Last week, Mel Gibson's new film "Hacksaw Ridge" opened to a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, raising hopes that the Oscar-winning actor and renowned director might soon be welcomed back into Hollywood fold. For the past decade, Gibson has been an outcast in the industry after a drunken anti-semitic rant and a series of bizarre events related to excessive alcohol use. Ever since, he has struggled to return to his position at the top of the heap in the entertainment industry. Yet, many of his counterparts have done similar or even worse things and have been welcomed back with open arms soon after their incidents. Mel Gibson's fall from grace was ugly and has taken ten years to even begin to remove the cloud from his name. Others' actions are immediately shrugged off, and their careers continue like nothing happened.

I'm going to begin with the disclaimer that I am a fan of Mel Gibson. I grew up with him being the biggest movie star, the ultimate leading man. Everyone seemed to love him. Of course I was shocked by his actions and disgusted by the words he used to describe Jewish people. Still, considering the ridiculous amount of scandals in Hollywood on a weekly basis, I figured that this would be quickly forgotten and he would make his next blockbuster. Instead, it felt like it never went away.

Within the past decade, many celebrities have done things that are considered outside the norm. Charlie Sheen's list of stupid things that he's done seems to have no end, and yet, while he did lose his job on "Two and a Half Men," he's still working. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie carried on one of the most blatant, repulsive affairs in the history of the film industry, and yet they have seemingly been rewarded for it, plastered on the cover of "People" magazine more times than I care to acknowledge. Chris Brown has been arrested several times for domestic violence, and he's never lost his record deal or suffered losses in album sales. Why are these things okay? Because the media has somehow decided that these individuals are worthy to be forgiven.

Not so long ago, public scandals could kill a career. It took Rob Lowe ten years to recover his career after a sex tape scandal in 1988. Before a more momentous second act in his career, Robert Downey Jr.'s reliability as an actor was in doubt for well over a decade after a series of arrests related to his drug addiction. Both of these men are now back in the good graces of Hollywood, so to speak, and what they did then would barely raise an eyebrow now.

I would never condone the bad things Mel Gibson has said and done. As a future social worker, I find them to be insensitive and ugly. On that same note, I also recognize that he suffers from alcohol abuse struggles. It can impair judgment and loosen inhibitions, not to say it is an excuse, merely an explanation. However, how many people say stupid things when they were drunk? A lot, from the education I've received. From the previous examples with Rob Lowe and Robert Downey Jr., it appears that the entertainment industry has a lot to learn about addiction, be it to sex, drugs, or alcohol, which is ironic in an industry that is run by those very things.

We've criminalized some behaviors of addicts, and Hollywood is picky and choosy on who they wish to do this to. They seem content to simply watch Lindsey Lohan spiral out of control without much concern. It was almost as if new media enjoyed the fact that her life was a train wreck. As sick as it is, they enjoy seeing people fall. As Don Henley once wrote in his cheeky top 5 hit "Dirty Laundry," "People love it when you lose/ They love dirty laundry." The media loves when people make mistakes and wait for the people on top of their game to make one so they can be the first to get the scoop.

Whether or not Mel Gibson will ever return to the top echelons of Hollywood's elite, I'm not sure. However, what I do know is that the entertainment industry, like all facets of news media, prefers to cover stories that focus on someone's mistakes rather than anything positive. I think it's time for us to take a good look at who gets away with bad behavior and who doesn't. It certainly is fun (and frustrating) to see how the media plays favorites.