Foley, Gibson, & alcoholism... [VIDEO]

Posted by Evan Derkacz at 11:08 AM on October 8, 2006.

... as understood by Peter O'Toole on Saturday Night Live

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SNL's Bill Hader plays a three-sheets-to-the-wind Peter O'Toole, chastising Mark Foley and Mel Gibson for sullying the name of alcoholics everywhere.

Both Gibson's drunken anti-Jewish tirade and Foley's page revelations were followed by the announcement that they'd be seeking treatment for alcoholism. If they are indeed alcoholics, bully for them for admitting to it and seeking treatment. On the other hand, blaming serial bad behavior of these types on the drink is a pile of BS -- It's not about the liquor, it's the racism and perversion.

The downside to this skit is its perpetuation of lazy characterizations of Foley's behavior. These weren't "young boys," but young men. The issue is only partly their age; the power imbalance is at least as disbturbing, and the cover up, more disturbing still.

Anyway, enjoy the clip and deposit yeas and nays in the comments...

Evan Derkacz is an AlterNet editor. He writes and edits PEEK, the blog of blogs.

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For some, alcohol is the desired enabler [Report this comment] Posted by: Bic Pentameter on Oct 8, 2006 12:13 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] It's their daily dose of vitamin bad, if you will. There are people for whom the alcohol serves a purpose. People who, for example, want to go out and pick a fight a bash in someone's face. That's what they want to do, and it's easier after a few shots of vitamin bad. For 20 years I ran sound for a series of small time rock bands that played in seedy bars and at the occasional biker bash. It was easy to spot the same, or same sort of guys every weekend. They often had a wife or girlfriend who would say they were impossible when they were drunk. And they were honor-bound to prove them right. At the biker bashes, though, when security was provided by the hosts themselves - 25 or 30 rough fellows who were always on the same side - these jerks retained a remarkable ability to nip it in the bud. You could see that they were frustrated over it. They seemd to wish they were somewhere else where they could indulge in their usual trouble making. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] A bit o' the Pot and Kettle [Report this comment] Posted by: YogiBear on Oct 8, 2006 4:50 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Hey, it's not just SNL. The Alternet got into the exaggeration act as well: "...one of their own preying on young boys" "...one of their guys going after young boys on the Internet." Religious Right strangely silent about Foley Posted by Bob Geiger at 8:41 AM on October 3, 2006. http://www.alternet.org/blogs/themix/42487 [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Not funny, but ok, pretty damn funny! [Report this comment] Posted by: NeilDeal on Oct 8, 2006 4:51 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] That was about how I remember Peter O'tool when he appeared on Letterman or some other show. Pretty funny. He rode a camel onto the set and gave it a big can of beer to slam. Yes alcoholism is no joke, but I like it when people are called out for blaming the incorrect illness for their actions. Last I checked with the Foly camp, Mark Foley is a sexually molested, alcoholic, gay, child molester?? Wouldn't someone have noticed that sooner? [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Anyone remember that movie? [Report this comment] Posted by: HeroesAll on Oct 9, 2006 3:56 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I think it was called "My Favourite Year", and it starred Peter O'Toole being magnificently Peter O'Toole. And I've got to say that the skit doesn't really do him justice, but then I'm a huge O'Toole fan. You can't do much better than "The Ruling Class", for all that it was made in the 60s, or "The Lion In Winter", which had a stellar cast in addition to O'Toole. And of course, who can forget his stammering, wild-eyed, Lawrence of Arabia? No-one brought as much depth to the character until Ralph Fiennes a few years ago. I agree, though, that the skit ignores the issue of power, but it does at least point up the fact that Foley seems to be using every convenient excuse he can lay his hands on to avoid saying "Hey, I like texting teenagers, okay?" [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Dan McRight [Report this comment] Posted by: mcright on Oct 9, 2006 5:55 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Alcohol reduces inhibitions. Behavior and emotions that might not otherwise come out directly get expressed. Thus alcohol is no excuse for behavior morally. Claiming to be alcoholic is equal to admittubg ibe REALLY has these feelings and tendencies--not an explanation of where they come from. As a director of a drug treatment program, I saw this many times. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] helzphar [Report this comment] Posted by: helzphar on Oct 9, 2006 6:37 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Too much sobriety too early in the morning, comrades. The skit is hysterically funny and makes a necessary point. Foley's multiple self-wounding claims are only designed to deliver sympathy from the masses. He could have received help for any of them decades ago. But then, most of the people I see self-medicating with alcohol are no worse off than those self-absorbed with therapy or zonked out on prescription mood-altering meds. (Except alcohol imbibers are usually funnier -- if you don't have to live with them.) Our society should allow us to make fools of ourselves once in a while without hand-wringing analysis. If liberals would laugh more, we'd take more seats. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] the enabler, to the folks who feel a sense of entitlement [Report this comment] Posted by: aislinnluv on Oct 10, 2006 7:04 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] "i'm a drunk, therefore you must excuse my crude behavior." " i was molested, therefore i can't help my need to molest others." horse hockey. plenty of people are walking around today who were molested as children, and aren't passing that onus on to younger generations. so we're wounded... but we don't inflict it on others. alcoholism is not a sentence. there are programs. it's a choice - a difficult one at times, but there is a choice. anyway, mark foley is just one more dog's tail wagging the dog of the american public attention while the administration slams away at the US Constitution. wake up, folks. it isn't some pathetic man wishing he had a pretty young thing to diddle that we need to focus on. it's our freedoms being abrogated that we need to worry about. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Lighten Up [Report this comment] Posted by: floridajudy on Oct 11, 2006 11:07 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I'm an alcoholic, and I think this is a hoot! Just because I stopped drinking doesn't mean I've lost my sense of humor. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

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