Mel Gibson Should Reveal His True Passion on 'GMA'

Mel Gibson Should Reveal His True Passion on 'GMA'

Image Consultant Says Gibson Must Come Clean to Preserve Credibility

'It's Your Call, Mel: Movie Star-Director or Bigot'

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- "When Mel Gibson opened his mouth and spewed his real beliefs, he crucified himself and transitioned from movie star -- a brand -- to an apparent bigot," says image and marketing consultant Mark Stevens (author of "Your Marketing Sucks"). "Gibson must come clean and admit that he does not like Jews. Anything else he says will not be believed and will paint him into an impossible corner. He must speak truthfully, not for the sake of political correctness, but because he has a unique ability to do so."

"Unlike Tom Cruise, fired by Sumner Redstone for his bad behavior, or Kate Moss, fired by an advertiser for her antics, Gibson is a free agent. But, by playing this card of independence, he must play it all the way: in other words, he shouldn't look to The Academy for accolades for his next film."

While Stevens, Jewish himself, finds Gibson's remarks anathema, he offers his insight and professional counsel to the actor-director. "The ugly truth is, the last time Gibson outraged Jews, he made over $600,000,000 (estimated worldwide gross of The Passion of the Christ). Mel Gibson has consistently made films about subjects he is passionate about: The Man Without A Face, Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ allowed him to make strong statements and afforded him the opportunity to speak more openly about his beliefs. He learned from his father that [sic] the Holocaust didn't happen. And, despite worldwide debate whether The Passion was anti-Semitic, Gibson made his movie and reaped both credibility and huge financial rewards. Most recently, when he disparaged Jews in an apparent drunken rant, he was speaking the Truth as he sees it," says Stevens.

From the standpoint of an image consultant, Stevens offers the following advice: "The best thing he can do is to speak his truth and not be an apologist. The most sincere-sounding regret will never be believed because he has long shown us the logic of his beliefs. By thumbing his nose at Jews and at Hollywood he is communicating two messages: 'This is my point of view'; and 'I don't need your money'.

"Mel was one of the world's great marketers; yet, with his words he has put himself in the position of having to pimp his new movie while answering the inevitable question, 'Do you despise Jews?'" says Stevens.

"The only way Gibson, a gifted film maker, can regain his status as a great marketer is to admit to the world that he sees Jews as less than 'chosen'. No one will believe he sees it any other way; millions will see him as a greater idol than before; and he will be acting on the basis of his true Passion," declares Stevens.

"The key is how well the art of the recovery is performed. Everyone in business faces adversity -- and make no mistake, Mel Gibson IS a business. Be it loose lips, a sex scandal, a product failure or a high profile employee firing, how one handles disaster and 'faces the pain' has tremendous influence over their ability to rise again," Stevens says.

Mark Stevens is the CEO of MSCO, a world-class image/marketing/management firm, and a best-selling author of over 20 books. More at www.msco.com and www.YourMarketingSucks.com.

Contact:
Melinda Mullin or Carol Bloom Stevens
MSCO, 914-251-1500 / 914-826-5265
melinda@msco.com / carol@msco.com

Source: MSCO

CONTACT: Melinda Mullin, +1-914-251-1500, melinda@msco.com, or Carol
Bloom Stevens, +1-914-826-5265, carol@msco.com, both of MSCO

Web site: http://www.msco.com/
http://www.yourmarketingsucks.com/

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