« March 2006 | Main | August 2006 »
July 31, 2006
Oh Mel, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Us?
Is Mel Gibson a raving bigot or simply a drunken ass?
This question arises from his DUI arrest last week, which according to published reports involved various degrees of resisting arrest, attempted escape, striking officers of the law, anti-Jewish ranting (“Fucking Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,” Mel stated before he asked the arresting deputy “Are you a Jew?”), and anti-woman ranting, referring to one of the officers as “sugar tits.”
Perhaps I’m being presumptuous about that last one. Perhaps Mel was thinking of that famous 1950s breakfast cereal, Kellogg’s Sugar Tits. I remember them. Screw Tony; they were great. And the mascot was unbelievable!
Mel also boasted that he “owned Malibu,” which no doubt he purchased from the Jews.
Okay, I find this whole thing rather funny, but that’s because I’m a Richard Donner fan and I fondly remember Lethal Weapon. However, I also remember his Jesus Christ bloodfest, and I have to tell you, either those big-eared hook-nosed Christ-bating trolls were supposed to be Jews, or Mel got confused, thought he was doing a Star Trek movie and those were actually Ferengi. If that’s the case, Mel was too late as Star Trek had already done the story of Christ – several times.
So now everybody’s all bent out of shape. Is Mel anti-Jewish (I refuse to say “anti-Semantic” when people make anti-Jewish comments) and, taken in the contest of The Passion of The Christ, was he revealing his true self, or was he just a babbling drunk?
Well, in vino veritas motherfucker. But I’m not suggesting Mel’s apology was disingenuous. I think there was a disconnect between his brain and his heart.
By all accounts, Mr. Gibson was raised by a raving Jew-hater. Understandably, Mel refuses to speak to this issue – his father is not a celebrity – but we’re left with the considerable evidence that is available. A lot of people overcome the hate-filled indoctrination of their childhood, but it’s tough for your brain to be overriding your heart consistently.
It’s real tough. I was raised in a strong Catholic neighborhood – it was called “Chicago” – and in my youth I was the constant subject of calls of “Christ killer” (at the time I didn’t even know who the cat was) and much, much worse. A lot of my friends had parents who had survived the Camps, and I had a cousin who was forced, at gunpoint, by the Nazis to bury his father alive. I didn’t need to hear about how Hitler had the right idea – particularly not from kids whose fathers fought in World War II. Upon occasion the abuse became physical and that stuff didn’t end until I started to strike back. As I entered high school and started dating I got a lot comments from girls who supportively told me I was one of “the good ones.” So I think I know something about anti-Jewish bigotry.
My gut tells me Mel was not disingenuous in his apology. But he’s got a lot of deep-rooted paranoia inside of him, and dealing with his alcoholism will not be enough. I wish him the best.
But I note his latest movie is being released by Disney. Friday’s incident would have made Walt very, very happy.
Posted by Mike Gold at 02:48 PM | Comments (17) | TrackBack
July 25, 2006
In Defense of Ann Coulter
Oh, oh, oh, Miss Ann, you’re doin’ something no-one can,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Miss Ann, you’re doin’ something no-one can,
Because believin’ and deceivin’, it’s drivin’ me to grievin’ now.
– Little Richard
A number of newspapers have dropped Ann Coulter’s column in recent months, with others polling their readership to see if they should jump off the bandwagon.
In case you’ve been living in a radiowave-free zone, Coulter is the newspaper columnist and television personality who is often referred to as the person who says what other conservatives are afraid to say. Evidently, ever since Shemp Bush was elected to the White House, “good taste” and “decorum” have become first-time concerns for the American Right. Except for those who are still trying to hang a murder charge on Hillary Clinton, of course.
According the newspaper trade journal Editor and Publisher: “The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle has become the second newspaper to drop Ann Coulter’s column this month, explaining that her “stridency” had crossed the line.
(snip)
“Personally, I continue to be an Ann Coulter fan,” said (editor) Ryan. “I think her logic is devastating and her viewpoint is right most of the time.” He added that the Chronicle would even consider bringing Coulter back if she somehow “became less of a lightning rod.”
Oh, yeah, Editor Ryan? You think she’s right most of the time but you’ve offed her because she’s a lightning rod? Boy, you and your newspaper sure have the courage of your convictions. Why the hell do you run an editorial page if you’re afraid to court controversy? What’s the topic your next hard-hitting editorial – “Augusta Flower Show Is Good?”
Would Perry White stand for such weak-kneed editorial writers? Of course not! Well, I’m referring to the John Hamilton Perry White from the 1950s television show; I’m not sure about the current Frank Langella version. What the revered Mike Royko said about Rupert Murdoch certainly applies to the Augusta Chronicle: “I wouldn’t wrap my fish in a Murdoch newspaper.”
When did American journalism lose its spine? Probably when it started being referred to as “American journalism.”
They’re a buncha pussies, if you ask me.
More anon.
Posted by Mike Gold at 11:36 AM | Comments (19) | TrackBack
July 14, 2006
We interrupt the long hiatus for a brief commercial announcement
GRIMJACK GOES 3D WITH REELART STUDIOS
ReelArt Studios has licensed with The Nightsky GrimJack Rights and Production Vehicle LLC to create resin statues and busts featuring the characters from the Grimjack comic book series and other intellectual property holdings of the company.
The first product will be a 1/8th scale statue featuring John Gaunt, a.k.a. GrimJack, the brooding sword for hire in the city of Cynosure based on the artwork of Timothy Truman. The statue is scheduled to be sculpted by the talented Jason “Spyda” Adams and is planned for an early 2007 release date.
GrimJack is the creation of John Ostrander and Timothy Truman and was originally published in 1983 by First Comics, Inc. as a back-up story in Mike Grell’s long running hit series STARSLAYER. A true overnight sensation, First Comics promptly moved GrimJack into its own stand-alone monthly title. GrimJack was published in more than 80 original comic book issues, an original graphic novel, and three spin-off series. More recently, the series made its return in KILLER INSTINCT, a new graphic novel distributed by IDW Publishing, who is also reprinting the complete First Comics run of GrimJack. A new GrimJack graphic novel by Ostrander and Truman is presently in the works and will begin serialization later this fall, with trade paperback distribution set for spring of 2007.
GrimJack’s creators are long-standing stars of the comic book field. An internationally-produced playwright (Stuart Gordon’s “Bloody Bess”), Mr. Ostrander’s comic book writing credits include “Batman,” “Star Wars,” “X-Men,” and “Superman.” Mr. Truman’s comic book art credits include “The Justice League of America,” “Scout,” “The Lone Ranger, “Star Wars,” and currently “Conan” with Dark Horse Comics. Mr. Truman, an accomplished musician, is also known worldwide for his ongoing artistic work with Grateful Dead Productions.
ReelArt Studios President Michael Hudson said, “Working with Timothy, John and all the guys at Team GrimJack is a dream come true. Grimjack is a truly great comic book character as are the other properties owned by the company. Our plans are to create some really cool, outstanding collectibles with the various characters represented. This is long overdue.”
“Personally speaking, I’ve wanted a high-quality GrimJack statue for more than two decades,” Nightsky GrimJack project director Mike Gold noted. “Our patience has been rewarded beyond my deepest fanboy dreams. The fact that ReelArt’s statue will be coming out just around the time of our next new graphic novel is wonderful serendipity. Timothy, John and all the folks at Team GrimJack can hardly wait!” Gold concluded.
ReelArt Studios is a producer of collectible statues and busts of movie, pulp and comic book characters. placing special emphasis on creator owned properties. The company has licensed a number of pop culture properties to be turned into collectibles. ReelArt has partnered with such companies as King Features, C3 Entertainment, The Frazetta Art Gallery, Continuity Studios and Brown and Bigelow to produce products based on a wide variety of properties. ReelArt Studios is headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL. For more information, visit http://www.reelartstudios.com
Nightsky GrimJack Rights and Production Vehicle LLC is a Chicago-based company with editorial offices in Connecticut. For more information, please visit http://www.grimjack.com
Posted by Glenn Hauman at 11:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack