Gary Oldman is frantically and unsuccessfully apologizing for his offensive remarks in “Playboy” last week, which were made in the course of a rant about the hypocrisy of politically correct culture.
In the interview, the “Tinkor, Sailor, Soldier Spy” actor — one of those rare conservatives in Hollywood — defended major PC offenders Alec Baldwin and Mel Gibson, and the Anti-Defamation League was not happy with this particular comment: “Mel Gibson is in a town that’s run by Jews and he said the wrong thing because he’s actually bitten the hand that I guess has fed him — and doesn’t need to feed him anymore because he’s got enough dough.”
“Gary Oldman’s remarks irresponsibly feed into a classic anti-Semitic canard about supposed Jewish control of Hollywood and the film industry,” Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, said in a statement Tuesday. “He should know better than to repeat and give credence to tired anti-Semitic tropes.
Oldman initially responded in an open letter with this apology:
I am deeply remorseful that comments I recently made in the Playboy Interview were offensive to many Jewish people. Upon reading my comments in print—I see how insensitive they may be, and how they may indeed contribute to the furtherance of a false stereotype. Anything that contributes to this stereotype is unacceptable, including my own words on the matter. …
I hope you will know that this apology is heartfelt, genuine, and that I have an enormous personal affinity for the Jewish people in general, and those specifically in my life. … I would like to sign off with “Shalom Aleichem”—but under the circumstances, perhaps today I lose the right to use that phrase, so I will wish you all peace–Gary Oldman.
But he is still trying to recover and make things right, because the ADL deemed the letter “insufficient” in a statement Wednesday:
While his apology may be heartfelt, Mr. Oldman does not understand why his words about Jewish control were so damaging and offensive, and it is therefore insufficient. … Mr. Oldman needs to recognize that his words, not just as they were written, but as he uttered them, are deeply offensive. And he needs to be sensitive to the fact that other remarks for which he has yet to apologize – including his disparaging remarks about the Pope and about gay people – were also deeply troubling and hurtful to many.
Oldman issued a second apology and explanation of his comments on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
“It was offensive, insensitive, pernicious and ill informed,” he said. “… I just basically shouldn’t have used them in any context. But I did. And I have deeply injured and wounded a great many people.”
WATCH:
Will Oldman’s tears be as well received as Jonah Hill’s when he apologized for using a homophobic slur? Doubtful.