Interesting...similarities between DU and FR

[Rabrrrrrr]

When the Passion of The Christ came out, and word of Mel's very dogmatic and conservative (religiously) Catholicism came out, lots of DUers came to the conclusion that he must be a right-wing scary republican-type. I didn't get it, but there it was.

AND

When the Passion of The Christ came out, and word of Mel's very dogmatic and conservative (religiously) Catholicism came out, lots of freepers mistakenly came to the conclusion that he must be a right-wing totally cool republican-type. I didn't get it, but there it was.



Hmmmm.....now Mr. Gibson, whom I never really thought of as a freeper type, but did know was a very traditional Catholic (and make no mistake, there are parts of his brand of Catholicism with which I disagree; but then, who cares?), I just figured Mel was an average Joe whose films I liked who happened to be making a film about a religious moment that has profound meaning for him and for many millions of people worldwide. But, based solely on his wanting to make a rather violent film about a rather violent event, I never thought to make the connection of him being, therefore, a super rightwing political nob. Many on DU sure as hell did.

I find it rather funny - and sad - how both many at DU and many at FreeRepublic came to the same conclusion about a person's political leanings simply because he made a bloody film about a moment in one's man life (instead of, as so many DUers would have had it, a film about Jesus' teachings that left out the crucifixion or minimized it)that is near and dear to pretty much all Christians, whether liberal or conservative.

Hmmmmmmm..........

I think DUers can do better than they did in relation to Mr. Gibson. And perhaps many others. Not that I'm innocent - I'm sure I've badnamed others whom I don't remember for similarly silly and sophomoric reasons. But I do think we can do better.

[redqueen]

1. Yeah

People of all political stripes make the mistake of assuming things about people. It's a bad habit.

[Worst Username Ever]

2. When I read a post over there and then go to GD or whatever over here,

I unfortunately see a lot of the same paranoia and name calling on both sides. Kind of a relief, actually, that we are not the only ones fearful of the other side. What is pathetic is that they are the ruling party, and still scared.

[Maat]

3. I understand how easy it is to see things that way ...

(I see your point); however, I think it goes beyond that. Although I never came out slamming Gibson, I cringed at his comments about his wife - he seems like such a judgmental guy (e.g. saying she was going to Hell because she was Methodist).

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. Yeah, that's the part that hurts me about his faith

It's so exclusionist and, perhaps, even paranoid. Not to mention not exactly anti-woman, but certainly not helpful to woman moving beyond a traditional role of baby maker and meal cooker.

And the homophobia.

[Hobarticus]

7. He's TOTALLY paranoid..he fits every stereotype of the wild-eyed Christian

That's what bothers me about him, too.

[Maat]

10. Exactly what I was thinking!

Robin Gibson - you hardly ever see her. I hope she's O.K. with her life. I only have one child - so I can really enjoy time with her. It would bug me to have such a large family. But that's just MY style. I couldn't stand my husband mouthing off about me in public like he does about her. And the comments about GLBT issues really make me go, 'Ick! Mel Gibson! Ick!

I once went to a website that discussed the practices of Traditionalist Catholics (I think that is what Mel's group calls themselves), and they just seemed very sexist. Women, of course, are not allowed to be leaders in his brand of Catholicism, and must wear special scarfs even before entering the Church. I believe that there are quite a few restrictions on a female's behavior once she enters a church service. I have to refresh my memory, though.

[Skittles]

4. Mel has a history of being a homophobic asshole

long before his lates f'ing movie came out

[Hobarticus]

5. Mel's scary for far more reasons than just POTC...

POTC was just icing on the cake.

I think many DUers found the anti-Semitism of the movie hard to swallow.

His father's a Holocaust denier, and Mel hasn't exactly gone out of his way to distance himself from that, has he?

This Christian DUer thinks exploiting the violence of the last days of Christ out of the context of the rest of his life and teachings is pretty shallow and, well, exploitive. Jesus was about much more than his death.

He's out to make a buck, like anyone. I just find him hypocritical.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. he was homophobic then and is homophobic now

i still think he is repulsive regardless of whether or not he like fahrenheit 9/11

[Crowdance]

9. Didn't take a move to make him right wing

He has a long history of mysogyny, hatred of homosexuals, opposition to stem cell research and abortion. He earned the title long ago.

[Maat]

11. Yes, that comment he made about stem cell research ...

stating that all of us were a clump of cells or a fertilized egg or something at once time, just plain did not make any sense to me - he made no even semi-distinguishable point.

[MADem]

12. When it is entertainment that you PAY for

I say, let people do what they will, the market will be the great leveller. The only time I have a problem with a point of view is when it is pounded home on the public airwaves, and designed to tout a political agenda. If people want to pay to see it, let them.

The hijacking of the film by the right (or collusion with Mel, depending on your mindset, I guess) did help sales, did generate controversy, did create "news" stories about it...but F 911 got the same kind of lift. I guess the secret to success is to get the other side screaming about whatever you write, film, create--that way you develop a base for your product that is motivated greatly, not just by the subject matter, but also by the desire to beat the other team. It's like baseball, or football....but with politics and/or Jesus!

I sure wouldn't FORCE anyone to watch F-911. I'd recommend it, that's for sure. And based on the reviews of the PASSION film (18 minutes of excoriation and crucifixion that is painful to watch) and the fact that the subject matter is not consuming to me, personally, I chose not to watch the movie. If HBO grabs it, I might watch a few minutes of it--but I'm not especially moved to try to see it.

If people want to spend their money, they should go for it. The rightwingers buy up their own books in bulk to bump sales, but the whole film thing is another proposition. If movies aren't good, they sink like a stone. Ask Madonna "Swept Away" and Guy!

[SOteric]

13. I was just getting a chuckle last night

over how DUers last season assumed that '24' was a liberal/progressive show because many of it's plotlines were dangerously close to reality in many situations and it tended to show the American government in often unflattering ways: wars for oil, etc.

Last night a group of DUers launched a condemnation of the show as blatantly Freeper owing to a single character's insult of Michael Moore and one of Jack Bauer's trademark OTT interviewing techniques.

Personally, I don't know that one can ever sort an individual's politics out of a production. Hundreds, sometimes thousands of people of varying opinion work to make a show, a movie, a stage production. And of course there's that business about artistic and entertainment objectives so frequently having damned little to do with substance and reality.