Are you in the mood for a feel-good family comedy? If so, you should take the kids down to the multiplex and scoop up a few tickets for “Daddy’s Home 2.” This lovable romp is the sequel to the incredibly mediocre “Daddy’s Home,” and all your favorite cast members are returning along with a few new additions that are sure to make you ask yourself, “What is he doing in this?”
The actor spurring that question is none other than Mel Gibson.
That’s right, Mel Gibson has a starring role in “Daddy’s Home 2.” Yes, that Mel Gibson. The same Mel Gibson that made anti-Jewish remarks to a police officer during a DUI stop. The same Mel Gibson charged with assaulting his girlfriend. And the same Mel Gibson who was recorded telling the mother of his child she deserved to get “raped by a pack of n-----s.” Did I mention that “Daddy’s Home 2” is a family comedy? These facts were all confirmed in a report by the Daily Mail.
Mel's big comeback
So how in the world did Mel Gibson end up in this movie? Well, there are a few reasons. The first being that there is an audience in this country for people like Mel Gibson — as depressing as that may be.
Over the last couple years, we’ve learned there is a large number of Americans who are perfectly fine with an old white man spewing bigoted rhetoric and being an all-around terrible person, as long as they pretend to love Jesus. How do we know this? We know because Donald Trump, AKA Mel Gibson minus the talent, currently has an approval rating of 35 percent.
The other factor working in Gibson’s favor is Hollywood’s absurd history of granting second chances to monsters. Woody Allen cheated on his long-time girlfriend with her teenaged, adoptive daughter, and then was accused (quite credibly) of molesting the seven-year-old daughter of that same girlfriend. Woody has a movie coming out in a few weeks and another next year.
Roman Polanski fled the country after being found guilty of raping a 13-year-old in 1977, and in 2002 he won an Oscar. Johnny Depp allegedly beat his ex-wife, but don’t worry; I’m sure that “Pirates of the Caribbean 6: The Stealing of Your Hard Earned Money” will be out in theatres soon.
Perks of celebrity
If you are talented enough, there is no sin you can commit that won’t be forgotten about given a long enough timeline. And this isn’t just for actors and entertainers, how many football players that have beaten their girlfriends will be lacing up the cleats this Sunday? Alabama senatorial candidate Roy Moore could very well end up in the Senate despite been accused of sexually assaulting multiple teenaged girls.
Here is how warped our treatment of famous people is: If Bill Cosby could only live another 15 years, it's not out of the realm of possibility he could get his old sitcom back. Fortunately, Cosby most likely won’t make it that long, but Kevin Spacey and Louis CK will still be around, and it is up to us to make sure we don’t forget the disgusting actions committed by these deranged men.
Let’s be clear; second chances aren’t always a bad thing. If a 20-year-old gets caught with a bag of cocaine or attempting to steal an iPhone, it shouldn’t destroy the rest of their life. But we don’t need to continue providing opportunities to middle-aged racists, wife-beaters, or habitual sex predators.
Let's start holding prominent members of our society to higher standards.
Athletes who beat their wifes shouldn’t be rewarded with million dollar contracts. We need to stop electing politicians we would feel scared to leave alone with our children. And is it asking too much to watch a family comedy that doesn’t star a guy who hates Jews or uses the N-word in everyday conversation?