The tag line of an LA Times article titled "Polanski arrest draws cheers and jeers in Europe" reads:
Those in the arts community see the film director as a hounded hero whose jailing reflects America's dark side. Others see the arrest and Switzerland's cooperation in the sting as justice overdue.
We are the country who disintegrates children on a weekly basis with predator drones. We torture. We have the highest prison population in the world thanks in part to incarcerating non-violent offenders. But wanting to try a guy who druged and raped a 13 year old girl 30 years ago shows our dark side?
What the fuck are you talking about?!?
Seriously...people in the arts community...if you are suddenly frightened by the American ethos then you clearly have been trapped in the celluloid you produce for a living. There's no such thing as a get out of jail free card for artists - only politicians and white-collar executives are privy to that golden ticket.
See also: Rape-Rape.
Excuse me, those children deserved disintegration. I'm picturing Grape Ape saying 'Rape rape.' Chortle.
Posted by: Randal Graves | September 29, 2009 at 08:47 AM
What's the big woop? The Dude would make a perfect Republican Congresspervert.
Posted by: mandt | September 29, 2009 at 04:19 PM
Malibu is trying to extradite Polanski? ;-)
Posted by: Kvatch | September 30, 2009 at 12:28 PM
My new goal in life is to become a famous and 'important' artist so that I, too, may have famous people defned my despicable actions.
Posted by: LewScannon | September 30, 2009 at 05:55 PM
Agi, I think that Hollywood is reacting to articles with bullshit titles like this one:
From Polanski to "Big Love": Hollywood's Twisted View of Child Sex Abuse
Doesn't that title sound like everything that comes out of Hollywood has some evil intent? Sound's like the right-wing fucktards are winning the war of words again.
This does not mean that I don't think Polanski belongs in jail. I dunno, I wasn't there, and no matter how hard you struggle to be a good mother/father/caretaker (and watch their every move) to a 13 year old girl, they do really stupid things, just to be assholes and scare the crap out of you.
Yes, Polanski should have acted like an adult, and no I don't know all the details of his trial, conviction, escape or why Hollywood is defending him. The fact remains that Hollywood's main goal is not to corrupt every teenager on the planet. If the world wants to try to blame it for that, they need to figure out who's financing the evil and try to control the moves of a 13 year old for about 6 months.
Posted by: nunya | October 01, 2009 at 02:25 PM
Yeah, I see how this story plays right into the hands of conservatives who hate Hollywood. As if "Hollywood" is some monolithic entity, heh. The elites sticking up for Polanski are just protecting their own.
I was more confused and amused by the reaction of Europeans in the LA Times piece. If the Los Angeles County DA was trying to extradite an auto mechanic who fled to Switzerland after raping a 13-year old, these European artistic elites would not give a shit - and would not be yapping about America's "dark side".
Rape is not the issue here.
Posted by: Agi | October 02, 2009 at 06:32 AM
she kidnapped herself.
Posted by: the elite | October 02, 2009 at 06:39 AM
I was not defending Polanski, or his apologists. I think I'm just irritated because like all celebrity news, it's a distraction from what I consider important to the American people.
Posted by: nunya | October 02, 2009 at 02:18 PM
I totally get where you are coming from, nunya. Take the David Letterman story today...it is the headline on all the news sites and broadcasts. Who the fuck cares what some late night host did?!? Meanwhile, the whole world is going to shit and nobody cares...
Posted by: Agi | October 02, 2009 at 02:26 PM