Mel Gibson Drops F-Bomb On Mayan Expert
Professor Accused Director Of Racial Stereotyping In "Apocalypto"
29NEW YORK, March 23, 2007 | by Amy Bonawitz
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Another professor at the university said that Alicia Estrada wants an apology from Mel Gibson. "He needs to apologize not only to the professors, to the Central American Studies program, but also to the Mayan community for saying things that are inappropriate," said Douglass Carranza. (AP (file))
(CBS) Mel Gibson reportedly shouted an expletive at a Mayan culture expert when he was a guest at a film class at Cal State University at Northridge on Thursday, the Web site TMZ reports.
The Web site reports that Alicia Estrada, the assistant professor of Central American Studies at the university, allegedly accused the "Apocalypto" director of racially stereotyping the Mayans in his movie.
She asked him if he had read a book about the culture before making the film. Estrada apparently persisted on the issue to which Gibson responded, "Lady, f--- off."
"(Estrada) was questioning the sources of the movie and he was really upset and using profanities," Douglass Carranza, a professor who attended the event, told The ShowBuzz on Friday.
Gibson was arrested last summer for driving while intoxicated. Controversy erupted when he spewed anti-Semitic slurs at the arresting officer.Photos: Mel Gibson
The Web site said that the actor-director was fuming when members of the Mayan community protested about how they were portrayed in the epic.
Carranza said Estrada and other members of the Mayan community were escorted out of the class when the incident occurred.
"There are times that he will be exposed to academic critique and he didn't like that, apparently, and he was upset," said Carranza. "He needs to apologize not only to the professors, to the Central American Studies program, but also to the Mayan community for saying things that are inappropriate."
Carranza, the coordinator of the Central American Studies program at the university, said he did not know specifically what expletives Gibson used. But he said Estrada wants an apology.
Estrada could not be reached for comment.
Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, told TMZ: "This person was a heckler who was rude and disrupted the event, so much so that the event organizers had to escort her out."
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Gibsdon was born and raised in Schenectady, New York. He left there as a lad when his father decided he didn't want to pay income taxes anymore...and that's how he ended up in Australia. He is NOT an Aussie, yet he allows this misconception to flourish.
His first religious turdfest of a movie, Passion, was little more than his Father's masturbatory excercise in dwelling on the beatings and sufferings of Jesus on the day he died. It was excruciating to watch and unintelligible...the fake-Aramaic 'dialog' was a laugh.
His racist rant last Summer proved the protestations he made about NOT being anti-Israeli were as false as his claims of origin.
And now we forget him...now we stay home when another ******** 'entertainment' comes out that he directed or appears in.
His father and he are building a proto-'catholic' cathedralk for their own strange brand of religion in Southern California...maybe "whitewoman" and her deluded. toothless tribe of Cracker inlaws can help them reach their goal monetarily.
I will have no part on making Gibson or ANY racist piece of ********* any richer.
The truth remains that Apocalypto confuses the Mayans with the Aztecs, portrays the Mayans as raiding villages rather than getting their sacrifices off of highly-ritualized battlefields, and hilariously paints the Spanish as liberators rather than conquistadores. Apocalypto is an apology for the Spanish Conquest, with its enslavement and forced conversion of Native Americans - not to mention its introduction of African slavery to America.
This pathetic loser actually thinks he's Martin Riggs.
Estrada could also use communication skills classes. To move forward in a positive society, both parties need to take responsiblity, not blame.
Who cares? This Estrada is lucky he didn't go further.
"right" not to be offended.