The Citizen, 2004-05-06, Page 5of(-‘ Bonnie
Gropp
The short of it
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004. PAGE 5.
Other Views
The passion according to Mel
/don't expect I'll be catching Mel Gibson's
gorefest, The Passion of the Christ anytime
soon.
Call me a wuss, but laying down a sawbuck
to absorb Technicolor S&M over a tub of
popcorn and a diet coke is not my idea of a fun
night out. I get nervous when Todd Bertuzzi
steps on the ice for a 90-second shift — what
chance is there I'm going to make it through
two and a half hours of watching actor James
Caviezel getting flogged and pummeled?
That said, the movie proves that Gibson's
not just a pretty face. Love it or hate it. The
Passion of the Christ is the cinematic event of
the year — maybe the decade.
And people do love it or hate it. The critic for
The New Yorker magazine gave it a more
vicious beating than those Roman centurions
laid on Caviezel. The Boston Globe called it
"The Gospel According to the Marquis de
Sade".
In the meantime, Christian evangelicals have
been photographed staggering out of movie
theatres, weeping and moaning in rapturous
ecstasy.
Even without the reviews, it's obvious that
Mel's movie is blockbuster big. It's just a few
weeks old and already it's wormed _its way into
the American psyche. taking root and re-
sprouting in the most bizarre manifestations.
A woman driving through the streets of New
Britain, Connecticut, unaccountably swerved
across the sidewalk and drove her Chevy
Lumina into a pond in a city park.
Brake failure? Blackout? Booze?
Nope. Sergeant Darren Pearson of the New
Britain Police Department says, "She said she
was attempting to re-enact a scene from the
movie. She was trying to baptize herself". -
0 ntario's Liberal government has
introduced a law many thought they
would never see.
It will ban governments, including itself:
from spending taxpayers' money on
advertising that promotes their own parties.
Governments of all persuasions in turn have
spent public money, often tens of millions of
dollars. on ads promoting their parties
particularly before elections and public
outrage has grown.
But many who oppose the practice
wondered if it would ever end. All parties have
deplored it in opposition, but been unwilling to
pass a law to prohibit it once they got in
government and had the power.
They simply refused to give up an advantage
that sometimes has been a huge help in
winning elections.
Liberals in opposition protested at what they
called an abuse of power since the early 1960s,
when TV became a major influence on voters.
But in ' government under premier David
Peterson from 1985-90, they lost enthusiasm
for banning this partisan advertising and did
nothing to stop it.
The New Democratic Party in opposition
asked for legislation banning government ads
that promote a party every year through the
1960s to 1980s and Bob Rae as opposition
leader said the practices corrupted politics.
But Rae managed to live with them when he
was premier from 1990-95. although when the
NDP fell back into opposition, it immediately
proposed legislation proposing banning them.
The ProgressiVe Conservatives in opposition
railed against government ads promoting
parties, but have used them more often and
effectively than other , parties, particularly
during the premierships of William Davis and
more recently Mike Harris, and never agitated
But in a Chevy Lumina? Christ didn't even
have a driver's licence.
In Statesboro, Georgia, cops were trying to
sort out a one-on-one between Melissa and
Sean Davidson. The Davidsons. married for 10
years, had been to see The Passion of the
Christ and fell to discussing the experience
with some vigour. They seemed to get hung up
over the semantic quandary of whether 'the
Father' of the Holy Trinity was flesh and
blood, or spiritual. This led to some tart
observations about the physical and spiritual
short-comings of certain party's parents.
Which is when the neighbours called the,
cops. They came, but not before Sean smacked
Melissa and Melissa responded by stabbing
him in the hand with a pair of scissors and
ripping the shirt off his back. -
Peace and love, my children...peace and
love.
And then there's the saddest P of the C-
spawned news event of ail. An unnamed man
in Hartland, Maine proved himself to be the
most devoted fan of the Gibson movie so far.
He tried to crucify himself.
Went down to the lumber yard and bought a
couple of likely-looking six-by-six posts.
Nailed them together on his living room floor.
Attached an explanatory note to the head of the
cross and then...
to ban them.
Premier DaltOn McGuinty, who has talked a
lot about improving democracy and not always
delivered, is the first premier willing to end
this practice, although his own party .will lose
a useful weapon.
Under his legislation, the government will
have to submit ads planned for newspapers,
magazines, TV, radio and billboards, and
printed materials for distribution to
households, to the provincial auditor.
The auditor will have power to reject those
he or she considers are partisan because they
promote the political interests of the governing
party or a negative impression of a critic of
government.
The legislation lays down that ads are proper
if they inform the public of government
policies, programs or services available to
them, arid their rights and responsibilities
under the law, and encourage or discourage
specific social behaviour in the public interest.
It also permits ads to promote Ontario. as a
good place to live, work, invest, study or visit.
Ads will not be allowed to include the name,
voice or image of a premier or other
government member, except where the
primary -target audience is outside Ontario.
The Liberals argue experience has shown a
head of government best reaches business
heads jind investors. -
I'm not making this up, remember...
Nailed his left hand to the crossbeam.
As investigating police officer Pierre
Boucher put it in a magnificent 'example of
understatement, "It was then that he realized
the flaw in his plan".
The devotee was 'Shy of a hand to hammer
his remaining free hand to the cross.
Frustrated, he used his un-nailed hand to dial
911. Firefighters came and chain-sawed away
most of the cross. The remaining piece of
wood and the nail were removed at a nearby
hospital.
Obviously seeing this movie may make you
ecstatic, but it won't make you smart.
Police say the man appeared delusional and
told them he had been seeing 'pictures of God'
on his computer.
Nothing delusional about that. I typed
'passion movie' into my web browser and
came up with over five million sites.
The first five of them take you to the
"official Mel Gibson movie" website where
you can"-view close-ups of the beaten and
bloody Christ as portrayed by Caviezel. You
can also order Passion T shirts, Passion
posters, Passion soundtracks — even (for 50
bucks U.S.) a sterling silver replica of one of
the nails used to hang Jesus on the cross.
All licensed tie-ins owned by and payable to
Mel Gibson, of course. Industry watchers
reckon the man stands to make at least $500
million from the movie and its assorted
lucrative offshoots.
Some find Gibson's relentless
merchandising of Christ's death tacky and
crass. I'm sure such accusations are a cross
Mel's willing to bear.
All the way to the bank.
Ads also will have to be identified as paid
for by the government. Residents now often
have no way of knowing if government or a
party paid, and judging if they misuse ,Aiblic
money.
The legislation could have shortcbrnings.
Auditors will judge what is partisan and public
servants often do what they think their political
masters want.
But successive Ontario auditors have not
shrunk from exposing inadequacies in
government, just as a federal auditor brought a
house crashing down on Liberals in Ottawa.
It is not easy to draw a fine line between
what is partisan, promoting Ontario as a good
place to live and praising a government.
TV commercials featuring a premier
praising Ontario as a place to do business and
supposedly designed to be seen in U.S. border
states alSo inevitably will be seen in Ontario,
yet help his election prospects and will be
unfair to opposition parties.
But the new law should mean there will be
no more TV jingles chanting "life is good,
Ontario — preserve it, CONSERVE it," or signs
wherever a shovel is dug in a highway reading
"your Ontario tax dollars at work — Mike
Harris, premier," which should_ help even
things tip.
Final Thought
You give but little when you give Of your
possessions. It is when you give of yourself
that you truly give.
— Kahil Gibran
Mother's Day gifts
S unday we honour mothers. It was Anna
M. Jarvis who is credited with making
Mother's Day an official observance. It
began for her as a way to honour 'her late
mother. Its growing commercialism, however,
frustrated the childless Jarvis, who has been
quoted as saying she wanted a "day of
sentiment, not profit."
Sure Mother's Day has become big
business, but being sentimental about Mom
isn't generally too difficult. As a child there is
a sense that she's pretty special. Then when
we become parents, the understanding of what
she sacrificed, of her strengths and of what
she has taught us becomes even more
tangible. There may be those phases in life
when the rapport between child and parent
isn't what it should be, but generally speaking
most of us know we are who we are, in part at
least, because of Mom.
Yet, as I considered this, I couldn't help
recognizing that becoming a mother had taken
me onto another path of learning and self-
enlightenment. Because while I have been a
teacher to my children, I have also been pupil.
While I have given to them, I have been gifted
by them.
Our oldest taught me first the grace of
humility. His is an inspiration. But I too, have
been humbled by his intelligence and
diligence. He has shown me the importance
of having a goal, of being focussed and
achieving that goal. His tremendous affection,
loyalty and dedication to family is inspiring.
And the enjoyment of people and interest that
he has in them has resulted in a diverse circle
of friends who admire him. His gift to me has
always been his unfailing devotion and
stability. .
In his younger sister I have seen what one
can do when 'they decide to. She has a quiet
strength and determination. When she loves
you She is committed to you and I have been
blessed by her friendship and insight, albeit
occasionally unnerved by her understanding
of me. Life can be serious to her; in her blue
eyes I have seen both fire and light. But her
humour remains a constant and in her quick
smile I am reminded of life's joy. I depend on
her perhaps more than she does me.
Our next youngest has taught me that
sometimes it's alright if things aren't
symmetrical, or that it really doesn't matter
what people think. She dances through life
with laughter and grace though never taking
her eyes away from the ultimate goal. While
we joke that the music she hears may not be
the same as everyone else is hearing, there's
no question she has a clear understanding of
where she's headed. And with the uncanny
way she has of seeing the beauty in everything
and everyone, I've been shown the value of an
open mind and tolerance.
Our baby, (sorry, Son) has always known
what's important. His humour and outlook
reminds that the good things aren't purchased,
that they are there for the taking.- He has
literally filled our lives with music and on the
way proved that dreams can be followed. As
well, without losing his sense of film he
accepts responsibility with dignity when
necessary. When I watch him with his
grandparents or his son, there is a kindness in
him that moves me.
So this Mother's Day, I am thanking them
for their gifts, the ones they have bestowed on
me since they have blessed my life. And
letting them know how privileged I feel-to be
their mom. ,
Time to ban partisan ads