Journeys with Tim

Commentary on Gibson

Some of the writers at National Review comment on ABC's interview with Mel. Here's Tim Graham...

I can't agree ABC was fair, at least not in comparison. Please remember that when they spent 60 minutes promoting "The Da Vinci Code" a few months ago, there were no critics or offended opponents asked to speak on camera.

z Yes, Gibson was terrific, but he was also questioned and quibbled with at every turn by Sawyer and others. It may have made Gibson more endearing to face the knitted brow of Diane Sawyer, whose own husband just recently made the theologically absurd HBO film of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America."

z To me, Sawyer's proddings about Gibson's beliefs seemed a lot like her asking Ken Starr about him growing up in religious circles that did not believe in dancing -- they were designed to make him look abnormal and wacky. And could we have an ABC special without absurd "Jesus scholars" like John Dominic Crossan touting their theories that Jesus was just a social revolutionary, a misunderstood hippie before it was popular?

Overall I thought Mel was great, even though I would have answered some of the questions differently. Either way, the publicity is great.