"It would be like asking someone associated with the K.K.K. to do a movie on the African-American experience"
In the fallout following Mel Gibson's bizarre anti-Semitic tirade, a planned miniseries about the Holocaust (which would have been directed by Gibson) has been cancelled. [from NY Times]
On Monday, Hope Hartman, a spokeswoman for Disney’s ABC television network, said the company was dropping its plans to produce a Holocaust-themed miniseries in collaboration with Mr. Gibson.“Given that it’s been nearly two years and we have yet to see the first draft of a script, we have decided to no longer pursue this project with Icon,” Ms. Hartman said, referring to Mr. Gibson’s production company.
She did not connect the project’s termination to Mr. Gibson’s remarks. But his statements had already attracted sharp criticism from some who argued that he should be disqualified from moving ahead with the series, despite having apologized for several anti-Jewish statements.
“I don’t think he should be doing a film on the Holocaust,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who had previously criticized what he saw as anti-Semitic overtones in Mr. Gibson’s hit, “The Passion of the Christ.” “It would be like asking someone associated with the K.K.K. to do a movie on the African-American experience.” [read it all]
This begs the question, why would such an obvious anti-Semite want to do a miniseries on the Holocaust anyway? If he gets convicted of a crime, maybe Mel will be reassigned. You know, as a public service advertisement.
Bill McCartney
