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Seriously Woody Allen? I’m sure it’s all fist-bumps at the playground over that one. It’s weird how many seemingly non-creeps have signed this thing that only a creep would sign. Where Joe Francis at? SOMEBODY GET JOE FRANCIS ON THE PHONE.
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This week's five highest rated comments as voted on by you, the lowest rated comment as voted on by you, and the editor's choice.
'Sup, pogs!
Let's all go to the movies, and let's all see the same movie, and let's discuss it here.
Gabe loves fan fiction. You Can Make It Up features his own personal alternate adventures starring some of our favorite characters.
After watching Death Sentence, a terrible movie starring Kevin Bacon as a father in search of vigilante justice directed by Saw's James Wan, Gabe embarked on The Hunt For The Worst Movie of All Time. This is his sad journey.
I’m so glad we have another post tagged rape-rape! [I signed the petition.]
I’ll sign is as “Gerald McChildrapist”
Me too! Me too! “Signed, Pederast McKiddydiddler”
I quite like David Poland’s take on his blog:
http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/archives/2009/09/more_polanski.html
Some of my favorite directors apparently think child rape is fine if done by a colleague. I never realized how much Hollywood was like Congress.
I associate Allen, Lynch, and Scorcese more with NYC than with Hollywood.
Fair point. In fact, almost all of the directors listed here are not “Hollywood” types at all, and many of them aren’t even American. Still, it’s a disgusting display, and my joke about it doesn’t really work without a catch-all term to describe the industry.
how in the world does this comment get downvoted?
I bet it’s NYC people who are bitter about “their” film scene being associated with child rape apologists.
Remember those classic NYC films “Mulholland Drive,” “Inland Empire” and “Lost Highway.” True documents of New York, those movies.
Woody Allen is the one you’re surprised about? The guy who married his own fucking daughter?
(Psst. That’s the joke…)
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Hahaha you got donwvoted because you were making fun of Gabe, but your parentheses joke is actually a pretty good spoof of Gabe’s joke. (We love you, Gabe!)
Ugh, I hate how all of the news outlets are saying he was arrested for having sex with a thirteen year old. No, he was arrested for RAPING a thirteen year old. Not statutory rape. The kind of rape where he drugged her with quaaludes and alcohol, she said no, and he had sex with her anyway. It doesn’t matter if he’s an “artist” or won an academy award. He should be in jail. Because he’s a scumbag.
Sorry for the rant, downvote away.
I’ll downvote you until you love me, faggot.
“i’ll downvote your butt until the ‘ludes and alcohol wear off, 13 year old child!” – roman polanski
Does LOLing at this make me a bad person? Because if that’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.
Being 100% fair, he was convicted for having “unlawful sexual intercourse” with a minor. He copped a plea bargain down from rape. Doesn’t change what he did, but the news outlets are correct.
The news outlets are using accurate terms, but, without providing context, those terms often serve to obscure the truth. The Guardian could have spared a paragraph to explain that Polanski drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl. They had plenty of room for apologetics.
I hate to be disagreeing, cause it sounds like I’m siding with the child rapist, but newspapers report facts. While leaving out certain facts colours a story, this story is reporting on a petition protesting Polanski’s arrest related to a conviction on unlawful sex with a minor, which has little to do with the actual case and therefore doesn’t need to explain all details. Polanski’s a creep, but newspapers don’t need to beat down on the guy every chance they get.
I can agree to disagree, but I firmly maintain my position. It’s hard to satisfy everyone.
TWSS
Yes, facts, but, “The director was arrested on Saturday over a three-decade-old underage sex case,” plus seven grafs of Why This Is Wrong, Love, The Western Film Industry is what some might consider glossing over those facts. Maybe just a little. One tiny sentence about the arrest business would’ve provided some balance.
The role of journalism is to report facts with context, to attempt to educate or illuminate their audience, not simply to spout whatever technically-correct things they choose. That’s the difference between a newspaper and a series of press releases.
The California penal code does not use the term “statutory rape.” It is referred to as “unlawful sexual intercourse” with a minor.
So the news outlets are reporting the facts correctly, you’re just interpreting them wrong. Polanski did NOT cop a plea down from rape. He pleaded guilty to rape but by the name California legally recognizes it.
Sorry, replace “pleaded” with “pled.” English is not my native language.
I think the argument is more that what he did wasn’t just statutory rape or “unlawful sexual intercourse”, it was “drug and then hold someone down against their will and violate multiple orifices while they say no rape”. Or, as Whoopi Goldberg would say (apparently), Rape Rape.
The difference is statutory rape implies consensual sex when one person is below the age of consent (yes, it is twisted logic, but that’s the law). In Whoopi Goldberg’s mind, the difference between rape-rape and rape. The original poster was upset because the media wasn’t saying Polanski raped-raped. I was saying that a story about a petition to support Polanski doesn’t have to give all the details. But I’ll stop cause clearly I’m on the wrong side.
GET OUT OF MY HEAD.
where do i pick up my law degree for reading all of these posts.
Ask her
i wish i could upvote more than once on this one. very ha.
Brava, sweet and tender hooligan!
Brava, sweet and tender hooligan!
Apartment 3-G, meet Mary Worth.
But also the argument that’s being made is that the trial is unfair because the judge and fame and LA blah blah blah and then those same people are turning around and saying but the actual plea was such and such. YOU CAN’T SAY BOTH STATEMENTS. If people are so critical of the original trial they can’t use the trial to support their argument. And the main argument is that Polanski shouldn’t be sentenced because the trial was bunk. Okay if the trial was bunk, the trial in my head says Polanski drugged and anally raped a child. Objection overruled.
(I realize you specifically didn’t say that, I’m just pointing out that I’m tired of reading people saying both things. Maybe it’s time to cut off the internets.)
Did they report the SODOMY?
This is what I’ve been saying all week, everyone has just forgotten about the rape-rape part and is focusing on the 13 y/o part.
But also depressing is that even if it were “just” statutory rape we have this idea that statutory rape is okay because SLUTS.
Best article I’ve read.
Reminder: Roman Polanski raped a child
http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2009/09/28/polanski_arrest/
Oh, wait, this isn’t the kitten thread?
Is that a dead kitty?! That’s cat-astrophic!!!
Yikes! I hope he’s just sleeping!!
I wouldn’t classify myself as pro-child molestation in any way, but this comment thread is a little too one-sided. Obviously what he did was terrible and wrong. But he also was the victim of some very shady dealings by the prosecutor and judge, where they offered him a plea bargain and then pulled it at the last minute. Also, it’s worth pointing out that Samantha Geimer, the actual victim, has filed to have the case dismissed.
But yeah, still, don’t have sex with kids.
I think it’s probably one-sided because a lot of people feel that what he did was not just “terrible and wrong,” but deserving of punishment like any other man who anally rapes — sorry, has unlawful anal sex with — a kid. Shady dealings between the judge and the prosecutor — well, there’s always the appeals process, right?
I think the best reply to “the victim has filed to have the case dismissed” came from the Salon article referenced earlier: “For good or ill, the justice system doesn’t work on behalf of victims; it works on behalf of justice.”
Agreed. We definitely need more of an anti-rape – pro-rape balance.
In your defense, I would say that is probably worth pointing out. AN INTERESTING FACT!!!! LEGALLY RELEVANT MAYBE!!!
But not morally relevant. Dude admitted to raping a child.
I think you are a little confused. I’m guessing you either saw the documentary or read a news source that was getting their information from that documentary? It’s wrong. Judges don’t have anything to do with plea agreements and they don’t have to obey them. He made a deal with the DA because he feared he would lose if it went to court (you know, because he actually did the horrible crime he was accused of). Before he entered into the agreement, the judge made him say, in court, that he understood that the judge had nothing to do with the agreement and would throw it out if he didn’t think the punishment fit the crime (like if the agreement was 40 days in jail for raping a child). And Polanski basically answered, “Yes, I understand, but is there a third option where I can rape a little girl and not go to jail? Oops, nevermind, I found it, see you later!”
yeah, I’ll classify you as PRO-child rapist for you.
you are welcome.
i think you guys misinterpreted my post; i wasn’t defending him morally in any way. As I said, having sex with kids is bad.
This is also the second time in recent years that the film industry has risen up in support of Polanski. Remember when he won the Oscar for Best Director for the Pianist? (when clearly it should have gone to Rob Marshall). Everyone was all boo-hoo that he couldn’t be there to collect the award himself. I didn’t know the Academy handed out honors postrapeously.
I find a pro-Rob Marshall stance to me almost as offensive as a pro-rape stance. For shame.
“Film-makers in France, in Europe, in the United States and around the world are dismayed by this decision,” says the petition
france AND europe?! we are so fucked, guys!
Postrapeously! HA!
By “Rob Marshall,” I think you mean “Tamra Davis,” who directed a little movie called “Crossroads.” I love rock ‘n’ roll.
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It’s not about the victim. It’s about justice.
Tagline to That One’s movie about vigilante justice. Starring the dude in your icon.
To the Polanski apologists: what are we even talking about here? I’m a giant, giant fan of his work, but this is not about the man’s unquestionable talent and vision. It’s pretty cut and dry. Roman Polanski pleaded guilty to NON-CONSENSUAL sex with a thirteen year-old girl. He raped a child, and admitted to it. She repeatedly told him to stop and he kissed her, went down on her, and penetrated her vaginally and anally. AGAINST HER WILL. It’s pretty fucking simple.
Yes, Polanski had been through some horrible shit. I’ve been through my share of shit as well, but if I RAPED A CHILD, I would go to prison and my family and friends would disown me, not start a fucking petition in my honor. And they’d be right to. Seriously, how are we even debating this? These idiots (many of whom I have deep creative admiration for UGH) remind me of that “Free Hat” episode of South Park.
I was told there would be free punch and pie if I read your comment. What gives?
They’re giving out free hats?!?!
Just watched that episode yesterday. Get out of my head, internetz!
Good for you buddy, good for you! I will avoid his work in the future and did enjoy it. A rapist is a rapist. You said it. Right on!
Good for you buddy, good for you! I will avoid his work in the future and did enjoy it. A rapist is a rapist. You said it. Right on!
Kanye West interrupts an inconsequential country star on an inconsequential cable outlet’s inconsequential awards show and they stand in line to bury him. Roman Polanski gets arrested for admittedly raping a child and skipping the country (and yes, I have seen “Wanted & Desired” so save it) and they stand in line to sign a petition excoriating the authorities who would dare act on a warrant. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is why CELEBRITIES NEED TO KEEP THEIR OPINIONS TO THEMSELVES
i’ve never understood the whole “celebrities should shut up” idea. the notion that someone’s opinion is somehow devalued because of their job (and i use that word loosely) is just stupid. do they not live in the same country we do? are they not governed by the same people we are? do they not pay taxes like everyone else? yes, they do. just because someone is famous doesn’t mean that they should turn their mind off and not have an opinion on anything. that being said, do they say some dumb shit sometimes? sure they do. and so does every other person in america. it’s just that you don’t hear about it on the news because no one knows who 99% of the population is and their opinions aren’t considered newsworthy.
that’s not an attack on you. just the whole idea.
I agree, celebrities should not shut up. Here, and this was not the original poster’s point, unfortunately we have people who are not citizens of a country trying to use their notoriety to pressure that country into following their vision of justice. And that, breaking my heart here, is selfish and shameful.
I agree. If celebrities didn’t talk so freely, how else would we know how fucking retarding they are?
right, i’m not saying they aren’t. i’m just saying that so are a large amount of non celebrities. there has to be at least one person you know, whereever you live, that you think is a fucking moron. that’s all i was getting at. people are people.
I don’t know if “retarding” was a typo or not, but I hope it wasn’t. Because tru dat!
I think there should be some sort of allowance when it comes to artistic types. So long as we remain diligent in protecting little girls from getting raped by poor people, I see no problem letting the occasional classy rapist off the hook.
It reminds me of the twisted logic some of the Kobe-rape defenders had: “He’s attractive, so she must have liked it. Case closed!”
Reminds me of when the Celtics raped the Lakers in the 08 Finals because it was AWESOME and I’d sign a petition to let that happen all the time.
GO SPORTS!
Dear world: please punish our enemies and free our friends. Signed, everyone in the world apparently.
I’m reeling. I’m a creative by trade, and there are a dozen of my greatest heroes on this list, and I’m sick. If you read the petition, it’s astonishing. “A case of morals” alone should have been enough to keep every signature off of this.
A person could think Polanski should go free, or the arrest was done wrong, and his trial was, or whatever, and I would disagree but not lose faith in their ability to reason right and wrong, understand the world, or have any greater moral code than this.
I’m hoping that there will be clarification from some of these people in the coming days, I sincerely don’t know how to care about the moral element of their stories any longer. Sigh.
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How complex is this story really though? All the facts are out there. We see it as black and white because it was put out there as such as soon as Polanski admitted to raping a 13 year old girl.
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He admitted guilt after being advised by the best lawyers money could buy. He admitted guilt openly, in court, repeatedly. He admitted guilt after being explicitly advised by the judge that no plea agreements he had made with the prosecutors meant jack shit. He admitted, under oath and in open court, that he fucked a 13 year old that he knew was 13 years old at the time. He admitted that he was advised by his lawyers, the best possible lawyers available in the state of California, that this was his best option. He did not admit guilt “as part of a shady plea deal”. The facts are not in dispute. He has never denied them and this victim still, to this day, says what he did to her was wrong, even if she wants the whole sordid mess to go away.
If you think its ok for 45 year olds to give 13 year olds booze and pills and then ass fuck them after said 13 year olds say no repeatedly just say so. Don’t pretend its something its not.
I think this case really calls forward the purpose of punishment. The two chief rationales for society having a right to imprison their citizens and remove their rights are generally referred to as “deterrence” and “retribution.”
The nature of deterrence is that by punishing a person for committing a crime society means to deter both the individual who committed the crime from committing future crime, and by his example to deter other citizens from committing the same crime.
Retribution basically involves balancing a social scale. When a crime is committed, the social equilibrium is upset and cannot be leveled until the perpetrator of the crime is punished for it.
In dealing with Polanski, I would think deterrence is basically a moot point. The retributive argument for it would be that society is still unbalanced by his act and that imprisoning him would balance the scales? But I wonder if it would? He doesn’t even live in America. He couldn’t come back. Exile is one of the punishments the Supreme Court holds unconstitutional.
I mean, we’ve got him now, so I’m fine with his finally being punished, but punishing this Roman Polanski isn’t quite the same as punishing that Roman Polanski. That guy was a drug abuser himself, I suspect. That’s not an excuse. But punishing him then would have certainly made a lot more sense than punishing him now. Now he’ll likely just die in prison. How many crimes have you guys committed in your past or do you commit presently that would be weird to do time for in 30 years?
I guess I wonder if you would have all felt like injustice was served if he just died last year of a heart attack or something. Would you all have been disappointed if Roman Polanski died before he got to prison?
I really don’t mean to be all “this is my life story”, especially on the internet and I honestly really hesitated in writing this post, but when I was in high school I was the victim of a rape by another person who went to my school. After he was formally charged with the rape he claimed, and subsequently told everyone in the school, that we had consensual sex and I regretted it and cried rape. I eventually dropped the charges and switched schools because it was so hard. The only reason I am writing this is because I am tired of everyone pointing out that she wants the charges dropped. I know how much it sucked having 500 high school students knowing what happened, siding with my attacker, and insinuating that I was a liar and a slut. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to have the whole world (or at least a bunch of prominent public figures, including the president of France) side with your attacker and insinuate that you (at the age of thirteen) were a fame-hungry liar and a slut.
yeah, i’m also not enjoying the whole, “she dropped the charges, ERGO everything is totally fine” argument. being a victim of such a crime carries a terrible psychological weight, and also has all sort of social consequences that are hard to really understand. i couldn’t imagine being the woman who has to deal with this shitstorm. also, and i know tons of other people have mentioned this, but just because she dropped the charges in a civil suit doesn’t mean that the fact that he utterly and completely broke a huge law that, under normal circumstances, pretty much everyone supports, namely, you dont fuck kids. regardless of her charges, he still has to face the music on the fact that he broke a law, and her pretending that it’s cool doesn’t change those facts. and finally, for all of those people wah-ing about how he was the victim of our fucked up courts system: well SURPRISE! that system is pretty much a shitshow anyhow, as anyone who has worked in the criminal justice system will tell you. it’s fucked up and the story of this trial isn’t even remotely near being as bad as some of the other sorry excuses for trial and due process in this country, especially for, you know, not famous people (and usually for not famous, poor, black males, but hey, that’s a whole other rant). that doesn’t excuse it whatsoever, but seriously, i cannot believe the lengths people are going to to try and give polanski a pass on this shit.
Are you stupid? The transcripts are available and he clearly admits to raping her and drugging her and that she said no repeatedly. Pull your head out of the sand. It happened. He should be fried. I doubt those celebrities actually signed the petition anymore than I am Quintin Terentino. Although I will say that knowing a lot of celebrities, I am often surprised at how little some of them know about what is actually happening in the world.
If I may, rather than downvote, I’d like to answer.
I agree some comments seem to be uninformed. I completely agree.
I agree that the list of directors is a list of many of the most important and creative directors working, and that our culture would be lessened if we did not have their work. I also would say many of them seem to have shown that they have a sensitive grasp on morality and other major issues of life , as evidenced by he content of their work. And as far as I know, none of them are evil people, are creepy, or would like to see a child harmed.
I agree that (a) Roman Polanski endured things that make me sympathetic to him, he may be a very troubled person (b) the initial trial has some weird things about it (c) there is a legitimate discussion to be had about all of those things, and about the implications of international extradition, the role of international gatherings in the country they are hosted by, etc.
But sadly the petition isn’t about any of that. First, it calls the case against him “a case of morals,” which is at the very least, a soft name for it. Then they say “it seems inadmissable” to use an “international cultural event” to apprehend him, suggesting that “cultural” events are somehow apart from, in their words, “moral” events.
Then they say “film festivals the world over have always permitted works to be shown and for filmmakers to present them freely and safely, even when certain States opposed this” and the whole thing starts making me cry. They are not making any argument at all, they are trying to raise the spectre of censorship as though, that’s what will happen next.
The problem is, Polanski wasn’t going to show a film, and no one stopped him from showing a film. He was safe to show his film at the festival and still is today. What he is not safe to do is travel freely into countries where he is a wanted man. Their argument is fighting a straw man, trying to scare people into worrying that allowing this arrest means a Chinese dissident will be extradited to China when he shows a film criticizing China. They sum that fake argument up with “it opens the way for actions of which no one can know the effects.”
They call him “a renown and international artist,” which is unrelated to any legal or, indeed, “moral” issues surrounding him, so sticking it in there suggests it is part of the reason this is wrong.
“Filmmakers, actors, producers and technicians?everyone involved in international filmmaking?want him to know that he has their support and friendship.” What is this? Can he not receive visitors? Why can’t they tell him they support him? What about the grip or cameraman who DOESN’T agree, but was just told they did? What arrogance declares that others agree with you?
“Ms Judith Baroody. In perfect French she lauded the Franco-American friendship and recommended the development of cultural relations between our two countries. If only in the name of this friendship between our two countries, we demand the immediate release of Roman Polanski.”
So, release Polanksi, if for no other reason than that it would be a sign from America to France that they believe in cultural friendship. My head is spinning.
Anyone who would sign their name to that has got to explain it. They are not citizens of Switzerland, and they are trying to use their renown to tell Switzerland to take an action they agree with, because THEY DON’T PERSONALLY BELIEVE HE DESERVES THIS.
Sigh
I’m not going to write a freaking essay. I’m just going to downvote.
“Don’t you mean, ‘I’m not going to write a FUCKING essay’?” – Jenny Slate
That was very long, but I’m so glad that somebody cut through the bullshit. These are the facts, and that’s what matters.
As for the victim wanting to drop the charges, it seems to be more about saving face than feeling that he’s already been punished. How has he been punished? He’s been making films and earning critical acclaim during this time. Is living in Switzerland really that bad? I don’t think so.
But that’s the point! Why is this issue being framed around film and directors? Other directors signed the petition! Non-creeps! GOOD FOR THEM. By pointing this out, you are not pointing out the facts of the case, or the complexities or the gray areas concerning privacy, public justice, and international relations, which are real issues, but using nothing but the star-power of an elite and entitled few white dudes to obscure facts. And pointing this out is not just screaming HE RAPE CHILDREN HE BAD. This is the last place on the internet where that is happening. YOU are simplifying it.
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Michael Jackson was tried and not convicted, and did not confess. So as it relates to this case, he should not have gone to jail because I think he was guilty. That said, as far as opinions go, he was guilty and should have gone to jail, or more beneficially in his case, been confined and forced to receive psychiatric help.
Shoot, you beat me to it.
Michael Jackson and OJ Simpson were both found not guilty by a jury. They both showed up to court and fought their cases legally. Roman Polanski fled the country and never faced a jury or a judge. So there is no comparison.
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As it has been made abundantly clear on this thread, judges do not have to agree to plea agreements if they do not feel that it is an appropriate sentence. It bothers me so much when people imply that this judge was doing something wrong. And Roman Polanski did not face the charges. Roman Polanski ran away. He had the best lawyers that money could buy. He could have appealed. He had so many options. He was never even sentenced. He broke another law by running away. And it doesn’t matter how common having sex with underage girls was back then. It doesn’t make it okay. Even if she had consented, which she didn’t, he still used his power and influence as the guest editor of Vogue to have sex with a minor. There is no such thing as consensual sex with a child because they cannot consent. It is as black as white as it seems. He broke the law, he should be punished.
Fine, I give up. Off with his head something something. I was just trying to inject some objectivity into this completely one-sided argument, but I failed. I give Lots of Love to ModestAlfred for getting the job done right.
This is why its so frustrating arguing with Polanski apoligists. They are just like Truthers or Birthers. They come into an argument preaching “getting the facts straight” and “providing balance” and then subsequently dismiss everything that doesn’t follow their viewpoint, even when those things are basic facts. And so far, on every website I’ve seen, they all end just like this. They bring up obvious misinformation (like a judge “backsliding” on a plea agreement, even though that’s physically impossible in our legal system, and its laughable regarding this case if you even know the basics of this case), someone else rationally explains them why it is wrong, and their reaction is “Oh, well, ahh, believe whatever you want morons, I’m outta here!”. Your flippant reaction to having someone point out the basic, factual flaws in your argument shows that you’ve already heard it. You KNOW you are making an argument that is completely wrong and yet you don’t seem to care at all. In fact, you seem mad that people are pointing it out. That’s the polar opposite of objectivity. There’s the old (or I guess, new?) saying: “If you have to make up stuff to prove your argument, your argument couldn’t have been very good to begin with.”
#1, I’m not a Polanski “apologist”. I never said anywhere that I agreed with the petition, I never said he should be free. What I WAS doing was reacting to the one-sided, angry mob mentality that was overwhelming the comments. Any time I see that shit my alarm goes off.
#2, it is absolutely worth noting that people’s response to my bringing up OJ and MJ was that they “never admitted it,” but Polanski did, and therefore Polanski deserves to go to jail while they skirted punishment. There was probably as much evidence (maybe less?) to convict Polanski as there was to convict OJ, but Polanski actually admitted it, so somehow that makes him more deserving of punishment?
#3, The fact that a few comments below mine some unregistered loon calls for the beheading of every person that signed the petition (and another person calls for the torture of Polanski) is exactly why I feel the need to bring up the fact that there are other factors in this case, no matter how much they don’t take away from the original crime. Even if Polanski was not the world-renowned artist he is (and I never brought that up in my argument at all), there are still external factors that make him human. There is nothing worse than a bunch of pitchfork and torch wielders, I don’t care who’s side they’re on. They lose all capability of critical thinking.
#4, I never said anything along the lines of “believe what you want morons, I’m out of here!” I conceded that my argument was unwinnable.
#4,
Well the stuff about OJ and MJ is just basic law. They were acquitted, Polanski was not, so he should go to jail and they should not. Does that mean that they don’t deserve to go to jail? Of course not. But that’s our system and sending them to jail after being acquitted because we totally think they deserve to is obviously impossible. As far as this argument, these things tend to be one sided for a reason. Murder, rape, hate crimes, these are things that tend to not drum up a lot of sympathy for the people that are guilty of them. Also, this argument is one-sided for another reason: The facts are one-sided. The majority of the counterargument hinges on the “judicial misconduct” of the courts. Not only does The Daily Beast have an article shredding this argument, but the very person who was the “whistleblower” for the case as admitted he made the whole thing up. So, this guy raped a little girl and got a completely fair trial, then ran before he could be sentenced. If you can still say the argument is too one-sided after that, I got three words for you: “criminal defense attorney”. You’d be perfect at it.
has R Kelly weighed in?
Somebody quick! Get Ja Rule in here to make sense of all this!
Here’s my problem with this petition: the tone implies that filmmakers attending festivals are owed some sort of diplomatic immunity. “He was attending a film festival. A FILM FESTIVAL!”
It’s like a surfer arguing against a speeding ticket because he was on his way to the beach.
SO RIDICULOUS. Even if the crime wasn’t as serious as “unlawful sexual intercourse” (WHICH IT IS. IT IS EXACTLY THAT), the fact is that he committed a crime and was convicted. And he never went to jail because he fled the country.
Fleeing the country doesn’t make you innocent. That’s not how that works. You have to roll doubles or pay $50 dollars, like everyone else.
The only double I’m rolling is a single malt, neat, in my Burger King Videogum tumbler.
I breathlessly await Victor Salva’s response to this conundrum.
Well said. Kate Harding at Jezebel has a good writeup. It all boils down to HE RAPED A CHILD. Great artist? Sure! Doesn’t change the fact that HE RAPED A CHILD. Holocaust survivor? Yes. Doesn’t change the fact that HE RAPED A CHILD. The specter of censorship raised by this petition seems to take as an article of faith that drugging and raping a 13 year old is some kind of morally ambiguous act, as if France and Poland (enacting a law this very week to chemically castrate “pedophiles,” meaning adults who have sex with people 15 and younger) think that this is not a crime. Phil Spector was a great producer, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t also a creep who murdered AT LEAST one person and therefore belongs in jail. Art does not, no matter how much these deluded people would like to think otherwise, make one divine or superior. Being a talented and skilled artist does not put you above the law. Period. As far as I’m concerned, Polanski should have been a test case for extraordinary rendition the minute he fled from justice.
I was with you until extraordinary rendition. eek.
Fuck this and fuck all you apologist: A 13 year old girl. The fucking end.
I think a major point everyone here is trying to make is RAPE is RAPE is RAPE regardless of how much importance society puts on your ability to make films. Listing a bunch of other people who also have the revered and sacred title of “director” who are standing up for him and claiming this as proof he can’t be a creep just exaggerates the original point. Are they really putting their career on the line? Because Polanski was the one who actually raped a 13 year old, and he managed to get a standing ovation at the Oscars. Who says these other petition signers aren’t creeps? The only thing we’re basing trust and judgement on is how much we like their films.
I think this case really calls into question the purpose of punishment. The two chief rationales for society having a right to imprison their citizens and remove their rights are generally referred to as “deterrence” and “retribution.”
The nature of deterrence is that by punishing a person for committing a crime society means to deter both the individual who committed the crime from committing future crime, and by his example to deter other citizens from committing the same crime.
Retribution basically involves balancing a social scale. When a crime is committed, the social equilibrium is upset and cannot be leveled until the perpetrator of the crime is punished for it.
In dealing with Polanski, I would think deterrence is basically a moot point. The retributive argument for it would be that society is still unbalanced by his act and that imprisoning him would balance the scales? But I wonder if it would? He doesn’t even live in America. He couldn’t come back. Exile is one of the punishments the Supreme Court holds unconstitutional.
I mean, we’ve got him now, so I’m fine with his finally being punished, but punishing this Roman Polanski isn’t quite the same as punishing that Roman Polanski. That guy was a drug abuser himself, I suspect. That’s not an excuse. But punishing him then would have certainly made a lot more sense than punishing him now. Now he’ll likely just die in prison. How many crimes have you guys committed in your past or do you commit presently that would be weird to do time for in 30 years?
I guess I wonder if you would have all felt like injustice was served if he just died last year of a heart attack or something. Would you all have been disappointed if Roman Polanski died before he got to prison?
Just because he spent the last 20-some years in France doesn’t mean he has been punished for raping a child.
He has been inconvenienced for raping a child, but not punished.
(you get 20 years in France for avoiding drafts, or being Johnny Depp or Jerry Lewis. That’s when they really throw the French (phrase) book at you – oooooooh! Thank you, I’ll be in France all week!)
First off, I don’t know why that post got posted twice. If Gabe would like to delete the one that didn’t get the single upvote, be my guest!
I didn’t actually mean to imply that Polanski had been punished. I agree that he has been inconvenienced and not punished. My issue really is that I wonder why everyone is so excited to see him punished. Do you believe that every person who commits a crime deserves to be punished by society? Does every speeder on the highway owe it to the state to pay a ticket? Does everyone who sells drugs deserve to be in jail? Those are SMALL crimes and not really a fair comparison, but if you knew someone who sold drugs in college, would you think it was just that he was imprisoned for it 32 years later? I might be willing to argue that it doesn’t matter anymore.
And please don’t mention the “statute of limitations” or “Guilty plea” because those are social constructs and mere legal issues. They’re no more valid than France’s unwillingness to extradite him. He was living according to the legal constructs of another place. But all the law code stuff avoids the moral/philosophical issue, which I sum up as, “Does it still make sense to punish Roman Polanski? What is the purpose at this point?”
Also, I don’t like the idea of people bringing up his celebrity status as something that works in his favor. If this was just some swarthy dude who fled the country, the police wouldn’t have had a trap waiting at the Swiss film institute or wherever. He’d just have disappeared.
Really interesting and I want to ask you if you would agree that a third element is to deter others from committing the same crimes. If someone has the idea to commit a crime, would knowing that others-were-punished-vs.-others-escaped-justice for the same crime matter to them?
Not to get all ModestAlfredquotegum on you, but “The nature of deterrence is that by punishing a person for committing a crime society means to deter both the individual who committed the crime from committing future crime, and by his example to deter other citizens from committing the same crime.”
Man, I feel like I’m back in Criminal Law I here.
Yeah I mentioned that, but the spacing makes it hard to read? As part of the deterrent idea? By example, those punished are intended to deter others from committing the same crime. Deterrence is a tricky thing because it doesn’t account for accidental homicide or crimes committed by people in a position of limited intellectual capacity, like children, the mentally infirm, or MAYBE people under the influence of drugs and alcohol? You cannot deter activity you aren’t planning. That isn’t particularly relevant to Roman Polanski. I just like to talk about punishment. It’s interesting how much society is permitted and encouraged to do (that no one person in society would be permitted to do) in the name of justice.
I’m curious – why do you guys think those directors signed the petition?
Because they exist in the same social circle and have convinced themselves and each other that its ok to force children to have sex with you because ” 30 years ago, her mom was there, the judge was not going to honor the plea, art, Hitler, blah blah blah….”
I know Gilliam tried to cast Polanski in The Brothers Grimm http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/story/gilliam-woos-polanski
so maybe he’s a fan but I really would like to hear some of these director’s reasoning’s, because at the moment it seems like they subscribe to ‘he’s a great director = innocent”
have you guys seen Gilliam’s “Tideland?
I’d say he’s a fan alright. A fan of unlawful sexual intercourse!
(jk jk)
You’re asking us to speculate about other peoples’ thoughts, which is tricky, but my guess is that it does indeed have something to do with art. The signatories are all legitimately artists, not hacks, and art requires that you not judge — you have to instinctively look first to understand, even to empathize, and once you have done that thoroughly it becomes difficult to condemn. Maybe you sense that under certain desperate emotional circumstances you might have committed a similar crime. Maybe you conceive feelings of guilt, shame and regret that are themselves a punishment, and maybe you begin to feel that 30 years of that is punishment enough for something that happened in a different time, involving (in a sense) different people. Are you right to think this, you artist, you? Maybe not. But I suspect this is part of why they have signed. I think it is a kind of compassion, and a kind of fear, and a kind of forgiveness, and a kind of honesty, and a kind of depravity. I don’t think it is simple — the question of why these people have signed. [End transmission.]
Another argument that I keep hearing that is total bullshit is the “He has not been charged with anything since” defense. So if you only anal rape one CHILD its cool, provided that you are not poor or black or something.
Another argument that I keep hearing that is total bullshit is the “He has not been charged with anything since” defense.
He has, however, at the very least been fucking underage girls since fleeing justice. Very openly.
He’s never shown the slightest bit of remorse, never apologized.
Frankly, I think it’s incredibly vile that people are using the fact that the victim wants to put it behind her to excuse a remorseless child-rapist. If you want to blame someone for putting her through this mess yet again, how about blaming the rapist who ran away rather than face justice?
how about, for her sake, we just stop fucking talking about it?
I realize I’m tardy to the party, but can someone link me to something that reports the FACTS of this case– not blog posts or editorials?
Imma nahso gud at linking things on the intertubes, but go to the smokinggun.com. They have links to the transcript of his guilty plea as well as the transcript of the victims grand jury testimony.
You can also watch the documentary “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired” which is very effective and well crafted and gives a pretty pro-Polanski run at all the facts.
OK, so the film-director community hasn’t convinced you that anally raping a kid isn’t so bad if you’re talented, but maybe the crowd literary/philosophy can do so with their MEGA BRAIN WATTAGE.
Or maybe this is all too “boys’ club” for you? How about an apologia from a prominent female editorial-board type who concludes by asserting that fame has made it HARDER for poor Roman? Hmm? Convinced now? Of course you are.
It seems that I missed all this yesterday evening. The quote from the juror near the end of the article honestly make my head spin: “you can’t watch films knowing Roman Polanski is sitting in a cell 5km away”… That really grinds my gears too, knowing that child rapists are being brought to justice close by totally ruins my capacity to properly enjoy a film festival. Are you kidding me? I’m not sure which is more aggravating; the willful ignorance of these (mostly) talented individuals in signing on for this “cause”, or the tremendous sense of self-importance they must have in thinking that they are somehow the only ones fit to judge one of their “misunderstood” peers.
also, i wonder why no one stood up for gary glitter when he was taken away due to his tastes in children. i mean, is gary glitter not enough of an artiste? did he not bring us the undiluted joy that is…. you know… that song they always play in sports arenas? i mean, truthfully, i’ve heard that song more times than i’ve seen roman polanski films. so obviously he’s had a bigger cultural impact. or maybe roman polanski is like the line in the sand. you know… first they came for gary glitter, but i said nothing, for i was not gary gliiter. and then they came for r. kelly, but i said nothing, for i was not r. kelly. then they came for roman polanski, but i told them to back the fuck off, because when someone is THAT “gifted”, it dont matter where he put what into someone underage, right guys?
this comment is a mess, but whatever, this situation is fucking ridiculous. drugs + underage girl + NO + still RAPING her = fuck you, roman polanski, and fuck all of these people who think that somehow vision and talent magically trumps culpability in a heinous crime. shit don’t work that way, assholes.
Dear World,
Stop having sex with children. Please; its important.
-The rest of us.
Wow. This is all very interesting fodder for an intelligent argument about the false and disturbed sense of entitlement Hollywood has and its effects on our perceptions of moral and legal issues. But I want to use this time to let you all know that when I searched for ‘free Roman Polanski petition’ in Google, Videogum was on page one in results. We are relevant.
Relevant = troll infested. amirite, guys?
There’s now a petition to sign for putting Polanski on trial.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/art-does-not-excuse-rape-polanski-must-face-justice
How many of you parents would leave your 13 year old alone for hours with a man alone to take nude pictures. Alone in a large mansion! Polanski should be punished and so should be the girls parents to allow such a thing to happen. They should be prosecuted for child neglect and abuse.
Would you leave your child in a lions den? This would never happen if girls parents were there to watch over her while she was being photoghraphed NUDE!
It is pathetic that none of you or the news media mentions this extreme case of child abuse by her parents.
another petition supporting his extradition.
http://thomashawk.com/2009/09/petition-supporting-the-extradition-of-roman-polanski.html
The fact that her parents unwisely allowed her to be there does not excuse her rape.
Thanks for the suggestions. It just seems that everywhere I look are opinions, with the facts used (twisted?) to support said opinions. I know, “welcome to the interwebs.” Smokingun.com is a good one. I am confused as to which point in the justice process he fled the country. It seems he took a plea bargain, served a nominal sentence and then fled. Still not sure. Will read the transcripts and try to figure it out… cause, you know, this affects my life in such a serious, SERIOUS way.
My information on the matter comes from the documentary. During the course of the trial, the defence and prosecution agreed on a plea, and they tried to work with the judge as well, to get the sentancing done quickly, in order to be able to figure out when/where he could direct films in the future. Allegedly, according to the documentary, the judge privately agreed to the terms of the plea but was doing a whole lot of shady things, basically playing for the camera to make himself seem important … such as telling both lawyers to make unreasonable demands so the judge could make a ‘fair’ decision. Also, the sentencing kept getting pushed back by using a loophole (there is a time limit before you can give a sentence, but you can put it off by getting mental health assessments). It basically seemed that the judge new that Roman would appeal if he gave the sentence he WANTED to give … so instead he was going to continue doing this stalling tactic to make “time served” equal the sentence he wanted.
Basically, the allegation against the judge in the documentary was that he was attempting to keep Polanski in custody indefinately without actually sentencing him. While crimes should be punished, they should also be punished the right way. Bypassing the appeal system by repeatedly delaying sentencing is not justice. Running away was a desperate move, and certainly isn’t a case of “two wrongs make a right”.
I’m not sure how much of what is argued about in terms of the actions of the judge are true, but they complicate things. Still, there has to be a reason that someone would plead guilty, and wait around for a sentence for quite a while before finally fleeing the country.
The man raped a girl, admitted to it, and seemed to be ready to serve an admitedly light sentence (in part because he was willing to admit that he did it and skip the whole trial procedure, which didn’t just mean less time he had to wait for a sentence, but also that the victim wouldn’t have to testify/relive the events/etc), and a judge that agreed that RAPE IS BAD (and also that the longer the trial goes, the longer he stays on TV), decided to keep stringing the case along, since a tough sentence would probably be appealed as soon as the sentence was passed.
In case of punishment as deterent. Someone that pleads guilty and recieves the maximum sentence is definitely a deterent … to pleading guilty or even bothering to show up for the trial instead of just leaving the country immediately.
I’m going to choose to believe that the directors that I love that have signed this petition thought they were signing an online petition to bring back “Pushing Daisies” to television. Or something. I did that once, and I never even watched “Pushing Daisies”. It’s an easy enough mistake.
Roman Polanski should go to jail.
free polanski
@ zoro: ulol
What? The most sensible, coherent comment I’ve yet read on this matter has come from the director of Scary Movie and Soul Plane???
Producer Bo Zenga (“Scary Movie,” “Soul Plane”), is one of the few executives taking a different view. “I think these people have honestly forgotten what this is really about. Everyone needs to go back and read the grand jury testimony to remember how vicious this rape was because right now everyone thinks we’re debating whether or not Polanski got a raw deal. It irritates me that people around the world think that all of Hollywood is saying that the rapist is the victim. Because I don’t feel that way, and neither do most of the people I talk with.”
Upside-down town! But also, congrats Bo Zenga!
They should arrest and behead all 138 sexual perverts,
Signataires de la pétition pour Roman Polanski / All…
Tous les signataires de la pétition pour Roman Polanski / All signing parties
.Erika Abrams, Fatih Akin, Yves Alberty, Stephane Allagnon, Woody Allen, Pedro Almodovar, Gianni Amelio, Wess Anderson, Michel Andrieu, Roger Andrieux, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Frédéric Aranzueque-Arrieta, Alexandre Arcady, Fanny Ardant, Asia Argento, Marie-Hélène Arnau, Darren Aronofsky, Olivier Assayas, Alexander Astruc, Gabriel Auer, Zdzicho Augustyniak, Alexandre Babel, Vladimir Bagrianski, Fausto Nicolás Balbi, Eleonor Baldwin, Jean-François Balmer, Alberto Barbera Museo nazionale de Torino, Luc Barnier, Christophe Barratier, Ernest Barteldes, Carmen Bartl, Pascal Batigne, Anne Baudry, Juan Antonio Bayona, Xavier Beauvois, Liria Begeja, Matthieu Béguelin, Gilles Behat, Jean-Jacques Beineix, Marco Bellochio, Yannick Bellon, Florence Bellone, Monica Bellucci, Véra Belmont, Jacqueline belon, Jean-Marc Benguigui, Djamel Bennecib, Luc Béraud, Jacob Berger, Alain Berliner, Gael Garcia Bernal, Pascal Berney, Bernardo Bertolucci, Giuseppe Bertolucci, Jean-Marie Besset, Marlène Bisson, Arnstein Bjørkly, Lucien Blacher, Virginie Blanc-Brude Bard, Jean-Marc Bloch, Catherine Boissière, Anne-Sylvie Bonaud, Olivier Bonnet, Thierry Boscheron, Freddy Bossy, Patrick Bouchitey, Cédric Bouchoucha, Paul Boujenah, Frédéric Bourboulon, Katia Boutin (Membre de l’équipe du dernier film de Roman Polanski “The Ghost”), Ian Brady, Jacques Bral, Sophie Bramly, Paulo Branco, Patrick Braoudé, Guila Braoudé, Edwin Brienen, Isabelle Broué, Max Brun, Merima Bruncevic, Anne Burki, André Buytaers, Emilie Buzyn, Anthony Byrne, Marco Cacioppo, Gerald Calderon, Monica Cannizzaro, John Carchietta, Christian Carion, Henning Carlsen, Jean-Michel Carré, Esteban Carvajal Alegria, Lionel Cassan (Membre de l’équipe du dernier film de Roman Polanski “The Ghost”), Bryan Cassiday, Mathieu Celary, Teco Celio, Muriel Cerf, Chagi, Jean-Yves Chalangeas, Daniel Champagnon, Christophe Champclaux, Georges Chappedelaine, Fabienne Chauveau, Claire Chazal, Patrice Chéreau, Brigitte Chesneau, Mishka Cheyko, Catherine Chiono, Catherine Chouchan, Elie Chouraqui, Souleymane Cissé, Jean- Pierre Clech, Henri Codenie, Robert Cohen, Suzanne Colonna, Jean-Paul Commin, Anne Consigny, Alain Cophignon, Alain Corneau, Jérôme Cornuau, Guy Courtecuisse (Membre de l’équipe du dernier film de Roman Polanski “The Ghost”), Miguel Courtois, Antoine Courtray, Guillaume Cousin, Morgan Crestel, Dominique Crevecoeur, Penelope Cruz, Alfonso Cuaron, Estelle Cywje, Frédéric Damien, Sophie Danon, Olivier Dard, Luc et Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Isabelle Dassonville, Hervé de Luze (Membre de l’équipe du dernier film de Roman Polanski “The Ghost”), Artus de Penguern, Valérie de Saint-Do, Virginie De Wilde, Viviane Decuypere, Guillermo del Toro, Benoît Delmas, Jonathan Demme, Ruud den Dryver, Dante Desarthe, Romain Desbiens, Sophie Deschamps, Thomas Desjonquères (Membre de l’équipe du dernier film de Roman Polanski “The Ghost”), Alexandre Desplat, Chris Devi, Rosalinde et Michel Deville, Guillaume D’Ham (Membre de l’équipe du dernier film de Roman Polanski “The Ghost”), Christelle Didier (Membre de l’équipe du dernier film de Roman Polanski “The Ghost”), Kathrin DiPaola, Claire Dixsaut, Xavier Dolan, Ariel Dorfman, Jean Douchet, Jean Douchet, Fabrice du Welz, Marina Duarte Nunes Ferreira, Marc Dufrenois, Sissi Duparc, Jean Dusaussoy, Georges Dybman, Daniel Edinger, Yaniv Elani, Elrem, Sam Enoch, Ernest, Jacques Fansten, Joël Farges, Gianluca Farinelli (Cinémathèque de Bologne), Etienne Faure, Maud et Romain Ferrari, Michel Ferry, Jean Teddy Filippe (Membre de l’équipe du dernier film de Roman Polanski “The Ghost”), Aurélie Fiorentino, Alan Fischer, Martine Fitoussi, Sebastian Fleischhacker, Joy Fleury., Michael Flynn, Hugues Fontenoy, Scott Foundas, Werner Fraai, Jean-Robert Franco, Stephen Frears, Thierry Frémaux, Marc Freycon, Sam Gabarski, René Gainville, Sara Gandolfi, Matteo Garone, Yves Gasser, Tony Gatlif, Catherine Gaudin-Montalto, Jean-Marc Gauthier, Costa Gavras, Nathalie Geiser, Lizi Gelber, Isabelle Gély, Jean-Marc Ghanassia, Alain Gil, Véronique Gillet, Terry Gilliam, Christian Gion, François Girault, Stéphane Gizard, Carlos Miguel Bernardo González, Christophe Goumand, Michel Gras, Eric Gravereau, Martin Gregus, Philippe Gruss, Marc Guidoni, Marta Gutowska, Mikael Håfström, Ronald Harwood, Dimitri Haulet, Geert Heirbaut, Buck Henry, David Heyman, Laurent Heynemann, Joshua Highfield , Dominique Hollier, Isabelle Hontebeyrie, Frédéric Horiszny, Robert Hossein, Jean-Loup Hubert, Wendy Hudson, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Gilles Jacob, Eric et Veronique et Nicolas Jacquelin, Just Jaeckin, Thomas Jahn, Olivia Janik, Jean-Baptiste Jay, Anne Jeandet, Alain Jessua, Renate Jett, Sébastien Jimenez, Arthur Joffé, Pierre Jolivet, Kent Jones (World Cinema Foundation), Peter Josy, Alexandra Julen, Paola Jullian, Roger Kahane, Pierre Kalfon, Elisabeth Kalinowski, Reena Kanji, Nelly Kaplan, Wong Kar Waï, Darius Khondji, Ladislas Kijno, Richard Klebinder, Jonathan Klein, Harmony Korinne, Jan Kounen, Sylvia Kristel, Diane Kurys, Emir Kusturica, Irene Kuznetzova, Jean Labadie, Eliane Lacroux, Michel Laigle, Stéphane Lam, John Landis, Claude Lanzmann, David Lanzmann, André Larquié, Pauline Larrieu, Jacques et Françoise Lassalle, Carole Laure, Christine Laurent-Blixen, Pierre Laville, Emilien Lazaron (Membre de l’équipe du dernier film de Roman Polanski “The Ghost”), Eric Le Roy, Fábio Leal, Vinciane Lecocq, Patrice Leconte, Linda Lefebvre, Béatrice Lefoulon, Delphine Legros, Claude Lelouch, Ann Lemonnier, Alain Lenglet, Gérard Lenne, Larry Levine, Lorraine Lévy, Pierre et Renée Lhomme, Marceline Loridan-Ivens, Michael Louis Wells, Catalina Lozano, Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski, Flore Luquet, Laurence Lustyk, David Lynch, Bania Madjbar, Laurent Malet, Tim Malieckal, Guy Malugani, Erling Mandelmann, Michael Mann, Yvon Marciano, François Margolin, Jean-Pierre Marois, Tonie Marshall, Alain Martin, Sandrine Martin, Danielle Martinetti, Didier Martiny, Mario Martone, Christine Mathis, Esmeralda Mattei, Nicolas Mauvernay, Yannick Mazet, Christopher, Spencer et Claire Mc Andrew, Natalie Mei, Guillermo Menaldi, Mathieu Mercier, Muriel Mercier, Frédéric Mermoud, Laura Metaxa, Allison Michel, Radu Mihaileanu, Jean-Louis Milesi, Claude Miller, Lionel Miniato, Nelly Moaligou, Jean – Marc Modeste , Mario Monicelli, Jeanne Moreau, Gael Morel, Omayra Muñiz Fernández, Stephanie Murat, Christian Mvogo Mbarga, Anna N.Levine, Charles Nemes, Juliette Nicolas-Donnard, Sandra Nicolier, Rachel Noël, Rui Nogueira, Olivier Nolin, Alejandra Norambuena Skira, Fabrice Nordmann, Fabrice O. Joubert, Michel Ocelot, David Ogando, Mariana Oliveira Santos, Szentgyörgyi Ottó, Martine Pagès, Eric Pape, Abner Pastoll, Alexander Payne, Nicola Pecorini, Richard Pena (Directeur Festival de NY), Lindsey Pence, Olivier Père, Suzana Peric (Membre de l’équipe du dernier film de Roman Polanski “The Ghost”) , Jacques Perrin, Thomas Pibarot, Arnaud Pierrichon, Stéphane Pietri, Anne Pigeon Bormans, Samuel Pinon, Claude Pinoteau, Michele Placido, Sabrina Poidevin, Agnès Catherine Poirier, Jean-Yves Potel, Stéphane Pozderec, Harry Prenger, Jean et Marie Prévost, Gilbert Primet, Marie-Hélène Raby, Philippe Radault, Tristan Rain, Florence Raphaël, Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Joseph Rassam, Rolandas Rastauskas, Brett Ratner, Raphael Rebibo, Jo Reymen, Laurence Reymond, Yasmina Reza, Christiane Rhein, Jacques Richard, Dominique Robert, Jean-Jacques Rochut, Yannick Rolandeau, Paul Rondags, Avital Ronell, Frank Roozendaal, Graciela Rosato, Kontochristopoulou Roula, Laurence Roulet, Joshua Rout, Paolo Roversi, Florence Rphael, Isabelle Ruh, Martin Ruhe, Sonia Rykiel, Anita S. Chang, Esteban S. Goffin, JOAQUÍN Sabina, Marc Saffar, Ludivine Sagnier, Gabriela Salazar Scherman, Walter Salles, Jean-Paul Salomé, Jean-Frédéric Samie, Marc Sandberg, Léo Scalpel, Jerry Schatzberg, Richard Schlesinger, Daniel Schmidt, Georg Schmithüsen, Julian Schnabel, Pierre Schoendoerffer, Barbet Schroeder, J. Neil Schulman, Pierre Schumacher, Pierre-Alexandre Schwab, Ettore Scola, Luis Gustavo Sconza Zaratin Soares, Martin Scorsese, Steven Sedgwick, Steven Sedgwick, Andrea Sedlackova, Frank Segier, Michèle Seguin-Sirhugue, Guy Seligmann, Elis Semczuk, Lorenzo Semple Jr, Julien Seri, Sophie Sharkov, Boris Shlafer, Antoine Silber, Pierre Silvant, Charlotte Silvera, Noel Simsolo, Christophe Sirodeau, Abderrahmane Sissako, Beatrice Sisul , Petter Skavlan, Marcin Sokolowski, Paolo Sorrentino, Roch Stephanik, Karen Stetler, Guillaume Stirn, Gérard Stum, Jean-Marc Surcin, Tilda Swinton, Jean-Charles Tacchella, Radovan Tadic, Danis Tanovic, Bertrand Tavernier, André Techiné, Cécile Telerman, Harold Alvarado Tenorio, Alain Terzian, Christian Texier, Valentine Theret, Virginie Thévenet, Pascal Thomas, Jeremy Thomas, Marc Thomas Charley, Giuseppe Tornatore, Serge Toubiana, Nadine Trintignant, Julie Turcas, Mitja Tu?ek, Tom Tykwer, Alexandre Tylski, Stephen Ujlaki, Jaques Vallotton, Phil van der Linden, Betrand van Effenterre, Leopold van Genechten, Christophe van Rompaey, Dorna van Rouveroy, Elbert van Strien, Vangelis, Alessio Vannetti, Lucília Verdelho da Costa, Christian Verdu, Jean-Pierre Vergne, Sarah Vermande, Julien Veyret, Marc Villemain, Jean-François Villemer, Daria Vinault, Verde Visconti, Thomas Vossart, Gilles Walusinski, Eric Watton, Dominique Welinski, Wim Wenders, Anaïse Wittmann, A Wolanin, Margot Wolfs, Arnaud Xainte, Paule Zajdermann, Christian Zeender, Terry Zwigoff.
Obamma, are you related to Wess?
Did we ever figure out which came first, the drugging or the raping?
It is sad that people rally around a pedophile….he pled guilty to the crime then took off, and even sadder that the French supports pedophiles. I bet Woody Allen is applying for French citizenship right now…Next time Germany invades maybe we should let them stay longer.
It is sad that people rally around a pedophile….he pled guilty to the crime then took off, and even sadder that the French supports pedophiles. I bet Woody Allen is applying for French citizenship right now…Next time Germany invades maybe we should let them stay longer.
“Yesterday, Weinstein stated he was ‘calling on every film-maker we can to help fix this terrible situation.’”
Good news, guys! Weinstein figured out how to un-rape-rape!
Q: “No crime” if committed against a goy …. right?
Q: “No crime” if committed against a goy …. right?
The facts accoriding to Grand Jury testamony.
Polanski knew the girl was 13.
Polanski gave the girl drugs and alcohol.
Polanski put his penis in her vagina and anus.
Polanski climaxed in her anus
The 13 year old said ?no? several times. She asked repeatedly to be driven home.
Polanski agreed that these were the basic facts of the case when he plea bargined. His plea bargin was done by 1970?s standards on rape ? ?she asked for it?! defense. He was evaulated in Chino prision for 43 days by two star struck pyscologists. They recommended to the DA that he only do time served ? 43 days. The DA?s recommendation apparently was not going to be endorsed by the Judge (which seems reasonable to me based on the testamony). The Judge sentences, not the DA or psycologists by the way.
He fled while on bail.
He is an admitted child rapist ? only those with very sick mentally or immoral personal standards would defend him.
The facts accoriding to Grand Jury testamony.
Polanski knew the girl was 13.
Polanski gave the girl drugs and alcohol.
Polanski put his penis in her vagina and anus.
Polanski climaxed in her anus
The 13 year old said ?no? several times. She asked repeatedly to be driven home.
Polanski agreed that these were the basic facts of the case when he plea bargined. His plea bargin was done by 1970?s standards on rape ? ?she asked for it?! defense. He was evaulated in Chino prision for 43 days by two star struck pyscologists. They recommended to the DA that he only do time served ? 43 days. The DA?s recommendation apparently was not going to be endorsed by the Judge (which seems reasonable to me based on the testamony). The Judge sentences, not the DA or psycologists by the way.
He fled while on bail.
He is an admitted child rapist ? only those with very sick mentally or immoral personal standards would defend him.
Polanski should go to jail to experience the pleasures of being raped in the butt firsthand..
I have a brilliant idea for child rapist Roman Polanski’s next film: it should be titled, “In Through The Out Door” and star the 13 year old daughters of all of his supporters. Perhaps they could serve champagne and quaaludes at the premier???
Anyone who signs such a petition should imagine that that was THEIR 13 yr old daughter…..and then invision Roman Polanski ejaculating in their daughters rectum. Period.
Child rapists are cowards who do not fair well in prison. They all try to run and hide when undisputable guilt surfaces. The Judge is the major contributor to the severe miscarriage of justice in this case.
Hollywood is full of narcissistic jackasses who will always have a following of delusional peasant worshippers who hang on every word of the seriously deranged media?s account of anything.
The only thing that has changed in the course of this case of Planned and carried out child rape is the fact other child rapists can now sit in front of the computer and jack off to the rape testimony of a thirteen year old girl, as well as the plea of guilt from her attacker (who by the way lured her not once but twice over a two day period mind you into performing illegal acts for his ADULT PLEASURE) Meanwhile Hollywood cheers on its COVETED director and demeans the child?s Mother who had been contacted by phone not once but twice during the period of time in question. The child never made it known to two different adults when occasion presented itself that she was being raped. (More than likely due to her state of fear) And thanks to all of the so called ADULTS in this case, all of her worst fears have come true.
People around the world like me can sit and arrange the technicalities of this case around to suit any opinion pined for but it will not change the fact that still remains after 30 years. A child was raped and justice has nowhere near been served.
I hope they fry this guy! He is an admitted child rapist. He has shown no remorse fior actually raping a 13 year old girl. In fact, he commented that he though he just did what everyone wants to do, including the judge trying his case. I hope he spends the rest of his life in jail. I would like to see the US send a statement to the rest of the world that they will be punished if they mess with our kids. Personally, we had nothing to do with Sadam Husein’s hanging (BS) but I think maybe a public castration would send a good message.
Who’s Roman Polanski?
Hey, aynrandian, please register an Official Videogum Commenter profile and stop changing your name every few days, or we will ban you and delete all of your comments. Same goes for you Cap’n Jack / LOLster.
Typical Hollywood types.. working their data entry jobs in Ohio. Having Internet arguments when their boss isn’t looking. It’s all ‘raping children is wrong’ wah wah wah all the time with these people. Typical types they are.
Hooboy! Old fashioned crackdown, y’all! Git yer e-pitchforks and i-torches ready!
Just so you know, I was assigned this new number when I transferred to Information Retrieval.
Sigh… I am so disappointed in Terry Gilliam right now, I might have to abandon this username altogether.
This IP address crack down is even tougher than The Rock in Walking Tall or Kevin Sorbo in Walking Tall 2: The Payback or Walking Tall 3: Lone Justice.
Sorry. Won’t happen again.
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GABE: What’s going on in there?!?!
monsters: *scutttle,scuttle* shh, shh, shhh….NOTHING.
So depressing that he’s done this….ugh….the last person I’d of expected to sign a thing like this.
Devil’s Advocate here: If so many men & women whose work we admire and find in some sense moral are suggesting the charges be dropped — can it really be as simple as “They are all depraved jerks”? Or is it possible there is a kind of compassion or mercy at work that is itself principled and intelligent?
Well, offered in a spirit of Devil’s Advocate, as I said. Keanu-Pacino me down if you must.
It’s not an attack. It has always been Videogum policy that commenters be consistent in their use of names. We welcome ALL OPINIONS, but out of respect for the vibrant and thoughtful commenting community, commenters must use the same name each time. Since you have a registered history of frequently commenting under various names, I’m asking you to please pick one name and stick with it. You’re free to voice as much criticism of me and the site and Saturday Night Live as you want, just be consistent in “who” is registering the criticism.
That is a ridiculous question, and no one is being a bully. Aynrandian has a documented history of violating Videogum Commenting policy in which the same user will post comments under various names. That is what trolls do, and we do not tolerate trolls. I’m simply asking Aynrandian to continue posting his or her valid opinions under a single, consistent name, as a member of the Videogum Commenting Community, of which I and all of the other regular commenters are very proud. Unregistered users are welcome and encouraged to join in the discussion, but they are not welcome to abuse the system.
That being said, drop dead.
You’re better than ‘drop dead’, Gabe. That being said, I do entirely agree with you. You may have noticed I’ve not posted as much lately and that is purely because of the trolls. I don’t think I contribute much but I do feel I contribute something. I just don’t see what these people have got to gain!! So, don’t let them get to you Gabe. We all love you, Jenny Slate, and hate Roman Polanski(although he has already been tried and had a sentence which he undertook). Let’s just stop being sad dicks and be one person on Happygum okay? What’s the harm in that?! By the way, I am drunk… AGAIN. x
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No. Although he may have made an untoward comment, you are the prick. Now kindly fuck off.
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Yeah, I’m sorry for cursing at you, that wasn’t cool. It’s not like you aren’t making valid points either. It’s just your Gabe’s boyfriend, and I was jealous of that. I guess I picked the right week to start sniffing glue again.
you’re*
thirded