Jewish Community Not Counting 'Apocalypto' Screenings Towards Mel Gibson's Public Apology Commitments
Last weekend, troubled Malibu feudal lord Mel Gibson took a well-documented break from the onerous demands of his outpatient alcohol addiction recovery program, temporarily substituting his therapeutic poolside meditation sessions with a serenity-promoting jaunt to Oklahoma and Austin for screenings of Apocalypto, his upcoming film. But now that Gibson's proven a willingness to appear outside the house, the people to whom the star long ago promised all manner of public displays of contrition in his second apology are wondering when he's going to get around to showing up at those Bar Mitzvahs:
"He said very hurtful things, and he issued an apology, but he said he'd reach out to the Jewish community, and he simply hasn't done that yet," said Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
"It's amazing that he waited for weeks after that incident to make a public appearance, and when he did, it wasn't to make good on his apology, but rather to sell his film," said Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.
"Gibson cynically thinks that a few glib quotes can make his problems go away. It won't. He has to deal with what he's done."
Somehow, we had a feeling that Gibson's absentee pennies and bagels stand on Hollywood Boulevard wasn't going to satisfy his public apology commitments. And even when he finally makes good on those promises to the war-mongering populace (read deeper into the article and you'll see that Foxman still hasn't forgotten about that part), it will still probably take him months to heal his relationship with the sugar-titted community, to whom he has still not officially expressed his regret.