Posted on 03/23/2007 10:19:54 AM PDT by Nachum
Edited on 03/23/2007 11:48:48 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
TMZ has learned Mel Gibson exploded in anger last night on a college campus after an expert on Mayan culture accussed him of racially stereotyping the Mayans in the movie "Apocalypto."
It happened last night at Cal State University at Northridge in the San Fernando Valley. Gibson was speaking to a film class about his movies, and several members of the Mayan community came to hear the famous director.
After Gibson's presentation, the crowd was allowed to ask questions. Alicia Estrada, an Assistant Professor of Central American Studies at CSUN, challenged Gibson, asking him if he had read about the Mayan culture before shooting the controversial film. Gibson said he had.
Estrada persisted, stating that representations in the movie that the Mayans engaged in sacrificial ceremonies and had bloodthirsty tendencies were both wrong and racist. Estrada and others tell TMZ that Gibson exploded in anger, responding, "Lady #### off."
We're told Gibson also became extremely angry when members of the Mayan community protested on how they were portrayed in the film. The emotional Mayan members were escorted out of the room, and we're told Gibson screamed a parting shot -- "Make your own movie!"
UPDATE: Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, told TMZ, "This person was a heckler who was rude and disrupted the event, so much so that the event organizers had to escort her out." For the record, Nierob, not Howard Rubenstein, reps Gibson.
I love it when their heads explode. They didn't give a rats ass when the L.A. Times had a column calling Obama a "Magic Negro." But when Limbaugh put on his parody of "Barack, the Magic Negro," - well - their heads exploded.
Members of the Mayan community? I thought they all died off seven hundred years ago!
As for Mel's response - Good on Ya, Mel! That's what those looney-tunes deserve. And from what little I know of the Mayans, human sacrifice was as regular as the rain in Central America!
Mayan Basketabll
the winning captain and losing team was sometimes sacrificed
On some occasions post-game ceremonies featured the sacrifice of the captain and other players on the losing (some references say "winning")[citation needed] side. The association of the game with sacrifice and death was particularly marked on the Gulf coast. A loser's skull might be used as the core around which a new rubber ball would be made. (Conversely, guides at Chichen Itza assert that the prize for the winning team was to be deified by losing their heads, supposedly at the hands of the losing team.) Human sacrifice became a more common outcome of the ball game, particularly at the royal courts of powerful cities. Late Classic Maya nobles were warriors and ball players. A step on a hieroglyphic staircase at Yaxchilan, for example, shows King Bird Jaguar defeating a war captive in the ball game, and there is a written reference to a war captive on an altar in Tikal. War captives played ball against the war victors, with the outcome being predetermined. Following the game which was a ritual reenactment of the defeat of a city-state, the captives were commonly decapitated or their hearts were torn out for blood sacrifice. The walls of the principal ball court at Chichen Itza depict opposing teams, with the leader of the winning team holding the decapitated head of the opposing leader, who kneels with blood in the form of snakes spewing from his neck.
Reminds me of the Muzzies on the Dome of the Rock who say there never was a Jewish Temple on the site. "You can convince some of the people some of the time...."
I was a little offended with his portrayal of people like me in Mad Max.
And he made The Thunderdome way more violent than it oftentimes is.
Owl_Eagle
If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.
None but they aren't noted for lining people up by the thousands and sacrificing them (the Aztecs did that) and the era of the great Mayan cities was over long before the Spanish showed up. It's the archaeology (buildings, clothing, art) that is supposed to be correct in this film, not the culture of human sacrifice.
I am so tired of the Noble Savage, and of the people who think that having done something amazing a millennium ago means everyone has to kow-tow to you today. Is there any serious socialist today who disputes the live sacrifice in that culture?
Interesting. I have to wonder why Mel crossed the Aztec rituals over to the Mayans. I guess to make a big movie, huh.
But that uniform was accurate and THOSE Brits were stuck up aristocrats.
Well, he has succeeded. He has transformed from an actor to a controversial Director like Stanley Kubrick. An unusual marketing tactic but it seems to have worked.
"emotional Mayan members"?
And it's "Mel" and "ballistic".
Sorry MSM, I stand with Mel on this one.
Hey you people, make your own dang movie about the Mayan culture.
save for later
LOL!
Good points.
The leftist "honor the noble savage" fore he is all knowing, all spiritual, all reverential is so pathetic. I'm loving the eco-geek leftists now atttacking the American Indians near the Grand Canyon for tainting mother earth with there skyway money maker. The eco-freeks must be so conflicted about there noble savages now.
PS: Go see 300 - and then write an editorial about how great the movie was lol.
Oh, my. We can't be judgmental about cultures that sacrifice virgins and blow up their children to kill Jews. We can't do that.
And I am supposed to respect a vanished culture that kills it's most the most productive leaders because they achieve greatness? And for that matter, it take a great deal of fitness to prepare and train for any sporting event; why would you elimnate one half of the physically fit men from your breeding pool? If I wanted to reward failure, I'd vote Democrat.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.