in a nutshell

[the_siobhan]

You know I've really liked a number of Roman Polanski films.

That doesn't in any way change the fact that he's a fucking asshole.





(Woody Allen,Terry Gilliam, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Tilda Swinton - that makes you assholes too.)

Comments

[greylock.livejournal.com]

I think the only really good thing that can be said of him is that, as far as we know, this was a once off.

But the more I think about it the more I doubt that's true, even if this was the only kid he ever fucked.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

Woody Allen? The man who seduced a girl who was, in many respects, his own daughter? He belongs on that list anyway.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

Damnit. I'm actually reading the text of the petition.
It's a "case of morals"? WTF?

And the suggestion that somehow film festivals should be safe spaces for art? You know, I know what they're getting at. We recently had some issues with China over just that issue, but still... they should go fuck themselves.


/ranty

[marchenland.livejournal.com]

I haven't read it myself, but he supposedly admitted to doing it other times in some autobiography he wrote, so i doubt it was a one-off.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

Having just learnt about the Kinski thing I am strangely not surprised.

[panic-girl.livejournal.com]

Couldn't agree more. I've been on Twitter like crazy about this. Kate Harding (http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2009/09/28/polanski_arrest/) and Katha Pollitt (http://www.thenation.com/blogs/anotherthing/479379) (with bonus dig on Katie Roiphe!) have both written excellent pieces, and there's a list here (http://chrismm.livejournal.com/578016.html) of Hollyweirds who still deserve your respect.

P.S. Natalie Portman's an asshole. This is almost as upsetting as Tilda going over. :(

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Kate Harding has been my hero for a long time.

RE: The Katha Pollitt piece.
Wow, Debra Winger. That actually surprises me.

I was less surprised by Whoopi Goldberg. She's always given me the impression there is more than one person in there.

[panic-girl.livejournal.com]

I love Harding too. Shapely Prose has done a lot of good for my head.

I thought that about Winger too. She always struck me as a pretty capital F feminist. :(

Whoopi. Rape-rape. *head*desk*

[fragilemuse.livejournal.com]

this article (http://www.boxofficepsychics.com/2009/09/29/a-plea-for-roman-polanski/) is good.

[inulro.livejournal.com]

Word.

[megiddo-lj.livejournal.com]

I'm very disappointed by how Hollywood is handling this matter. I lost a lot of respect for people like Swinton and Lynch defending Polanski's behavior. I wonder if some of these women have ever been 13 year old girls dealing with unwanted sexual attention from older men. I'd gather not.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

Hollywood is not a block, FWIW. But I get what you mean.

Sometimes I wonder if there are any 13yo girls who escaped unwanted sexual attention from older men.

[megiddo-lj.livejournal.com]

Sadly it seems there are more big name stars defending him than denouncing him or at least pointing out that he fled justice (regardless of one's feelings on the rape). The only recognized actor/actress/director that I've heard calling for him to serve his time is Kirstie Alley. But then I'm not really a celebrity follower.

[nicklausse.livejournal.com]

Heh, bingo.

[50-ft-queenie.livejournal.com]

Yup. Agree completely.

FYI, here's a very good piece (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/roman-polanski-freedom-fighter/article1307599/) from Margaret Wente about the Polanski case.

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

Ah, Margaret "I never met a transsexual I liked" Wente. Always the voice of reason.

[50-ft-queenie.livejournal.com]

In this case, she is. *shrug*

[greylock.livejournal.com]

I have never heard of this woman, but maybe it is possible she has never met a transsexual worthy if liking?

/Just saying.
// Although I fear from Axel's note below
/// if you could link me the offending article I should be most interested.

[the_axel]

Wente writing a piece that I agree with?

WTF!!?!

That's a sign that this issue is about as black and white as 'Was the Holocaust a good thing?'

[panic-girl.livejournal.com]

On some of the Feminist blogs I read people are having an equally difficult time with the fact that they now agree with Bill Maher on something.

[50-ft-queenie.livejournal.com]

As the saying goes, even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

I can actually justify the phrase: 'Was the Holocaust a good thing?'
It was, in the sense that it stunted world population growth by 12 million people in the first instance.
Of those 12 million, let us assume 8 million may have breed?
And by the 1950s they had 2-4 children per couple.
And so on.
You can do the math.

/Anything can be justified -- and not in the most obvious way. Not that the Holocaust was a good thing, I must add.

[pfrank.livejournal.com]

Terry Gilliam, Noooooo! :'(

Really, this whole thing just makes me want to barf.

[(Anonymous)]

No shit! Being talented in any way doesn't trump sexual assault. But what really gets me in all this is how the people who are against him keep putting emphases on the fact that the she was 13. Would it be acceptable to drug and rape someone if they were an adult? Does being underage make rape worse? The argument seems to trivialize rape in general.

Then there is the usual victim blaming bullshit you always hear along the lines of "look how she was dressed, she took drugs before, she wasn't a virgin" crap. As if any of that makes the person who was raped responsible for the rapists actions. Which is why I always liked that Rape Prevention List floating around on the net that read things like: "If you're at a bar, don't put drugs in another person's drink" "if you see an attractive person walking down the street, don't assault them."

Jenn

[the_axel]

Would it be acceptable to drug and rape someone if they were an adult?

No.

Does being underage make rape worse?

Maybe. I think so, like him drugging & fucking her in the bum makes it worse.

What it definitely does is remove any question as to whether she could have consented to have sex with him from a going to jail perspective.