By now, most people have heard of the infamous “Mel Gibson tapes.” With a name reminiscent of some eerie science fiction conspiracy theory, or a straight-up sex tape, one’s assumptions wouldn’t be too far off. These audio tapes are almost a mix of both. What they really are, however, is a reported phone conversation between Mel Gibson and his then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, in which Gibson rages on a victimized Grigorieva, shouting expletives, death threats, and racial slurs.
Thing is, no one is entirely sure of the source of the leaked tapes, nor is anyone positive of the authenticity of them. Many have argued that they sound dubbed, or that Grigorieva is unduly underwhelmed, her voice sugary sweet, collected, and clear enough to be studio-produced. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that the enraged man isn’t even Gibson himself. Therein is the questionable aspect of the whole thing: no one has confirmed the legitimacy of these tapes and rather just assume their genuineness.
Suppose the man in the tapes actually was Mel Gibson. What then? Half of the people argue that he’s completely out of line, especially after confessing in the tapes that he was physically abusive to Grigorieva. These people say that his career is over entirely and will boycott any of his films from this point on. The other half suggest that he needs professional help, and that Grigorieva knows just how to press his buttons, toying with his emotions. Overall, the general consensus is that no “real man” should say things such as these to his girlfriend, and that he was in the wrong, regardless of whether he was “set up” or that the tapes were edited or what have you.
In all, this whole situation seems like a slowly unraveling freak-show, involving the likes of names such as Whoopi Goldberg, standing up for Gibson and subsequently having hell rained over her because of it. The question must always remain – why do people really care so much about the personal lives of celebrities? It’s always unclear as to how or why these occurrences become national headlines, yet they continue to engulf the minds of the average American with nothing better to learn about.
The tapes can be listened to on this website: http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/07/exclusive-new-audio-mel-gibson-admits-hitting-oksana-threatens-kill-her-listen-it
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