catholic writer Noonan...

Nice of Liz to impart so much info. But where's Liz's own disclosure about Liz being a card-carrying member of the Toons' kneepad brigade?

[FourtySeven]

I've found myself wondering in the past year what Mel Gibson thinks (or always thought) of his long time compatriot Danny Glover. Anyone know? Were they always friends, never friends, were friends, but now aren't........etc?

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[AgThorn]

Noonan pushed him about the Holocaust because of accusations that the actor's father questions the attempted extermination of all Jews by Hitler. Of his dad, Gibson says, "My dad taught me my faith, and I believe what he taught me. The man never lied to me in his life."

I hope this was handled better and that the above is somewhat "out of context". Not a really good 'defense' of the "anti-Jew" claims on his film.

[Servant of the 9]

Gibson is evasive enough about answering a question to be a politician.
He is also enough of a whack job.

So9

[MrsEmmaPeel]

...Gibson sat down with conservative Catholic writer Noonan...

That statement didn't bother me. I don't see the offense. Peggy Noonan is Catholic, Peggy Noonan is a conservative. I just read it as an accurate description.

There was no embellishment or attempt to distort with catty remarks like: Gibson sat down with conservative Catholic writer of questionable credentials, Noonan...

[Finalapproach29er]

Liz is a lez. (admittedly)

She doesn't much care for conservatives.

[Salvation]

But don't you know that all media types "LOVE" to bash the Catholic Church?? </sarcasm off

[Williams]

I saw a long interview with Gibson on a religious channel. He was passionate, articulate, and quite direct with his views. I got the impression that he may believe himself a great director rather than an action star, but then I think he has the Oscar to back it up. The real story here is taht it's time for Christians and Catholics in particular to stand up for their faiths. Christian leaders would never think to angrily attack a movie about the history of the Jewish, Moslem, Hindu faith, etc. Why should a devout Christian be afraid to portray the story told in his own Gospel?

[Cicero]

Peculiar article. As I read it, Liz Smith is using selective quotations from Peggy Noonan to undermine Mel Gibson. Not very straightforward or honest, in my opinion.

[Revolting cat!]

Peg's been around the A party circuit in New York too long! A film director has made a film and she's asking him if the Holocaust has ever happened! Why not if the Civil War has ever happened? What does his father have anything to do with anything? Hello? This is People magazine stuff, concerns of Peggy's liberal friends (she admits elsewhere she's surrounded by LIEberals.) Dumb and dumber.

For a film director to have to defend himself this way by swearing he's known people with tattoos on their forearms is humiliating. Trash.

[Paradox]

As I recall, Gibson is pretty staunchly anti-war. I don't know his position on the Iraq War. I wonder how freepers would feel if it was revealed that he bitterly opposes it..

[Servant of the 9]

Why should a devout Christian be afraid to portray the story told in his own Gospel?

He shouldn't, but that has nothing to do with my statement.

When asked directly if he believed the holocaust happened, he talked all the way around the subject and never answered.
If he believes the holocaust happened, why didn't he just say so?
If he doesn't then he is a whack job.

So9

[presidio9]

He is also enough of a whack job.

Why do you say that?

[Made In The USA]

I'm with you. I viewed a Gibson interview on the Catholic TV network and appreciated his position on all of this. I'm looking forward to seeing this movie, and find it comical how so many are afraid of this movie - without even having seen it.

[Revolting cat!]

Hmmm, I wonder if the drummer of Spinal Tap thinks if the Holocaust ever happened or is he a "whack job"?!

[presidio9]

Peggy Noonan is Catholic, Peggy Noonan is a conservative. I just read it as an accurate description.

Right. If you read Noonan's columns, you would know that she wears both lables in her sleeve. I am a conservative Catholic money manager, and proud of it! It's not like she called her a facist papist or something. Enough of this taking offense at labling. You are what you believe.

[MEG33]

I don't despise John Kerry because he came back from Viet Nam anti war,but that he slandered and betrayed his comrades in arms.

If Mel is against the war,fine.If he calls our soldiers baby killers,that's different, and I would not like him.

[presidio9]

I got the impression that he may believe himself a great director rather than an action star, but then I think he has the Oscar to back it up.

Personally, I think that Mel is a pretty damn good director, but the Film Academy's stamp of approval backs absolutely nothing up. To wit: