It’s really dispiriting–and utterly infuriating–how many Hollywood types have signed the petition to free confessed child-rapist Roman Polanski.
I mean, Woody Allen doesn’t surprise me, but et tu, Wes Anderson? SRSLY, Steven Soderbergh?
I can only assume they haven’t read the disgusting details of Polanski’s crime.
It would also appear that being married to an intelligent, accomplished woman doesn’t make you any more enlightened or female-friendly: the list of rape apologists includes Sam Mendes (Mr. Kate Winslet), Taylor Hackford (Mr. Helen Mirren) and Mike Nichols (Mr. Diane Sawyer).
But most importantly, to every single woman who signed this petition: You are hereby kicked out of Womanity. You should know better, you miserable fucking traitors.
But don’t forget to list the ones who refuse to sign the petition, the good people: Kevin Smith, Luc Besson, Greg Grunberg, Bill Maher, Jewel, Kirstie Allie, and lots more.
@GeekGirls: Yeah, I think I’ll put up a “Friends of Womanity” shout-out later!
Can’t say as I am surprised about Mr Helen Mirren, given Helen’s repeated (and discouraging) public statements about her experiences with rape. I’m kicking her out too.
Steven Soderbergh? ugh. Did you hear about Natalie Portman? truly gross. I hate being all, “I’ll never watch X’s movies again!” but…
I mean, Tilda Swinton!!!!! I’m still not over that.
I wish they just asked everyone so we could know plainly who to support and who not.
Can’t even believe some of the comments flying around over at Jezebel. This is so fucking clear cut! And yeah, I’m so disappointed and grossed out by some of the women on that list. Natalie Portman? Jesus.
@Imthemarigold I was just going to post Helen Mirren’s “date” rape comments, which have really lowered my opinion of her. Can’t say I’m suprised to see her husband on the list.
She told GQ: “I was [date-raped], yes. A couple of times.
“Not with excessive violence, or being hit, but rather being locked in a room and made to have sex against my will.”
Dame Helen said it was rape if a couple engaged in sexual activity but the woman said “no” at the last second.
However, she said: “I don’t think she can have that man into court under those circumstances.”
Mirren said that she didn’t report her own rape because “you couldn’t do that in those days.”
http://www.feministing.com/archives/010783.html
What?! Natalie Portman?! And one of the Coen brothers, Guillermo del Toro, Penelope Cruz, Gael Garcie Bernal…
I’d love to see a written rationale from each and every one of these people explaining why it is, exactly, that this particular fugitive child rapist should go free.
What?! Natalie Portman?!
She probably has Stockholm Syndrome, ingenue that she was.
not to mention Darren Aranosky aka Mr Rachel Weisz
oh and oddly monica belluci signed it but not her husband vincent cassel. Although given Invincible…
I think I have to go throw up a little bit now after hearing Whoopie Goldberg say that it wasn’t “rape rape.” Thankfully, she was in the minority. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NX_D0Bv9M0
Oooooh, Tilda, why? I love Tilda Swinton, I’m a little bit in love with her, this is so dissapointing. This is so horrible. Has anyone read Kate Hardings thoughts over at Salon? I came to it a bit late, but I think she sums it up so brilliantly.
@bluebears: no, what about Natalie Portman?
I’m surprised about Tilda Swinton too. But really, every one of those names is depressing, and the more I admired the person, the sadder it makes me.
@Endora: Just that she signed.
I’m curious about how other people think the movie industry’s support for Polanski is going to affect their movie-watching habits. I have refused to see Polanski’s movies forever, but what about the petition signers? It’s hard to imagine never seeing another movie made by any of these artists, but I don’t know if I could even enjoy one. What about movie’s made before they issued these statements? What about watching movies in a situation where they don’t have financial gain, like a DVD at someone’s house?
Tilda Swinton…that was a blow.
Polanski’s newest movie, The Ghost, has been put on hold, and I wonder what, if anything, the film’s stars (Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan) will have to say. Neither has made any comment or signed any petition as of yet. If/when the film is released, that will be one hell of an awkward junket, and I wonder how McGregor and Brosnan will handle it if they don’t support Polanski in the extradition matter. But I guess they already worked with him, so they were already able to overlook the actual incident.
I thank these people sincerely…. they are gonna save me a TON of money!
“My personal thoughts are let the guy go,” said Peg Yorkin, founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation. “It’s bad a person was raped. But that was so many years ago. The guy has been through so much in his life. It’s crazy to arrest him now. Let it go. The government could spend its money on other things.”
From here (stupid headline, but still).
OH MY FUCKING GOD. PEG YORKIN NEEDS TO GIVE UP HER FEMINIST CARD RIGHT THIS FUCKING MINUTE. ALSO, HER OVARIES.
SERIOUSLY, WHERE CAN WE IMPEACH HER? I AM DRAFTING A FURIOUS LETTER RIGHT NOW!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! what the HELL is wrong with people???
In case you care to contact the Feminist Majority Foundation yourself:
http://feminist.org/welcome/contactUs.asp
Call their office in Arlington, VA, which is apparently where everyone is in conference right now.
First I called the LA office, since that’s where Peg Yorkin is based. The very nice, young-sounding woman who answered the phone knew right away what I was talking about, and said more than once “We’re really sorry about that quote.”
So I called the Arlington, VA office–it’s literally around the corner from where I grew up–and expressed my displeasure to another woman there. She took my number and said that someone–she gave me an actual name–would be calling me back.
I AM MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS FUCKING PRO-RAPIST SHIT ANYMORE! BECKY SMASH!
@JennyK/Benevolent_Dictatrix
Interesting question. Trying to maintain a boycott against the petition signers would mean watching very few movies. I think producer Bo Zenga nailed it when he said:
People clearly have no idea what they’re signing off on. I always thought Polanski was a predatory piece of shit based on the fact that he spent many subsequent years committing statutory rape, but reading the actual grand jury testimony was sickening. I had thought that, based on the fact that people defended him, there was some shred of evidence that the sex was consensual but there was none.
I know I’m veering over into patriarchy here, but where the fuck was this girl’s Dad? And what the fuck was up with the Mother allowing a 13 year-old to go on a “photo shoot” unsupervised?
@Hill Rat: I actually DREAMED about this whole thing last night, and my dream self was reciting the facts from the grand jury testimony to someone who thought this was no big deal, and my dream self was crying. The grand jury testimony really is, as you say, sickening.
The thing about boycotts is they cannot be effective unless the person/people/company you’re boycotting knows you’re boycotting and why. If you’re just interested in keeping your money out of their hands, that’s one thing. But they won’t know you’re actively avoiding them/their product or why.
@Hill Rat: Well, it’s BOTH parents’ job to prevent their kid from being raped, not just the dad. But I get the feeling you’re thinking that question as man who has a daughter.
Unfortunately it seems like the Mom basically pimped the poor girl out to Polanksi. I’ve heard some sick justification shit like “Well, the Mom took her there knowing that she was going to have topless photos taken…” as though that somehow means it was okay for Polanksi to rape her.
Parents pimp their kids out ALL THE TIME–either for gain or because they’re so star-struck they’re willing to look the other way while the stars exploit their children (see: Michael Jackson’s victims). It’s horrible, but it sounds like that’s what happened here.
Hill Rat, you are the first person I’ve seen ask about the girl’s father. Everyone is so caught up scolding the mother. She sounds like a real piece of work but just because a child is being prostituted by her parents doesn’t make it acceptable to take the bait! I’ve heard so many people say that, too.
Like, well wouldn’t anyone fuck an unsupervised child!?
thanks becky. I’m calling them.
HTML FAIL above. Here’s the quote:
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
@Hill Rat – I hope that is the case. I just can’t fathom how anyone who read the details could be in the same room with him, much less sign that petition. But it begs the question Why are these people signing on when they don’t even know the facts? They just assume that successful brilliant artists couldn’t possibly commit rape or just that they shouldn’t be punished for it? That’s problematic in and of itself.
As to the victim’s parents, it sounds to me like she was being exploited by her mother (and father?) in a Lohan-esque way before she was brutalized by Polanski. But I keep seeing this brought up as a defense of Polanski, like “Oh come on, everyone knew what was going to happen” and “The mother basically consented for her” (paraphrases of actual comments!) which are mind-blowing in the implication that the mother’s actions have any bearing on whether or not it was rape. You cannot consent to sex on behalf of your child!
@BeckySharper
Indeed, both of a children’s parents are responsible for their health & safety but I have yet to see anything that mentioned this girl’s father. While much vitriol is rightfully directed at the Mother, the Father’s complete and total abdication of his parental responsibility is fucking shameful.
You’re correct when you assume that my question comes as the father of a little girl though. I, of course, recognize that my very strong feelings about protecting my little girl are rooted in patriarchy. Still, I can’t imagine a circumstance where I wouldn’t be leading a lynch mob if this happened to either of my kids.
@JennyK: I know, that “rationale” just blows my mind. “Well, her mom said it was okay for me to drug and rape her!”
@HillRat: Yeah, I hear ya. My stepdad would have ripped the dude apart with his bare hands and happily gone to jail for it.
I wonder if the mom was a single mother? It’s true that there’s never been a thing written about the girl’s father, which made me think he must be out of the picture entirely.
Someone on “the-website-which-shall-not-be-named” seriously asked yesterday, (paraphrase) “but can the mother have consented to it on behalf of her daughter? Parents can consent for their kids on a lot of issues.” I wish people were better educated re: consent and what it means in the legal sense. Really you shouldn’t have to have a freaking JD to know the answer to that question.
@Bluebears: That’s some fucking dumbass shit right there.
@bluebears
I wish people were better educated re: consent and what it means in the legal sense. Really you shouldn’t have to have a freaking JD to know the answer to that question.
I guess this is something I should know as a parent. Can you give me/us some resources to educate ourselves on the issue?
@bluebears I saw that. The person asked, “A parent can consent to marriage, why not sex?” Uhh, a parent can consent to allow the child to do something the child has itself consented to. You can’t marry your child off against its will! Is this really a difficult concept?
@HillRat: eke! I don’t know off the tip of my head any good web sources. (I’m sure someone else has some good links?) But you should know that girls under the statutory age (varies from state to state) cannot give consent. PERIOD. If you have boys they should know that for sure. A co-worker has a client who is 17 and has a girlfriend who is 15 and pregnant and he is being prosecuted for a class 4 sexual felony which carries the potential for up to 15 yrs in prison. 15 years. And it was “consensual” in the classic sense of the word but not the legal sense.
further clarification: there is literally no such thing as consensual sex (in the legal sense) with someone who is under the statutory age, unless the parties are married.
@HillRat: Here’s a list of the age of consent by state.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_North_America
But frankly, no adult man is ever going to have sex with my (as yet unborn) 13-year-old daughter. And they ain’t marrying her either. Period, end of story.
But frankly, no adult man is ever going to have sex with my (as yet unborn) 13-year-old daughter. And they ain’t marrying her either. Period, end of story.
+1,000,000,000
This is all so infuriating. Good quote from that producer – are the signers really thinking about this at all? Each name that gets added, it seems more and more like a case of “all the cool, arty kids are doing it. I’m part of that crowd, so I’d better sign.” I really wish more hollywoodites who are against this shit would speak out. If anyone knows of remarks by the good guys, please post, so we know who to thank and support.
Holy.Fucking.Shit. Just read this in the Katha Pollit article http://www.thenation.com/blogs/anotherthing/479379/roman_polanski_has_a_lot_of_friends
“Nation editor-in-chief Katrina vanden Heuvel, who tweeted her surprise at finding herself on the same side as Applebaum, has had second thoughts: “I disavow my original tweet supporting Applebaum. I believe that Polanski should not receive special treatment. Question now is how best to ensure that justice is served. Should he return to serve time? Are there other ways of seeing that justice is served? At same time, I believe that prosecutorial misconduct in this case should be investigated.”
why?????? what is WRONG with these people? am I going insane?
@Hill Rat: I don’t know where you live, but if you do some Googling, I am sure that there is probably an organization geared towards rape prevention, counseling or whathaveyou in your area. These organizations usually have a plethora of educational materials about sexual assault and consent. Also, there might be volunteer opportunities if you are so inclined and have the time
In addition to calling the Feminist Majority Foundation, I am of half a mind to mail a copy of that little girl’s grand jury testimony to the likes of Natalie, Tilda, and many others on that list with a note saying, “Since this is what you support, I can no longer support your artistic endeavors with my hard-earned money.” I know that the actual celebrities will probably never see it, but still…
@Tallgirl: Oooh, good idea on sending the grand jury testimony!
@Hill rat and others re: consent and teenagers –
It may also interest you to know that in terms of health care relating to sexual health or drug/alcohol treatment, teenagers can give consent and their parents don’t have to know about it.
Adding to the list of celebs who haven’t necessarily chosen to “close ranks,” so to speak, in case of a future Polanski related anti-rape post…
Jessie Eisenberg (from Adventureland and Zombieland)from a recent interview with he and Woody Harrelson:
HARRELSON: I knew you were going to try to work him in. We were just debating the whole Roman Polanski thing – should he be going to jail or not?
MovieRetriever: And what do you think about that?
HARRELSON: He is pretty decided about that.
EISENBERG: Yeah – you don’t touch children. That is the worst thing in the world. You don’t know how badly that screws up kids – it screws them up for life.
HARRELSON: I feel kind of the same way. I have a daughter who is 13 and the thought of some guy giving her a Quaalude … then I was torn over the fact that it had been 32 years and the girl had forgiven him, so I don’t know. I do think that what he did was wrong.
EISENBERG: Kids are sexualized in the media more than ever. That is why the girl in our movie is such a great role model for kids. She and her family are aware of the way that kids are objectified and sexualized in movies even at her age and so they don’t put her in anything revealing or in any films that would put her in a compromising position. They put in her roles that present women in good ways.
There’s some equivocating on Woody Harrelson’s part there, which is too bad, but it’s nice to see there are talented and creative young people out there like Eisenberg who seemingly wish to understand the salient issue at stake.
(Hope I did the html correctly there!)
sad to see so few blogs and websites
are really concerned by this AT ALL.
the feministe post “getting over it”
is heartbreaking, and really should be front page reading everywhere for people to “put a face” on this type of thing.
also, i looked at the petition,
but i did NOT see this name:
Steven Soderbergh
(twice) could you be mistaken?
i loved this guy’s film “The Limey”
about a man who is on a quest to avenge his daughter’s death AT THE HANDS OF A HOLLYWOOD SCUMBAG.
so, are you sure ?
i looked in the S section twice, maybe i missed it….
you don’t want to associate him with this rabble by mistake….
-javier
@Javier: Scroll down the list to the section marked NEW NAMES, which is (mostly Hollywood) people who signed the petition more recently. Steven Soderbergh’s name is on there. He believes Polanski should not be prosecuted.
Well, now I now longer want to buy tickets for “The Informant” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “A Serious Man,” but thank bog I can still see “Zombieland”!
Guillermo del Toro seemed like only a matter of time, once I saw Cuaron and Innaratu on the list, but I’m still sad about it. And Fatih Akin–his movie “Head On,” one of my all time favorites, has such a brutal depiction of rape and its aftermath, I find myself watching the first half over and over and then turning it off. How can he make that movie and then sign this petition??