I wouldn't say that I spent a lot of time thinking about Actors. I draw a blank when my Wife mentions them, having her finger on the pulse of what is hip and happening. I however, just know that Angelina Jolie is that woman that is kinda Turkey-shaped and I know Mel Gibson because I think I dug the Mad Max movies when I was younger. You see, other than cases of schadenfreude I really don't pay THAT much attention to these overpaid, self-important tools.
I think I realised this when Jamie Foxx believed he really WAS Ray Charles after playing him in some bio-pic I'm yet to see... I thought it was a bit... sad?
What was I getting at? Oh... these Mel Gibson tapes released by his soon to be ex-girlfiend. Let me start by saying that I have faults the same as anyone else and what I might say may be misinterpreted (the grammatical flaws are a HUGE giveaway) , I am by no means a great writer but at the end of the day I'm content with myself knowing that I've done everything I can to make my life better. I'm neither Homophobic nor Racist - certainly not without MANY, MANY faults but I'll admit those without shame, I am what I am.
Now the kneejerk reaction to the content of the Tapes seemed somewhat outrageous to me. I'd like to compare what was said to the average Ice Cube album, for example "Go to the corner-store and beat the Jap up/Clean the Crap up/Out my City/Now the whole Block lookin' shitty". I loved NWA I'll admit, but the pedestal that Ice Cube's placed on is obscene - he even refers to his back catalog as having the answers for the trials young black americans face. I don't think that anything Mel Gibson said on his tapes were ANY MORE or less offensive than ANY of Ice Cubes shitty rhymes and lazy beats.
Its 2010 and most of us aren't kids anymore, aren't lost in Academia and aren't closed off from the fact that the average working Joe MAY WELL have a colourful idea and view on Race and Sex either passed down from their elders or others or formed themselves - just as easily they may have balanced p.c. views straight outta Oprah's manual of life. Many facets of life have opened up to me lately through my own further education, reading and life in general - for example: there are many, many relationships that are fiery, physically violent and may to the average eye seem 'unnatural' (for want of a better word).These relationships can't be filed under 'abusive' as they are natural to either party. Not everything CAN be filed into a neat little box - it's just how it is. It's what keeps life interesting - not necessarily easy to swallow for some folks. Violence, Hate, Race Relations - the whole deal has so many years to go and so many lessons to be taught and learned . I'm not going to begin and say that I know the right way but one thing I will say for sure is that I'd rather have the issues ON THE TABLE than hidden away under some ultra-politically correct rug!... I'd rather things were discussed and goddamn DEALT WITH.
I've never watched 'The View', In itself I consider it fairly offensive (imagine a show hosted by men whose sole aim was to bad mouth women?) however, It gave Whoopi Goldberg the forum to announce "I know Mel and I know he isn't a racist" which could actually be true. Not all racists are your cliche dumb fat-necks. With a job in the entertainment industry you would have to be pretty stupid to stick to your ultra right-wing guns if indeed that's how you felt. At the end of the day, all races are breeding and filling up this peculiar planet . Racists may feel like it is 'a necessary evil' to work for and amongst people of another race. If that really affects how you approach life, how are you to progress through your workplace? Through life at all? It just isn't realistic for anyone. Everyone wants to fuck... reproduction ain't stopping any time soon, concentrating on things you CAN change is clearly more important, besides when people of different races breed... their kids are always beautiful!.. FACT!
Whether Alcohol loosens ones tongue will always be up for debate but when in the heat of argument with another person, a concealed tape recorder generally isn't expected to be part of the deal .All manner of horrific, regrettable things are said to prove a point. At this point I sound defensive on Gibsons part and I'm not, not in the slightest - he's a dickhead, pure and simple, a religious nutcase too. Physical violence against anyone is despicable but to a lover? a wife? Pretty unforgivable in anyones book.
So Mel Gibson is a racist. I'm pretty sure that a good percentage of the people you go to school with, work with, stand in a queue with are as well. It doesn't matter what financial background or history, people from all over the spectrum have views that may seem abhorrent to you. Doctors, teachers - certainly politicians! Maybe that's a sweeping generalisation worthy of a bigot, but to me at least that has been MY truth!
I'm open with my flaws and happy to present them. I think I have a fair bit of mileage to my knowledge but I certainly wouldn't call myself smarter than anyone else. I like to be realistic that's all. Phil Anselmo of Down/Pantera/Arson Anthem/Christ Inversion and countless others caught the wrath of mainly the British press when talking about how White Males were not able to be openly proud of themselves. Looking at the footage I can tell that it could have been said more eloquently, but at the end of the day working class guys don't necessarily have a stage to voice their opinions. It wasn't something I personally would feel the need to say, but there is something wrong in my mind about the MOBO "music of black origin" Awards. I find that ceremony in itself fairly offensive due to being limited to one skin colour! Well, there we go back to Ice Cube and his shitty music. I always loved Hip Hop. In the late 80s I would religiously tape Pete Tong's hip-hop show and think hip hop music peaked in the early to mid 90's.I still unearth treasures now and again. I always like to feel that I can delve back into that stuff . I'm still annoyed by race double standards, but other than stating the obvious, hip-hop got me into hardcore and a whole world of music so I can't complain.
I am honest with others. When it comes down to it, I have gone through some horribly misogynist phases. Usually as a way of licking my wounds at the end of a relationship or through what turned out to be life altering fuck ups with girls way out of my league or self destructive waifs fucked up beyond all repair who I would let walk all over me because they let me try and be 'Man The Protector' - what a peanut I am. There was no serious hatred behind my misogyny (at least not to my memory) but some anger which was misguided and immature without the shadow of a doubt. I would certainly never ask forgiveness for those moments. Indeed, I actually have female friends that dealt with the brunt of it, they are STILL friends with me because they saw through it I guess. An apology would be pointless because its a fault of mine and I can't promise I'd never childishly react in that way again. It's part of me (having said that... I can't see me being that harsh to anyone). It was just part of my reaction to being emotionally hurt which I'll admit is very easy to do. I am by all means a bit of an asshole, but what you see is what you get.
You have a whole lifetime, or a year, a month, a week to improve yourself. Every day you learn and at the end of the day Mel Gibson is as much a douchebag as any other guy you'll bump into during the week.
*Fact Checked by Chantel de Sousa (who does not watch 'The view")
Playlist:
Public Image Limited - Plastic Box
Growing - Pumps!
Large Professor - The LP
JG Thirlwell - Manorexia : The Mesopelagic Waters
Grief - Come To Grief
Kayo Dot - Coyote
Aphex Twin - Come To Daddy EP
Refused - Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent
Antioch Arrow - Gems Of Masochism
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