A Lethal Weapon

It is the most interesting role Mel Gibson has ever played. Even his acting skills--which are one-note performances-- can't compare with his latest, fascinating character. He is playing a psycho, a man on the edge of madness, someone who will do bodily injury to either himself or someone else. A ticking time bomb ready to do fatal damage. And, as we all have heard, he is playing his real- life self.... Now, I have never been a fan of Mel Gibson. I do not dislike him or am jealous of his looks , as many men are [ jealousy ain't in my DNA, folks]. I always found him to be a bland actor. Once in a while I would like a movie he was in but, rarely for his acting. He always has seemed too jittery for my tastes. A nervous guy who made me nervous watching him. But, for most of his career, he banked on his good looks to drive him to stardom. And, it sure did. I have never met a woman who did not have a serious case of the hots for the man. Many a girlfriend would drag me to his films so she could feast on him. I didn't mind. Everybody should have the right to gaze lustfully at your favorite sex object. Plus, I benefitted from the experience of her being turned on, if you know what I am saying. So, Mel Gibson was just another actor I tolerated while waiting for a good performance from a real actor. This is not a criticism of him, but, I always liked real acting as opposed to movie star acting. Mel Gibson sure has qualified as a movie star, I grant you that. From the early 80's until, oh, the early part of this century, he was a top dog in Hollywood. Money and adulation flowed from his loyal fan base and he successfully maintained a series of career moves. He went from actor to producer to director. He even picked up an Oscar for his overpraised movie ''Braveheart''. He was riding high all these years and making money for himself and the studio. With that, he seemed to be a Teflon actor. Nothing could stain his reputation... Now, we know there was a demon side to him. One of the tricks of Hollywood is to hide the real person from his or her adoring public. This is not new. Most performers are vastly different people than what their public believes they are. And, that is ok also. It is not necessary for a performer in any field to lead a life of virtue. We are all human beings with human being faults-- and, that applies to our stars. As long as they are not horrible, abusive human people, then how they are personally is of no importance. The only thing that should matter to the public is the product they give you. If you are satisfied with it then the job of the performer is done.... Mel Gibson, and his real self, slips away from this point. We have all heard the tapes of his rantings. He seems like a man at war with himself and the world. His screams seem like the screams of someone in physical agony, of a man screaming in madness. It goes beyond a mere cry for help. The man seems to be the type of people we hear about after a tragedy. You know, the person who shoots up the workplace because the torment in his soul has been unleashed. I would be very leery to let someone I care about anywhere near his presence. The rage that seems to be in his soul comes out in frightening intensity. I hope I am wrong about this, but, one day it could prove to be fatal... I saw him the other night on the ''Tonight Show''. He was promoting his newest project, whatever it is. The audience seemed on edge watching him, as did Jay Leno. We have all heard so much of his behavior in the last few years I guess I was expecting anything from him [ and, I must admit I watched him to see what his behavior would be like, normally, I would not have watched him ]. He tried to be cute and joking about his most recent breakdown. This is another trick a performer has when they have an audience watching: to manipulate the crowd and put them on his side. Gibson tried to spin his latest escapade into a comic story where he was the victim being taped in his house. He does have a point because he didn't know he was being taped, and, legally, there could be an issue. The tape, made by the son of a screenwriter that Gibson was fueding with because of a movie script, showed Gibson screaming at the Heaven's again about how he has been wronged. I am not sure Mel Gibson was successful the other night with the ''Tonight Show'' audience in swaying them to his side. There was a few nervous laughs, but, no great marching to his side of the audience's sympathy... How this madness could have been kept hidden all of these years is amazing. One trip I made to L.A. in the mid-90's, I met , through a mutual friend, Mel Gibson's personal assistant. I  his name was Doug and he seemed like a good guy. I was with other friends who worked for stars so I was enjoying the stories of people who worked for the Rich and Famous. Doug worked for Tom Cruise and Jodie Foster before Gibson. He said Mel was a good guy. Real done to earth man who loved his family and was very religious. Also, very funny. Doug liked my sense of humor and said that Mel and myself would hit it off very well together, bouncing thoughts off each other. Doug invited me on the set of Mel's newest movie he was filming, ''Conspiracy Theory,'' to have lunch with him. I was flying out of town the next day, so, I had to decline. I am curious now about if I had been able to make that lunch date. Would I have seen the madness lurking there? Sometimes a complete stranger sees a person more clearly than a close friend. Maybe I would have seen a man gripped by his demons and crying out for help. Maybe I would seen a man severely filled with self-loathing and hate for the outside world. Maybe I would have seen a complete phony who has fooled everyone else around him and his audience... Had I gone to that lunch my guess is I would have seen a charming guy playing ''Mel Gibson'' to the world. It is a role he has played for a few decades until it caught up to him. Now, he must face who he really is. If his family and friends truly love him then they will get him the help he desperately needs, perhaps, even being placed in an institution. This does not seem extreme to me. He is crazy. Whatever therapy he has had obviously is not effective. He needs help immediately and forcefully... Otherwise, think of that scene in ''Lethal Weapon'' when he is sitting in his trailer, drunk, playing with a loaded gun. That image is close to reality...