Can you spell ‘Schadenfreude’?
The rest of the news of the past week has been so grim, the revelation that when Gibson was arrested for speeding under the influence, he cursed out his captors, called one officer “sugar tits,” attempted to piss himself, attempted to run away, and, most notably, finally abandoned all pretense of not being an anti-semitic asshat. “Fucking Jews,” he ranted to the cops, and that’s just the beginning — please help yourself to the police report, linked above.
In short, he took the mask off and put the white hood on.
Abe Foxman condemned him, of course; more interestingly, so did Ari Emanuel, the power-agent represented by Jeremy Piven on Entourage. This leads the cognoscenti to ask, when they’re done chuckling: will Hollywood abandon him to his shame, despite Mel’s recent mega-success? Or will studio heads, regardless of their personal religious affiliation, choose the allure of the bottom line over the demands of their conscience?
My money’s on the money winning out, of course. But it will be fun to watch Mel spend some time eating (kosher) crow. What do you think he’ll do to try to convince people he’s changed his fuckhead ways? Perhaps he’ll be prescribed the Hollywood version of penance: make three miniseries about the Holocaust and one documentary about sexual harrassment.
It’s been a hard week in Lake Woebegone for the chosen people. With Israeli airstrikes killing Lebanese civilians at a frightening rate and no end to the violence in sight, Al Qaeda demanding worldwide retaliation against Jews wherever you find them, and one man in Seattle having proven himself eager to do his part, how can you not want to hide under the bed? At least the prospect of mocking Mel in company gives me a reason to leave the apartment.
Be cautious. Schadenfreude, like alcohol, is best consumed in moderation.
Besides, remember that it’s a long time until January 20th, 2009. Pace yourself, because Gibson’s fall is not the most embarrassing to come, nor from the highest perch.