"Membership in the family of God is neither inconsequential or something to be casually ignored. The church is God's agenda for the world. Jesus said, "I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it." The church is indestructable and will exist for eternity. It will outlive this universe, and so will your role in it."
- Rick Warren
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The disconnect between Hollywood culture and normal people grows.
"It wasn't rape rape." -- Whoopi Goldberg
Define Artist. Not so easy to do. Now define pedophiliac child rapist. Pretty simple. If Polanski had been, say, a bus driver in Cleveland who had fed Quaaludes and Champagne to a thirteen-year-old girl and then raped and sodomized her, I doubt Jack Lang would be so quick to tell the rest of us about the privileges that come with driving a bus. Jack Lang doesn’t care about bus drivers. Jack Lang cares about Artists.
Let me tell you a few things about the rape of a child. It happened to me. I was raped by my drunken father at the age of four, before the drunken eyes of my mother, so I know what I’m talking about.
That is from a powerful commentary called Polanski's Victim and Me.
At a Salon article arguing the same thing, one of the more ridiculous commenters suggested those who are calling for Polanski's release must be a bunch of Republicans.
Um. Yeah. Woody Allen, Stephen Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Martin Scorsese, the French minister of the Arts, et. al. All Republicans, I'm sure. ;-)
Kudos, btw, to French director Luc Besson -- the auteur behind stylized action films like the Transporter series, The Professional, The Fifth Element, and one of my favorite movies of the last year, Taken -- for refusing to sign the petition of artists calling for Polanski's release. "Nobody should be above the law," Besson said.
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Comments on "Roman Polanski: Artist Martyr for Pedophiliac Rape":
2. Jared
- 10/01/2009 8:21 pm CDT
She's for him. She minimized his crime by saying it wasn't, in effect, "real" rape. And she is among the celebrities listed that are calling for his release.
The commenter at the Salon article said those who want him released must be Republicans b/c they overlook sexual misconduct. Which I think is a really weird thing to say when it is Hollywood liberals who are vocalizing support of Polanski and it is Republicans who are always bringing up Clinton and Kennedy's indiscretions.
3. Scott
- 10/02/2009 9:03 am CDT
As tragic as this is I find this quote:
"Nobody should be above the law," Besson said.
funny given the content of his films.
4. Bob Sacamento
- 10/02/2009 9:19 am CDT
It amazes me the extent to which Hollywoodites will circle the wagon to protect one of their own. I don't know Whoopi Goldberg's political views at all beyond her bout of Bush Derangement Syndrome a while back, but it's clear that she hangs around with, and never publicly challenges, people who would call it sexual harrassment if I simply told a female co-worker that her new haircut looked nice. But she will publicly defend Polanski. In-freakin-credible.
10. jen
- 10/02/2009 9:06 pm CDT
The other thing that boggles my mind is the folks who say the "sex was consensual." Excuse me? A child was given alcohol and illegal drugs - that's the first crime committed. And then the rape occurred - the second crime. She was coerced into all of it.
I hope Polanski rots in prison if we ever get him back in the US.
11. Wickle
- 10/02/2009 9:18 pm CDT
How many of these Hollywood folks were okay with just letting the priests go? Some of them did some good in their communities along with their molestation ... which also wasn't "rape rape." If being an artist is enough to win someone a free pass, then maybe we should have given them a pass, too?
I rather suspect that no one in Hollywood agrees with that paragraph.
13. Bob Sacamento
- 10/03/2009 3:37 pm CDT
The other thing that boggles my mind is the folks who say the "sex was consensual." Excuse me? A child was given alcohol and illegal drugs ...
Jen is exactly right. But beyond this, in point of fact, the detail I heard on the news was that the girl was actually begging him to stop.
14. Susan B.
- 10/05/2009 11:05 am CDT
These people are also using the excuse that the victim has forgiven Polanski, therefore Polanski should be released. The victim's forgiveness of Polanski does not mean that he shouldn't be held accountable and be punished for what he did.
I was reading where some Hollywood bigwig (a studio head or something) was saying that he thought that average Americans overall would support Polanski's release and don't care. Talk about clueless!
The whole Hollywood culture really is completely out of touch with the rest of the country.
15. t.smith
- 10/06/2009 11:00 am CDT
I have a link over at my blog to another lady's blog that has the list of those in hollywood who signed the petition on behalf of Polanski. I also posted the Youtube of the Dragnet guys "schooling" Polanski.
Leave a Comment:
I'm confused - is Goldberg for or against Polanski? "It wasn't rape rape" sounds for, but then you say she was among those who came out against?......sorry if I'm misunderstanding.
On the flip side, NY Giant Pro Bowler Plaxico Burress just went to big boy prison for 2 years for shooting himself in a nightclub........perhaps the worm is turning, just a little.