In vino veritas

I never paid much attention to the "is Mel Gibson an anti-Semite?" debate. Some said they saw proof of it in his background and/or artistic work, but he vehemently denied it; a reasonable person could believe either position. But I think the proof is there now; he's not just anti-Jewish, but a raving nut about it:

The report says Gibson then launched into a barrage of anti-Semitic statements: "F*****g Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson then asked the deputy, "Are you a Jew?"

In his encounter with the cops, he also seems fairly despicable in other ways, hurling insults and threats, and just from blowing .12 on the breathalyzer, which would make him a wuss, too.

All these people who use alcoholism as an excuse for everything are geting tiresome, but it still seems to work. "Good Morning America" this morning re-ran an earlier profile of Gibson in which he talked about his lifelong battle with alcohol, and he came off looking like this heroic and tragic figure. Phooey.

I'm not saying addiction isn't real, and I emphathize with all those who struggle with it; they deserve our support and, sometimes, our admiration. But I've seen enough people drink heavily that I know it brings out the truest nature of people. Alcohol reduces our inhibitions, which are the glue holding together the masks we show the world. You want to know what someone is really like, pour him a few shots and see if he is a quiet drunk or a loud one, a funny one or a mean one. Mel Gibson is not someone I'd like to drink with, which means he's not someone I'd even care to know.