Anti-Semitism is a big charge and it requires, I think, not just uttered words to make it stick. It requires a pattern of behaviour over decades that shows a person to be always hostile to, dismissive of, and angry about, and keen to persecute Israelis and Diaspora Jews.
But Mel has employed Jews, and worked for them and alongside them. Silver and Goldblatt on four Lethal Weapons, Warren Mitchell in Death Of A Salesman (a play by a Jew), Matt Groening and the many Jewish writers on The Simpsons he dubbed his own voice for in the episode that sent him up are significant examples of what seems an aberrant PRO-Semitic tendency in a punishing proto-fascist who seems not to put his money where his mouth is though he has hundreds of millions of it.
The most remarkable example of this tendency is in his casting of Maia Morgenstern, a practising Bucharest Jew and a star of the State Jewish Theatre as the Virgin Mary in his controversial Aramaic-speaking film about a Jewish hero, The Passion of the Christ.
It is not as though he was strapped for choices. Marisa Tomei, an Oscar-winning Catholic, was available. The cradle Catholics Anna Maria Monticelli, Greta Schacci and Judy Davis were available. Kristin Scott Thomas. Charlotte Rampling. Sophia Loren. The obvious blue-eyed Aryan Michele Pfeiffer. The tongue-speaking Sarah Palin. The ever-available Elizabeth Taylor. His fellow NIDA graduates Cate Blanchett, Rachel Griffiths, Frances O’Connor, Jackie Weaver, Wendy Hughes. Nicole Kidman, who was very big then, and a famous reconverted Catholic.
Yet he chose a Synagogue-attending Jew. Why did he do this? To secure the Romanian audience? I doubt it.
I suspect it was because he had seen her work, and he liked it.
And he didn’t think her being a Jew was a difficulty, although she would be playing the primary female Saint in the Christian iconography; the original Bleeding Heart.
Does this sound like the work of a round-the-clock anti-Semite to you? Me neither.
What then are we talking about? What then are we TALKING about? A man determined to do harm to the Jews? Or not? A man for eight years determined to make a pro-Jewish film with some Christian colorations to it, like Ben-Hur, who sometimes in drink or drugs runs off at the mouth as his fanatical father taught him to (the exact comparison is Phillip Larkin) and has never punched a Jew in his life? Or some odious, murderous moral equivalent of Adolf Eichmann?
Does anyone reading this believe the latter?
No?
Apologies all round then.
You first, Terrance.
Name:
Lew Wallace is spinning in his grave : “Ben Hur A Tale of the Christ” was and is entirely a Christian polemic. It is rather difficult to tell a story of the Christ without dealing with Jews and Judaism; on reflection that is probably why Nazis and Nazism were so much in denial over Christianity.
(aside) Ellis, what a can of worms you have opened here!
Gibson is obviously interested in these issues, and dealing with the Passion of the Christ almost necessarily would lead on to the Maccabees and the legendary defence of Masada, inter alia.
Let him get on with it.
I agree with this.
The proposed alternative, Crucify him!, seems to me immoderate.
But tastes vary.
Mr Mel Gibson
Cc Mr Bob Ellis
Dear Mr Gibson
On the website of Mr Bob Ellis it appears I may have insulted you and so I use this space to render a public apology to you and your family.
I want to apologise for misrepresenting your views and for making unfounded and hurtful allegations against you.
It was reported in the media that you referred to the Holocaust as “mostly bullshit” and that your father believes the extermination of 6 million Jews was a hoax.
It is not an excuse that I may have been drunk or have questionable health issues, however I mistakenly took these comments, and ones attributed to you blaming the Jewish people for all wars and notions that the Protocols of the Elders of Zion are real, as your beliefs. In genocide, what’s a few million dead between friends?
I apologise.
I apologise again. As Mr Ellis has rightly pointed out, you have employed people of the Jewish persuasion on your film sets, and this of course means that you could not possibly hold anti-Semitic views. Please forgive me.
As an aside, during Apartheid in South Africa, the Boers employed many black people in their homes, as nannies, cooks and cleaners and this naturally indicates the Afrikaner love of the Bantu peoples.
So please accept my apology for insinuating that you don’t hold the Jewish people as kindred spirits, that your love for them is not extraordinary; for like the Afrikaner, the act of employing a person of a designated race, religion or colour nullifies any suggestion of racism, anti-Semitism or race-hate.
My gardener is a Kiwi and so I ask you not to think ill of me when I hope they get carved up in the football. It’s not because they are from New Zealand, rather as Mr Ellis has brought to the fore, who doesn’t hate some nation or other. And they speak funny. I once worked with a Maori so it isn’t racial, I just hate all New Zealanders.
I also apologise for saying you should make films in Iran and engage in anal penetration.
I apologise for using the word “arse”, when the American spelling is, of course “ass”.
Mr Ellis has inferred that free speech does not extend to making nasty or rude comments. I have learnt from Mr Ellis that no matter ones views – say you think Gerard Henderson is a CIA funded flake, or David Williamson writes poor plays, Rupert Murdoch is corrupt and will go to jail et cetera – that is no excuse for making hurtful accusations or using rude words.
Free speech does not extend to saying things people don’t like, so I apologise.
I apologise for inferring some of your films are sadistically violent. I apologise for laughing through The Beaver, I honestly thought it a comedy. I apologise for thinking Lethal Weapons II, III and IV was unnecessary, trite, violent and misogynistic movies. What would I know about action movies – so please accept my apology?
Mr Gibson, I apologise for any aspersions cast your character. When I think Mel Gibson, Mahatma Ghandi comes to mind. Nelson Mandela. Florence Nightingale. Florence Henderson. Florence and the Machine. To me you are a Righteous Gentile, a lover of mankind, a patter of dogs and cats, a healer of the sick, a spiritual guru to the broken and dispossessed, a lover of life and a giver of life. Plus your hot, or so the girls in the office tell me.
Please don’t take me to court and sue me for suggesting you’d make wonderful movies that would be a hit at the Teheran Greater Union. All your movies should have won at least five Academy Awards.
I am so utterly devastated to think my comment about your bottom and someone’s nob might be taken literally or seriously. It’s an Aussie expression, like saying the Bosnian genocide was made up, or Gallipoli was bullshit, or Bob Carr has a hair transplant.
It was just words Mr Ellis, and I may have been drunk and under stress, so as the Son of God, Jesus of Narrabri said in the Bible, please turn the other cheek (no, not butt cheek, I mean the facial one) and forgive those who trespass against us.
Your humble petitioner
Terrence Propp
Thank you for that. I have given Mel Gibson’s people your details and they may or may not sue you. The maximum sum in Australia is two hundred and fifty thousand dollars but this blog is read in dozens of countries and they may go you in those jurisdictions too.
I did warn you.
I now ask other respondents if you should be banned for life, or only a month or so.
You are a very stupid man. You should know that employing a black woman to be a washerwoman and employing a Jewish woman to play the Virgin Mary in your most passionate work of art are deeds and contracts of a different order.
But of course you don’t, you are stupid.
They, no doubt, will see you in court if they can be bothered with you.
I hope I never meet you.
I wold normally say at this point ‘You are scum’, but that, of course would be unfair.
Banning is up to you boss. It’s your roof we’re under and your his main target.
I’d wonder where his service may have taken him. We may have to make a stallion stable for him. He might be warrior class.
Keith Payne was in my Dad’s company in Korea.A few went on to Malaya and Nam. Kahn- in charge of 2nd Batt, I think, in Nam was B comp in Korea too.Lung shot. My uncle got his MBE personally off the Queen for training Nam officers.The others in Nam too. One, the CIA base in Laos.One doing evac’s prior to bombing and RAAF work with the Seals. Another assigned to go out with intel on the sth Nam’s interrogations. Not allowed to intervene.
Were you 1 RAR Terrance? a foot slogger? No matter if it’s private.
Ban him for life. He’s contrary for the sake of it with little to add in argument or intelligence.
John(Jack), Les, Don, Russell. Not officially assigned but yes. You force my hand Angel.
Pullease.
We might ask him if this is about him :
From En Passant
“The comments by people (or perhaps one person) from the same ISP address who hide behind names like Wendy, Interested Bystander, Terrance Propp, Leonore Thompson and the like indicate a level of knowledge about my private and work life that has caused me and continues to cause me real concerns about my safety.
Someone, possibly one of the aforementioned, has even sent a letter to my work making comments about my workplace which indicate a level of knowledge about where I work that is a concern.
I have approached my workplace and my union about my concerns and what can be done and their advice has been to refer the matters to the police.
In light of the constant stream of abuse and the fear for my safety that the level of knowledge and obsession of the abusers have about me generates, I have decided that from now on it will be necessary to register to comment on my blog. ”
Is it you Terrance Propp?
WTF?
Not me Doug and I know not who or what En Passant is – a type of VW, like the Bora perhaps?
Bob’s politics will draw matter like this. His stands on news.com- who have big ties. His tending towards humanities with lower class and chewing on topics publicly goes against the OZ US corporate aims above. Truth to Power.
I’ve had two decades of the machines intrusions along the lines of what is stated of Terrance Prop to cryptic phone messages and side swipes on blogs, death threats to passing street whispers of lines of conversations from my kitchen and media insinuations. And it’s a big machine and force.
Terrance is giving Bob the tall poppy treatment although his mention of nearly fucking the Runaway’s guitarist might make it more amorous in intention. Pucker up boss and don’t sleep on your stomach.
He won’t be the first bent gay to visit a “Hollywood” site and playing. He has a style and prowess with the pen. Could be a mating call from the stage.
PC fatigue happens Bob and so does getting worked on. If Terrance is genuine in his shock of Doug’s post, I would say that i’ve copped similar workings. “Head fuckers” building on situations. Extending. Old school psychology shit.And a favourite US pastime crept in here. You have to toss it up and see where it lands with PC fatigue and other goings on’s as in my case. I’m sure with your background you can fathom how it works.
Me, i can smell American, Australian, Christian uni training, psychologies, trajectories. Some, I’ve smelled the military pace and lifestyle.Other attacks, girl or male news.com staff, local ,media or Canberra political barracker, cop, male, female, criminal,cowards pretending to be other from behind a screen and superior ego’s.
I’ve feigned political submission while testing the fences and seen where and how the political dog whistles come from under all sorts of veiled threats and noted where on the web and media it occurs elsewhere other than pc fatigue.
Terrance needs to temper his assaults with topic matter instead of blindly taking you on denying with no sympathy for subject matter for the hell of it. Defending the indefensible.
Toss it around Bob, find a PC literate person to sort the ISP or go to the police for peace of mind. Your in the business that gets this stuff.
Sort whether Terrance is participant, threat or political. Doesn’t mean that his assaults and effect on you isn’t noticed or extended on or PC and life work fatigue isn’t occurring.
You are in a big position Bob to have calls intercepted and they can even look out your phone’s camera.
Me, i’ve got an ######Space person with high OZ security clearance and an interesting background that coincides with happenings,innocently, creeping into a relatives life. One look into the eyes into the soul and i’ll confirm the innocence.It all just tastes like chicken.
Anytime after that Bob, if matters ever get too much for your family, I can sleep in your garden for a couple of weeks self funded, passing through.
I’m picking Terrance to be head strong participant.
So, how’s that post for a nut job?
That’s aside from our banning comp Bob. Whatever will be will be but i’m trying with a smile and no hard feelings and humour whatever comes what may.
Terrance, your showing signs of no empathy, service damage? or participant duel to the death with the pen master:)
Let him stay.
I want to know why it is mandatory to love jews.
What makes it nasty to criticise jews but not crucify arabs.
PR. The Jews have it sorted out, the Arabs don’t. It’s not mandatory to love Jews, heaven’s above, it’s only optional, but the modern-day exercise of public relations, invented by Sigmund Freud’s nephew Edward Bernays, a Jew, (no cigar if you’d worked that out already) has perfected the meta-message that the Jewish people are special and better damn well be taken seriously. There’s no similar corollary for the palestinians or other arabs.
I had never heard of Bernays Canguro. Thanks for that. Rupert Murdoch must have been a huge fan.
It is a free country so if you personally want to hate Jews, please feel free to do so.
But you deny Mel his “football” and his ability to purge pain and suffer human reactions.
“My gardener is a Kiwi and so I ask you not to think ill of me when I hope they get carved up in the football. It’s not because they are from New Zealand, rather as Mr Ellis has brought to the fore, who doesn’t hate some nation or other. And they speak funny. I once worked with a Maori so it isn’t racial, I just hate all New Zealanders.”
Jim, you are a genius and that was a remarkable post.
I fear I have upset Mr Ellis and so will retire to the backbench and restict my missives to discourse on safe topics and vanilla issues.
My beef was about a certain actor and I attempted humour and wit to spar with the wordsmith about polemics and matters of great import. Alas, I appear to have been lost in translation and my humble apology lost in a fog of war.
It was but words. No one was hurt. The big boys can respond but I am sure they have felt much worse, and from critics too.
Mr Ellis, I hope, enjoys repartee, there was no malice aforethought or intent to cause grief. You dish out, you get back. You say stuff to the fan, it returns.
Is that not what the red rag that says ‘prove me wrong’ incites? I charged. I was wounded (I’ve been wounded worse, I can assure you), I apologised (with some flair). I lost the battle.
As to alias, A.K.A, misuse et cetera of a non de plume, I know not.
Apologies to all for offence caused and I accept them for offence taken.
You sell yourself short Terrance – your victory was complete 2 days ago and that victory confirmed with your post of 5.09pm yesterday.
Utterly brilliant stuff.
You now have me as a fan!
It use to be law in this country to give servicemen the benefit of the doubt concerning war injuries. It was not followed but I’ve found life demands applying it towards fellow man. Pleasure to meet you Terrance and you certainly liven up a blog to depths. I’m under Bob’s roof here and your dueling with him falls at his discretions.
RJ, Bob works blog’s, topic and participation.He wears a lot and is base of the site and leader of topics.
If Mel came here he got the full range of views as he knows already exists in the bad. No one’s pissed in his pocket and truth’s sometimes a bitter pill in it’s full range. I hope he did come but I doubt he could bother for the headspin at this stage. He should know people love him and understand.
I think Bob would have done Mel’s intelligence an injustice if he censored posts.
Good to see you back:)
Your apology was not humble. It was intended like your other missives to drive a good, generous man to suicide.
I need reasons from other respondents not to ban you for life.
Gentle rain, Bob – blessing you both.
(I am praying for you, Terrance.)
What utter bullshit, Ellis.
If you cared for this long time estranged person Mel Gibson as a friend you would have quietly deleted anything which might have harmed him.
Oh no, but not you.
You could have put a simple note to say why – all very considerate and genuine.
Oh no.
Absolute bullshit, all of this.
You wrote the first post so you could granstand per usual with someone of far greater achievement and fame than you. That’s the essence of it.
As if Mel Gibson and ‘his people’ are going to be moved by a Bob Ellis blog, to sue. Hilarious.
If, if – how big do you want the if – if someone bothered to look – if, if, if – what would they see?
They’d see disingenuous bullshit. They’d see a post deemed damaging by the owner and KEPT here.
Whose hide would they take it out of?
You’re becoming the laughing stock.
Intellectual giant? Moderate. It’s all piss and wind.
Smallish stuff hurrying constantly to write itself bigger with words.
About as true as it gets.
I got an email this morning from Mel’s partner Mark Gooder who said, quote, ‘A very interesting essay — rare to find anyone prepared to be fair-minded about the whole thing. Thank you.’ He liked the idea of Mel playing Fred Hollows and asked to meet me — for the first time — in the next two weeks before he went to Cannes to discuss it.
And you are saying, what, that my intervention harmed Mel, are you, and enraged Mel and Mel’s people, you say, and I would have been wiser to have not said or published a word about him? Got that right, have I? This is what you said? That I should have just let the charges sit there in the world media undefended, is that it? That’s what you think I should have done?
Well, since I first spoke up the mood has changed, I think, an inch or two in Mel’s favour, in Australia anyway. It’s now known that he has given millions of dollars from his own pocket to various Jewish actors, producers and technicians and is yet said by fools like you to be rabidly and criminally anti-Semitic.
Please explain how this follows.
Take your time.
I’m for Mel. I don’t believe he holds anti-Semitic views. He’s proved he doesn’t.
I don’t believe Terrance is ‘contrary for the sake of it’, with little to add, intelligence/argument-wise, JS. That’s wrong. He’s already proved it’s wrong.
He did take a big risk.
No ban?
I’m still for Mel, no question.
However, Reader 1 encourages me to think again – and I see Terrance has signed his letter ‘Terrence’. Who spells his own name wrongly? Someone dodgy? Like John Stevens?
May have to withdraw support.
The best thing on here is
“But tastes vary”
For those of us whose passions get the better part of our senses when we comment or respond here, to the extent that we have descended to the depths of feral and loathsome expression, perhaps our blogmeister could consider a system of fair warning, sinbinning, 3 strikes and you’re out. It’s his website, after all, as Jim emphasises, ergo his responsibility to manage the plebs in the bleachers as best he can. Public stocks and rotten fruit at ten paces or a cup of boiling oil forced down the throat seem a step too far. Mind you though, in the Bard’s day a wayward way with words might have got you just that or worse, a stiletto between the ribs mayhap, or the garrotte.
You mean in Marlowe’s day, brother of the suede shoe king.
I suspect Terrance is dodgy. I’m pretty certain RJ is dodgy. I’ve wavered over MaryEllen, I simply cannot decide. Loula seems kosher but in her case, that’s cold comfort.
I have long wondered when Bob is going to run out of story ideas. The man’s a human magic pudding. But the Mel Gibson/Joe Estauhaus issue is peak genius. The number of facets this issue has, it’s virtually inter-dimensional.
…” brother of the suede shoe king.”
Yeh, well, that’s a whole other can of worms. If I could channel my ancestors I’d have more to say on this. Marlowe’s amidst a rich field of who couldabeen the author; may the best man win.
Liked your allusion to the magic pudding… the sense of organic wellspring of ideas expressed in coherent and challenging form. Bob’s a rare channel for this expression, whatever position you choose to take in respect of his writings.
“The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven . . .
De Vere has the right of it, as usual:
Take not thy pound of flesh from our good Terrance;
Rather, place him on a bond to be of good behaviour.
I will leave this question open for two more days. My current inclination is to ban him for two months. If in that time Mel for any reason dies or is encarcerated he is out for life.
You cannot do this to a benefactor of the Jewish people. You cannot.
Did you physically witness the pulping of “Goodnight Jerusalem” Bob?
Night thoughts, those never ending night thoughts.
Don’t you love Bob’s sense of proportion and symmetry allthumbs?
The death or “encarceration”[sic] of one man is equivalent to the banning of another for “life”!
For “life” Goddammit!
Personally I see it as the moral question of our time: which is the greater punishment – banned from Ellis’ blog or death?
Humm, there’s a lot to be said for the latter in light of Bob’s histrionics of late.
What histrionics? Quote a sentence.
No?
Leave him be Bob.
Terrance joined you in spirit; he joined in the “game”; a game whose rules you had set, a game whose outcome was known before the first move was made; he spoke as you spoke, met each of your absurd polemics with argument and a wonderfully dashing ironic foil.
Leave him be.
RJ, if you are reading, I think you are absolutely correct, and your final line will read, one day, as the most fitting of epitaph’s: “Smallish stuff hurrying constantly to write itself bigger with words”.
Leave him be Bob – unless the only company you seek is that from acolytes and bystanders who tremble, skittishly, at your thumbs up thumbs down arrogance.
Leave him be.
Apologise for your conceit and leave him be.
Tell it to Joe Esterhas.
Who are you?
What are you talking about? I’m The Readster. Shakespeare true identity expert.
Who are you again?
“The Readster”?
Holy Mother of God Girl! How old are you?
Let me guess, 16 or 39?
It’s little wonder you are having such a tough time flapping those buzzing flies off your face.
I’m dying, so are you, that’s what the blowflies are about. Why are you wasting time keeping it so interminably personal? We will all be dead soon enough, we’ve all got bigger fish to fry.
It’s our old mate JG Cole/Stagger Lee back to annoy us all.
I figured that out with the “who are you” question. I hope we don’t get bogged back in that mire, we are so close to figuring out who wrote Shakespeare. The last thing we need are useless diversions.
Anne Marlowe de Vere, sister of the suede shoe tycoon.
You think I am StaggerLee or JGCole? This coming from the man who would explode the Shakespeare/Oxfordmyth? Speaking of which, how do you propose to go about that? Will you offer any evidence or do you think by sheer dint of avatar changes you will force history’s hand?
Oh my Doug.
The rattling dear Stagger gave you has left your mind scrambled.
She has you seeing stars.
She was a special one that’s for sure.
I saw her from the very beginning, just a few days before you appeared if memory serves.
No, I am not her. not even close.
Ask my husband though. He writes here often enough to have his own ideas.
I meant Loula and Helvi.
You are a pugnacious one Reader. That’s a wonderful thing. Unfortunately it makes you go off half cocked most of the time.
Bzzzbzz. Bzzz. (And I think Helvi would agree that -) Bzzbzbzzbzzz!
You’re dying too, Loula. It’s called mortality. Deal with it.
Gibson is a pretty ugly private person. Bob is caught up with Mel’s cinematic persona and distracted by the question of charity and charitable works. Done to assuage Mel’s conscience.
Employing Jews hardly means that he’s not anti-semitic, just that he’ll use the best available resources to do the job.
Sure Terrance went over the top, triply stuffed terrance propp; send him to coventry, good Bob.
Bloody Quixote’s got me doing it now.
Macabre, when all that inter-dimensional, organic wellspring bullshit is done with, should we girls advise them to look again at the pearl cast before swine? Distract them. Maybe fools rushed in, again. You suggest to RJ that he/she should request removal of That Poem?
You seem so sure of Mel –
Wish I knew him, as well.
Inter-dimensional, organic wellsprings are never done with. That’s what’s good about them.
Reader1, have you ever had an annoying parent, or parent-in-law, who insisted on giving you “good advice”?
If they consistently gave bad advice, that would be fine. As it is, sometimes the advice is good, sometimes terrible. Telling the difference can be brutal.
Remember Polonius, the would-be father-in-law to Hamlet Prince of Denmark?
Nearly every authority and critic believed he was based on Lord Burley, chief adviser to Elizabeth 1.
Well it so happens that he was the father of Edward De Vere’s wife, Anne. Spooky?
You want to know spooky? I mean real “spooky”?
It’s a man who has no internal discrimination – and every thought, relevant or not, spews out; where every loose cerebral fart slips out and pollutes these forums.
Now that is “spooky”!
Who asked you? You have come in part way through a long conversation, which thanks to the nature of this website is necessarily spread out over many different threads.
If you don’t like it don’t read it.
How can i avoid it? You spread it around so thick. It’s like walking through a cow field.
Just to enlighten you doug, I’ve been here since Bob’s blog opened. Its first day actually.
Go away JG Cole, Stagger Lee or whatever you are.
Glad to be of assistance, Macabre.
Have you looked at :
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-19/green-media-comments-surprise/3959432
Where Jonathan Green looks at the online blogger issues. Food for thought.
Who said ‘J.G. Cole’??!!
Is my hero here?
I think the word you’re after is “heroine” Maryellen.
I’ve been here for quite some time and StaggerLee/JGCole,who are the same by the way, Doug’s got that bit right, is definitely a woman.
I place her mid 40′s. Don’t know about kids or husband.
What I do know is that she can write and that there’s fire in her belly!
I hope she returns.
Jim, Terrance and allthumbs can’t be expected to carry everyone else.
I rarely write Mary so don’t expect a reply if you write to me. It’s not out of rudeness it’s just that I like to read. My husband does most of the writing anyway. He’s here regularly.
Think you can find him before Doug makes another avatar change?
Ps. I like your comments very much. Please keep contributing.
A woman. Oh no. It’s over.
In common with another!, J.G. Cole had a slight apostrophe problem, but what the…., dazzling performance outweighed..
But don’t you love it when They catch up. And then runtoBob, with Their discovery.
Rest up, P. Casey’s sister (eighty years old). Your straight-backed, square-shouldered old brother was immediately told of your startling appearance and he
…. killer laugh. Truly
How exciting! Multiple posts from me!
Thank you very much for your final sentiment. It made me smile.
Now, let me ask a question of you. Should I risk this thumbfight with Bob over Grass’ Nobel prize?
Seriously, do you think he’s honourable enough to fulfill his end of the deal?
My intuition, guided by months of reading, tells me No.
What are your thoughts Maryellen?
I’m in Montville now so you could probably shout them to me.
High ground.
Stay there.
Southern Suers in purSuit
You answer your own posts. You are thoroughly deranged. Get help now, “Stagger Lee JG Cole Mary Ellen P Casey’s Sister”.
Psychologists should be queueing up to assist.
FYI, there may be some other people to add to the list of people to sue or hold responsible for Mr Gibson’s incarceration or suicide.
“Over the years, Mel Gibson has insulted Jews, African-Americans, and Mexicans. Don’t worry, if he hasn’t insulted your ethnicity yet, he’ll get around with it.” –David Letterman
“BP is putting a new cap on the leaking oil well. It could capture up to 90 percent of the disgusting filth that’s spewing from there. And if it works, they’re going to try the same thing on Mel Gibson.” –Craig Ferguson
“On the latest Mel Gibson tape, he insults women and uses ethnic slurs and obscenities. I knew Mel was an actor and a director, but apparently he’s also a rapper.” –Jay Leno
“BP stopped the oil leak at 3:25 p.m. Eastern Time. And at 3:26 p.m., Mel Gibson and Lindsay Lohan began jockeying for the title of ‘biggest disaster.’” –Jimmy Fallon
“All of Mel Gibson’s troubles could have been avoided if he’d just made those calls with the iPhone 4. None of them would have gone through.” –Jay Leno
“There’s now a 48-hour cease-fire going on in the Middle East. Israel will stop attacking Hezbollah. But, Hezbollah will not necessarily agree to stop attacking Israel. Hey, we can’t even get Mel Gibson to stop attacking Israel.” –Jay Leno
“Mel Gibson apologized to the Jewish community for anti-Semitic remarks he made when he was drunk. Yeah, then Gibson apologized to Catholics for not being able to hold his liquor.” –Conan O’Brien
“Mr. Gibson announced today that he will be entering rehab — the Betty Ford Center for his alcoholism, and I believe the Henry Ford Center For Anti-Semitism.” –Jon Stewart
“As you may have heard, Mel Gibson was arrested in Malibu on a DUI. I don’t know what he was drinking but I think you can rule out Manischewitz.” –Jay Leno
“The sheriff said that Mel’s blood alcohol was .12. Give you an idea how high that is, half a point higher and he would officially be a Kennedy.” –Jay Leno
“They said on the news that if he is convicted he could face up to 14 days in the ‘Thunderdome.’” –Jay Leno
“Police said today that they found a bottle of tequila in Mel’s Lexus. So let’s sum up what happened here; Mel Gibson, who grew up in Australia, was drinking alcohol from Mexico in his Japanese car while yelling about the Jews in Israel. You know where he was coming from? A Thai restaurant. Welcome to America.” –Jay Leno
“Condoleezza Rice has been extremely busy this week, shutting back and forth between Israel and Mel Gibson’s house.” –Jay Leno
“It does not look good for Mel. A lot of people are very upset over his anti-Semitic remarks. In fact, even Louis Farrakhan said, “I can’t believe what he said about the Jews.’” –Jay Leno
“There are people already trying to capitalize on the Mel Gibson Jewish controversy. In fact a DVD of the arrest just came out. It’s called ‘Goys Gone Wild.’” –Jay Leno
“There’s some controvery about Mel Gibson’s for a DUI in Malibu. They think he may have gotten special treatment. There’s a police report that says instead of handcuffing him like they usually do, the arresting officer opened the door and asked Mel nicely to step in. I think right about now, Rodney King is going, ‘I should have been an actor!’” –Jay Leno
“Mel Gibson learned his lesson. He said it’s the last time he tries to outdrink Lindsay Lohan.” –Jay Leno
“Mel Gibson said today he wants Jewish leaders to meet with him. My advice to Jewish leaders: Don’t go, it’s a trap…Actually, they’re still waiting to hear from the leader of LA’s Jewish community, Madonna.” –Jay Leno
“A lot of people mad at Mel Gibson. Yesterday on The View, Barbara Walters said because of his anti-Semitic remarks, she will never see a Mel Gibson movie again. Yeah, Walters said, as far as I’m concerned, he’s Star Jones to me” –Conan O’Brien
These are all good jokes. What do you think should be Mel’s gaol sentence?
If no gaol sentence, what are you talking about?
Please answer this.
Anybody want to play Gunter Grass?
I do!
Let me roll first!
OK 4 Tin Drums gets you a seat at the table, minimum bet is a Nobel Prize and “Ranicki” can only be called when you are two picture cards away from a straight. Henry Fords can be exchanged by dint of the croupier’s discretion only, although you have to roll a one using two dice to take advantage of the possible flush sunny side up.
Oh that Gunter Grass!
I thought you meant the guy who served in the SS in late ’44 and ’45 and whose poem “What Must Be Said,” takes a large stick to Israel.
Not him?
I fold.
The match umpire makes the decision, but there seems to be no multiple Grass confusion, same Herr no wigs.
His views on Israel/Iran may be questionable, but Grass is not antisemitic, and his friend?/critic/foe/nemesis Marcel Reich-Ranicki does not lay the label of Antisemite on Grass.
And though Grass stayed stumm on his military service ( and by the time he was drafted in the term “SS” had little to do with its past infamy as far as the tank division was called, he has led the good fight in making Germany front its past. The question is raised as to who is more culturally influential Gibson or Grass?
I’d say Gibson.
) who reads anymore?
After all allthumbs (
By the looks of it here I’d say about 3 people.
I assume you’re G K Cole and will soon remove you. Till then I ask one question. Should Grass be stripped of his Nobel Prize and asked to give back the money? Or half of it? Or one tenth? Or five dollars? If none of these things, why do even raise it?
Why on earth would you assume that I’m Cole?
On the trembling say so of your paranoid poodle?
I’ll give you my answer on Grass when you answer that for me.
Then I’ll decide if I wish to comment on your blog again.
How’s that Bob?
Answer the question.
Bob, with your history of evasion I think it would be more appropriate if you answer the question first.
I notice in your “Premier’s” article that you have swallowed the poodle’s assumptions. In light of that I would like to make this clear: you propose to have me answer your polemic, give you the satisfaction of a crushing put down and then flick the switch on me?
Who do think you are – Bolt, Laws, Jones, Akerman?
Bob puts up at least one new article every day, yet the main topics of conversations seem to be: Who should be banned today, who’s allowed to stay….
The thing is, none of us can change the world (though I’m trying!); but we may all be able to influence our host.
I’ll never forget the wonderful Schlondorff movie The Tin Drum made from equally memorable book Die Blectrommel by Gunter Grass
You may need to ban some more people Mr Ellis – I fear this website contains material that may be injurious to the wellbeing or the star in question.
http://www.jokes4us.com/celebrityjokes/melgibsonjokes.html
Don’t push it, Terrance.
Genuinely wasn’t trying to ‘push it’ Doug – I have learnt my lesson and am in the kennel – only making the point that there is a lot of material out there which pokes fun at celebrities.
Please don’t capitulate Terrance! Please! Your argument with Bob was the best thing that’s happened to this blog for 2 or 3 weeks!
I suppose if you are, and again please don’t, give it up to the Megalomaniac Bob and not to his poodle.
Casey, you are The Cat, and banned for life.
Ellis, re your above response. You clearly have an ulterior motive in writing publicly about Mel Gibson – one which does not take his personal concerns genuinely.
You had a simple option: delete the comment which may have done him harm. You are the only one with the power to delete this possible harm.
You didn’t. You haven’t.
It is you, who is in trouble. Now, it has gone too far, and you have lost control of it.
People are also growing aware of how you instigate these things, for your part.
This is but another signpost on the way to the inevitable trainwreck: destroyed relationships, destroyed legacy, destroyed credibility, destroyed future options. It’s happening here, before your eyes. Covering it up with past writings doesn’t stop it.
Mate. You have options.
Delete the blog. (It’s not a “column”).
Delete comments facility. (Everyone is respecting your right to write, and your enjoyment of it. You’re coming unstuck elsewhere. Just write and enjoy it, digger.)
Write a book which isn’t cut and paste of others’ conversations, doings and events. Make it your own, something, now you are getting old as you say, which really matters. And not about what you ate for lunch, or the coffee you had (while those whom you wrote about, and who filled your book with their – real and eventful deeds and conversations of consequence – did them.) Be you.
Enough. You will disparage this, abuse it, intimidate it, antagonise it, denigrate it, and worse.
This is not your world, the modern world of interaction – in what you call your “column”, and even at The Drum.
It’s not good for you. It doesn’t suit you.
Delete the blog.
Or adapt. I beseech you to read http://noplaceforsheep.com/.
Cogent, highly intelligent writing without embellishment, non-formulaic, non-repetitive (by its own need, as yours is), and, frankly, more brilliant and relevent and.. most of all effective.
Effective? As in readership? Again, this is a trainwreck inevitable, and if that’s how you want these days to gain your readership, while you dig up the old times and sell them for free, that’s up to you.
Enough. This is enough, for you.
Delete the blog. Delete the comments facility. Write a proper book. You’re losing it here and you do not know it.
“Or adapt. I beseech you to read http://noplaceforsheep.com/.”!!!
Oh RJ how could you?
And here I was already slipping into something more comfortable after that wonderful post of yours yesterday and I was so impressed with this offering that I was almost at my delicate’s!
I have never read a more incestuous, more ill-informed, more uncritical blog in my reading days.
One of Bob’s arguments, just one, trumps npfs’s entire output for originality and insight.
What an awful, awful, let down
You are banned for life plus eighty-two years.
Do not imagine I am joking. Or you are funny.
You never were.
I’ve referred your comments to my legal team, P Casey’s Sister, it’s high time someone made you accountable for the slanderous blatherings you leave across the www like the foul droppings of an intestinally challenged dog.
Baaah.
What did your legal team have to say? The case of “incestuous, ill-informed and uncritical” being said by a commenter on someone else’s blog in reference to another blog, not even an individual, would have to set something of a precedent in the high court, surely.
Oh dear, Reader 1.
from No Place for Sheep.
I’ve only been there once, very briefly, by accident. You must be very prominent in the Google stakes for me to have been so easily lulled. You’re a human marketing campaign.
No Place For Sheep. No Place For Sheep.
No Place For Sheep.
Now girls, please don’t argue over past disagreements; we really do need a united front against this monster, the ‘United States of Tara’ thing.
This is the heart of the heart of darkness territory right here, Doug.
There’s a big part of me RJ that agrees with everything you say in your post. I feel chuffed when given a crumb of recognition by Bob and a loaf of guilt by seeing his time taken away from his real work, the plays, screenplays, the books etc. when tending to the blog.
I think he is brave to participate as he does on this blog. And despite the differences between a number of bloggers, I really have enjoyed 99.9% of the posts, their humour and insight, their personal revelations, it is a nice place to be.
Recently I have written a spate of posts, but I think I will retire and await the books, the TV series and films, the SMH column when Henderson loses all relevance. Henderson and Ellis are almost the same age, how did they become so different in the same country at the same time?
I want to see the Murdoch Mini Series, I want to read the eventual evisceration of Tony Abbott when the time eventually comes.
It’s been fun, but I think as you do, that Bob has better work to do and bigger fish to fry.
Good on you Bob Ellis, let’s do lunch.
I would break my heart to see you go allthumbs. It truly would. I think your contributions are one of the more interesting and quirky, intelligent and thoughtful, ones going around.
Please reconsider.
Maryellen doesn’t write often enough to fill the void.
Who will be left to take the fight to Bob? There’s only Terrance and jim.
Stay.
I think I should retire and leave Mr Ellis alone and stick to my day job … or is it??
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/44300.html
You could also write for Mr Bolt with your slants of pen.
You have created the interest with this blog.
Shut it down. (Don’t fret the internet archives.
And come back with the white-hot work you always really wanted to write.
Who’s paying you?