My latest frustration - the celebrities speaking out against the detainment of Roman Polanski.
I am not versed in the law. And neither are these celebrities. You cannot convince me they are supporting him based on some infraction of his civil rights or other legal technicality. Of course, to give them some credit, even they aren't claiming that.For anyone who may not know, Roman Polanski was detained on September 26 in connection with a case from 1978 in which he admitted to drugging and having sex with a 13 year old girl. It's hard for me to truly understand the actions that occurred after that admission - I've read reports of a plea bargain as well as reports of him fleeing the country prior to sentencing. Those are the details I leave to the legal professionals.
However, over 700 celebrities and leaders in the film industry have reportedly signed a petition calling for his release.
I wonder if any of those 700 people have 13 year old daughters.
Whoopi Goldberg stated that she didn't understand why he was being detained since it wasn't a "rape rape".
Excuse me? When a man in his mid-40s gives a 13 year old girl drugs and then has sex with her, when is that not rape? I don't care what profession you are in - that is a crime.So to Penelope Cruz, Adrien Brody, Debra Winger, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese and the others who have urged his release, I'd like to say that we hold you to the same laws as the rest of us. There are just some laws that I'd like to see us apply to folks no matter what their social, economic, cultural, or political backgrounds.
Sex with school-aged children being illegal is one of those laws.
And I'm sorry celebrities. We may pay you to entertain us. We don't pay you to define the standards by which we live.
Thankfully.
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93 comments:
I'm with you on this. Makes me nuts how they just don't see things.
I agree with you about RP but if we do away with all celebs what will I do at the gym? I need my OK Magazine on the stairmaster to remind me how I'm supposed to look when I'm done excercising.
I would also love a celebrity-free world.
If the world were celebrity free, would that mean I could be free of the Gosselins? 'Cause I would really like that.
Amen. Celebrities are masters at calling good evil and evil good. Not right, and the most dangerous thing that is happening to our society as a whole.
Hallelujah, amen. Pass the plate around again.
It's not "rape rape"?! I mean, come on! Yeah - good for him. He didn't jump her in a parking lot and leave her LUCID before raping her. He also didn't LISTEN when she said "no no no no no no no." (And, while we're on the subject, what on this green EARTH was her mother thinking, sending her 13 year old to a party to try to get a part in a movie?!)
Now, would you like to know what I REALLY think? (heh) Rapists and child molesters ought to be made so they can no longer repeat these acts, and then they are free to go about their business. (A nip here, a tuck there...Loraina Bobbitt can show them how it's done.)
Amen.
(My comment doesn't appear to be in the same vein as the rest of your comments. I'm sorry. I'm also mad as he**. Yes, the crime was AGES ago, but just because he's a coward and fled the country...the punishment is no less severe. At the same time...God knows what he did. What punishment we give him really serves to make US feel better. I'm sure God has his own measure of justice...and He'll decide whether it's been served or not. Poor man couldn't even come home to accept his own Oscar? Well, then, by all means! Swing wide those Pearly Gates, y'all - we've got a winner.)
Shutting up now.
Girl, you said it best! I wish they'd keep their hand out of politics too... but that's another post. ;)
Thank you for this post! I am so tired of hearing people comment on this case while leaving out the fact that he is guilty (and admitted it in court) of raping a 13 year old child.
It's a sad business. RP should have taken his lumps right away. Not only are the celebs standing up for him but so is the entire French government! Go figure.
It took forever for this box to pop up. What is the problem? Anyways, celebrities/and some politicians feel that they are living above the rest of us, and our laws shouldn't be applied to them. Too bad. Thank God we live in democracies. We only have to work together, boycott these pumpkin heads and show them how life really works.
I couldn't agree more. Drugging a 13 year girl and then having sex with her is "rape rape".
Well said. And if he is released, how about all those celebrities letting him babysit their young daughters for a weekend?
You took the words right out of my mouth. RP may be talented in the world of film, but if he returns to the US he should take his medicine. So many celebrities are messed up. A note to celebrities, "You get paid to look pretty and act or model. Please do so and stop talking".
This is so wrong...that poor child. I know she now says she doesn't want him prosecuted, but it's too late. He pled guilty - he raped her. Shame on all those celebrities. Makes me want to boycott anything they ever do again.
Now, if they inserted their own mothers (sorry I can't say their own children) as the 13 year old victim of this crime...I wonder if they would change their mind about it being ok?
Oh Whoopie... It's not rape rape? What exactly would she call it?
I was deeply disappointed by Goldberg's comment as well. I blogged about it here:
http://oholivejuice.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-would-you-feel.html
It turns my stomach to read the list of celebrities that just don't get it.
Thanks for writing about this. Those celebrities need to be held accountable for what they said.
And how many people take celebrity opinion as having special merit is frightening. Because they can sing and act. gah.
This has made me super mad, too. It WAS rape (what exactly is rape rape, anyway, Whoopi?) and on top of that he fled the country for what? 30 years? To avoid sentencing. Seems to me that he is in BIG trouble. Who cares if he is some big shot in the entertainment industry?
I seriously think these people think they should be treated differently than the rest of us.
I'm with you too! The Roman Polanski thing makes me mad and it also bothers me that the celebs think they know how to vote, and how to live better than the rest of us.
Amen! I agree 100%, Celebrities live in their own little world.
Amen Sister!
AND the man ran!
I am sure there are plenty of talented people in prison. I hope Roman Polanski joins them.
Awesome post. Yeah...some celebrities are so far "out there" it's unreal. The sad part is that these are people our children tend to idolize!!
Can I please come live in your celebrity-free world? It really is horrifying that someone people won't see this as rape? What else could it be?!
Even though we don't pay celebrities to define our moral standards, that's the direction the world is leaning more and more each day. Scary.
enough to make you sick to your stomach. sorry whoopi - having sex w/o concent is rape. and if you've gotta drug the girl to have sex, its obviously not consentual.
What I find the most sad is that some people will excuse most anything in the name of "art." Yes, RP is talented. But yes, he is ALSO a rapist. Therefore, prison is mandatory. Enough said.
Okay, I'm all for celebrities within the confines of their glossy pages. I read "In Touch" and am fine with keeping up with their antics there.
HOWEVER, when it comes to crime (and yes, celebrities, rape IS a crime- a serious one!) celebrities should be treated the same way as the rest of us average joes. I mean, come on, anyone remember Paris Hilton and her less than 24 hours in jail? Celebrities should be treated as the rest of us- just because they are good looking and/or talented doesn't mean that they deserve special treatment when it comes to the law.
I am so glad you posted about this.
My 8 year-old nephew was named after Roman Polanski. Awesome, right? His dad was a film major.
He IS guilty! He plead guilty. I didn't know until I saw a documentary about him, last year, how serious this crime was. Everyone made it out to be this statutory rape thing, where she seduced him.
And the US Government has been trying to capture him for a long time, but he would get wind of their plans and would stay in France.
I think he's horrible.
Is it just me or is the celebrity world (sports, movie & music stars, etc.) is just going to the dogs in the corruption and behavior? Boy...for the greats who once ruled -- Doris Day, true blue sports figures who didn't think they were political pundits, entertainment stars who weren't totally self-destructive...
Hey, we are celebrities too, aren't we? They are overdoing the sensational news bit, I agree.
There is a reason why we have statutory rape laws in this country. It's to counter every single one of those purile, inane defences these people are coming up with in support of Polanski.
But he is such a great director....(erm, heavy sarcasm)
I wonder if they would be saying those things if they were the 13 year old girl in question.
The bastard is a pedophile and should be in jail
Perhaps he should be assassinated. The killing could be excused because it wasn't 'murder murder' and he isn't 'dead dead'.
I was/am appalled by the entire situation and did my own post about it here: http://foxyden.blogspot.com/2009/09/whoopi-delusional.html.
WTH with Whoopi and her comment? Made steam come out of my ears....
ha - love mo.stoneskin's comment above mine. RIGHT ON TARGET!! :)
This story irks me too...I just dont get it! Because he is a celebrity its OK for him to drug and have sex with a 13 year old? And then he ran away which um obviously shows guilt...what the heck is the problem here??? I say string him up by his man parts!
Well, at least you don't have to see them face-to-face or drive by their homes on the way to work, or have preschools cost THOUSANDS of dollars a month just becaue "you-know-who's" kid goes there...
If you live in LA you would HATE celebrity even more...LOL!
Much love
I hear you. This story makes me ill.
Well put!
Just because he made a couple of good movies doesn't mean he is above the law... no one is!
it makes me sick that people would actually defend him!
I couldn't agree with you more.
And I LOVE Mo's comment. Amen to that! :)
Celebrities need to quit thinking their gods and shut up. Just the thought of someone defending that man is revolting.
ding. ding. ding. you hit the nail on the head with this one!!! You are SO right. Let's start a petition to have that man arrested. Oh, wait. We don't need one. HE BROKE THE LAW.
I agree 100%.
What the heck is a rape then? That statement by Whoopi is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I hate that they to impose their morals and values on us. Grrrr!
Ditto!
They're all crazy. Nuff said.
I'm okay with celebrities in the context of their jobs. But I totally agree that I could guess less about what they think. Just because you're pretty and good at memorizing words doesn't mean I care about your thoughts on politics or current events.
Great post. I agree with you completely. Why do these celebs think we give a rats ass as to what they have to say? Especially Goldberg...she needs to keep her big yap shut.
There I said it!! lol.
Testify Sister!
Couldn't agree with you more.
I've been wondering what "rape rape" is. I mean, just because an adult doesn't forcibly have sex with a 13 year old doesn't mean it's not rape. An adult, age 18 to 80, shouldn't have sex with a 13 year old girl under ANY circumstance. And how these celebrities can look the other way, just because he's Roman Polanski, is beyond me. I've lost a lot of respect for people I once admired.
Ick. I am so with you on this one.
Very well said, Debbie.
I agree. One get married the world chases them for pictures. Which everyone does this. A divorce happens and the world falls apart. But this does happen in real life to everyone oh well. I guess they live in a bubble. What that person did was wrong and is gross.
And we don't pay them to give us their idiotic political views either! I loathe it when a celebrity thinks that because they have a camera on them that they think we want their political opinions. Ugh.
Cannot even stand to type the guys initials, he's so revolting. And he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
I am one for celeb gossip, I love to see what they are up to. But I do agree give them a mic and a soap box to stand on and they will speak there genius minds.
I am on your side completly. This is dumb. And I do think that Aunt Lolo has it right. I bit of a moderation to the offending parts is a great idea!
Queen of Feisty
Right on.
Roman Polanski is truly vile and it is hard to find any reason to support him.
What the H are these people thinking? Seriously? I had a friend relate it like this: "If you stole something worth .10 cents versus something worth 10 thousand dollars, does it mean that it isn't stealing?" Abuse is abuse.
I can't even believe that.
it is unfathomable how any self-respecting feminist can defend a child rapist. who cares if he's a talented artist? disgusting.
In his book, Helter Skelter, Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted the Manson Family for the murder of Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate, Bugliosi said someone he interviewed described Polanski as "that 5-foot Pole you don't want to touch anything with."
Yep.
You write so well.
Truly though, you do, just well said. And I agree. Like agree agree.
Whoopi was so off base on that one! He broke the law and then he broke it again by leaving the country. I'm not sure how his "pals" justify thinking either of those actions should be excused.
I'm totally with you! He's a pig and should e in jail.
xo
Whoopi needs to keep her damn mouth shut
I SO agree with this post! Whoopi needs to back off!
Whoopi missed on that one!
Plus rape vs. rape-rape! WTF?
Great post. I am so tired of these so called stars who commit crimes and then think they should get off with a slap on the hand. Why RP's crime hasn't been dealt with yet is a disgrace. The man's a punk who needs to pay for his actions.
Maybe when justice is served, Whoopie and those like her will get in on the action and have their own sentences passed down on them. Sadly though, stupidity isn't a real crime.
Sing it, sister.
YOu couldn't have said it better! I like your world.
Didn't you know that winning an Oscar gives you license to rape children? Well, only one child per Oscar, I think.
I am definitely with you on this one. I wonder why so many celebrities think that he should get away with something that is so obviously a crime?
Perhaps they think that after 31 yrs it is no longer a crime? Wonder what his victim thinks though...
I am ashamed of these people in my town. It's like they've gone insane. Differen't rules DO NOT APPLY. RAPE IS RAPE. That's it.
Agreed. 100%.
Oh.My.Gosh!!!
And I thought they were beyond stupid and pathetic before.....UGH!!!! Just because this dirtbag hid out in europe all these decades doesn't make him innocent!
Hollywood just needs to fall into the Pacific ocean already. And take Nancy Pelosi with 'em!!!
You are concise, and utterly persuasive!!!! No wonder I love your writing so much!!! Amen and amen!!! Bravo, Deb! Shout it from the rooftops! ~Janine XO
I agree. A child is a child. Let's not blame the victim, especially when she is so very young. Heart breaking.
Great comment MO. I'd like to live in a celebrity-free world as well.
Thank you for saying this.
The View also said that we should all stop punishing David Letterman, he said he was sorry and we should all just move on (I wish we would, and just stop watching the man)
I hate the culture of celebrity too.
I like Mo's comment ; -) murder murder dead dead.
Oh my gosh, that gets my blood pumping! Why would celebs signing a petition matter on any court case period? Who do they think they are???
AMEN!!
You are so right on this. And I'm getting so I'm unwilling to pay some of them to entertain me.
I'm just sorry they didn't hunt the predator down years ago. He's had a better run that he deserved.
You tell it sister. I am sickened by the whole situation and want people to WAKE UP and realize what morality is!!!
Amanda
You are so right. I don't understand celebrities -- and I'm watching some of them much less now. If it had happened to their daughter or niece or granddaughter, I think their comments would be different...
A whole lot of ass kissing on their part. What are they hoping for, that he'll be set free and they'll get parts in his next movie?? Most probably... To me it just shows how eager for attention and approval humans are... even if it comes from a pedophile and rapist. Shame on them and shame on him!!
Yes, I think she took a nice hit for having made that comment. People were up in arms over it and she tried to backpedal after that.
I could not agree with you more. They seem to think that they are above the law.
You want to get really sick of them? Move to Los Angeles for a year or two and find out that they are the local news there. That's when I learned what a pathetic bunch of ......I can't think of a proper term for them and I can't say in a public forum what I really want to call them. It really got tiring.
And Kate and Jon qualify for the buffoons of the year club in celebrity land. And all they did was give birth. Imagine!
Amen to that! Just because someone might have talent doesn't excuse them from following the laws and basic human decency.
Amen to that. Kirstie Alley at least has some sense of right and wrong.
Hear Hear - this is so well said - celebrities apparently live by different standards.
I don't care if the 13yo WANTED sex (which apparently wasn't even the case here), 13yo aren't entitled to sex with adults. Well, they're not entitled to any sex, actually.
polanski thing is ANNOYING and RIDICULOUS!
I hope he rots in jail for rest of his life..
I was aware of this whole situation, but I didn't realize 700 celebrities were calling for his release. That is egregious! Why? Because he makes great films. Does that exempt someone from following the law? It always annoys me when celebrities use their fame to promote their politics, but this just goes too far. Shame on them!
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