Put it in the past.

This message has been deleted by an administrator

This message has been deleted by an administrator

This message has been deleted by an administrator

...is to not bring it up and to not make whataboutism arguments.

That means no more tired comparisons of Gibson's treatment to that of Polanski, Allen, Tyson, Brown, etc.

Why? Two reasons.

First, each celebrity's situation is different, and so the internet argument then shifts to the question of just how bad is Mel Gibson. What exactly did he say? What exactly did Oksana accuse him of? This just reminds people (or informs them for the first time) of the worst that Mel has been accused of.

Second, the subtext is often: Mel Gibson is treated differently because he isn't Jewish/black/liberal, etc. This can make his supporters seem racist or partisan and is unhelpful to Mel.

If you want to help Mel on the internet, talk about his good qualities. Don't disparage those who dislike Mel. Mel Gibson was recorded saying a bunch of really horrible stuff, and people can listen to the recordings and form their own opinions. They won't come around to forgiving Mel by being accused of unfairness.

I would not object to this thread being deleted, but I don't think it hurts to have a discussion about how to effectively defend Mel as fans.

Obviously a lot of fans feel that Mel has been treated unfairly, but I don't think that matters. Whether or not there are double standards, Mel did in fact screw up, and he acknowledges this.

Mel's fans should imitate Mel's own approach to this issue. When asked about the studios not backing TPOTC, Mel said that he would have passed on the film too. When TPOTC didn't win any Oscars, Mel didn't make any insinuations about the religious/ethnic makeup of Hollywood. Instead, he said that was to be expected because he didn't mount an Oscar campaign, and besides, the film did get 3 noms. When talking about the infamous recordings, Mel said that he wouldn't blame anyone for thinking he was racist based on the awful stuff on the tapes.

Jodie Foster and RDJ have effectively defended Mel without ever criticizing Oksana or accusing the town of bias. Unlike Gary Oldman, who lit a dumpster fire.

The important thing is that Mel is owning his own mistakes, and that his missteps do not define him as a person.

???

Okay, got it.

I responded to this thread because the OP made a meta comment about what is posted on this board. If OP had merely started thread #63795 about double standards, and compared Mel to a convicted child rapist who got a standing ovation at the Academy Awards, then I probably would have left it alone.

My intention is not to say "shut up," but to contribute to the discussion by arguing why this approach does not help Mel.

No but rehashing the past events over and over again doesn't help either nor does the Jews run Hollywood comments and the people speculating the Jews are out to ruin Mel. People see so called fans making these comments and right away assume Gibson would back them up. When he might not. Bashing a race of people or even bashing his ex might not be the greatest thing a fan can do on these boards to help Gibson. because some people might think well if his fans are like that and if he appoves of this I wonder what can he be like really? And there goes that public perception thing again.
Public perception doesn't run on truth. Just what people percieve to be the truth or what they want it to be.

FIVE TO ONE BABY ONE IN FIVE NO ONE HERE GETS OUT ALIVE - JIM MORRISON