Take this week. Roman Polanski, a wanted fugitive who skipped bail after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual contact with a minor (the charge was downgraded from rape due to a plea bargain - he still actually raped her), is finally arrested and will be extradited to face justice in America.
I've covered court cases where pedophile priests have been prosecuted for crimes committed 30 years ago. Surprisingly though, there was no outcry from the French government. And no outraged reports from commentators, calling for their release. "Free the 70-year-old priest who raped boys! It was so long ago!"
No, there was widespread media coverage condemning the men for their actions.
The Deceiver has a really good article explaining the circumstances surrounding Polanski's arrest and flight from justice. And this article about how the HuffingtonPost published a slew of reports defending Polanski, only to get slayed by their readers in the comments, is good too. Here is some info:
During a photo shoot in the Los Angeles home of Jack Nicholson (who was not present), Polanski took nude photos of the resistant girl after giving her champagne and qualudes, and then raped and sodomized her. Polanski was charged with rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, and lewd and lascivious acts upon a child under 14. He made a plea bargain, and the charge was reduced to engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.I'm no legal expert, although I have had some training. And in my considered opinion, that is some bad s*** right there. Some indefensible s***.
A lot of people are making themselves look stupid over this. People writing columns saying he shouldn't be extradited, he's paid his penalty etc etc. My favourite is a woman named Anne Applebaum, who writes for the Washington Post. She wrote a passionate defence of Polanski, but failed to point out that her husband is the Polish ambassador to the USA, and he is actively campaigning for Polanski's release. It would have been fair to her readers to mention that fact. Anyway, when it got pointed out, she said she had no idea her husband was involved... even though she had already linked to a story in which her husband was quoted on the issue. Stupid.
Or there's Whoopi Goldberg on The View, where she expressed the difference between "rape" and "rape-rape". Hmmm... Whoopi... let's just hear those charges again:
Polanski was charged with rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, and lewd and lascivious acts upon a child under 14.I don't know about you, but that seems to fit both of Whoopi's "rape" and "rape-rape" definitions.
More than 100 movie industry figures have signed a petition asking for his release. They include Martin Scorcese, Woody Allen, David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Pedro Almodovar, Tilda Swinton and Monica Bellucci. Well, Woody Allen I understand. But the rest of them? I'm surprised they're cool with rape-rape of 13-year-old girls.
Anyway, back to the Europeans. The French are apparently way cool with rape-rape, and are all up in America's grill about this.
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand both sharply criticised US and Swiss authorities over the arrest, which came as the Franco-Polish director arrived in Zurich to receive an award. Mr Kouchner branded the Oscar-winner's arrest "sinister" and Mr Mitterrand said it was "absolutely dreadful" that the case should return to haunt the Oscar winner so long after the offence. Mr Kouchner said: "This affair is frankly a bit sinister ... Here is a man of such talent, recognised worldwide, recognised especially in the country where he was arrested. This is not nice at all."
Speaking of "not nice":
Polanski took nude photos of the resistant girl after giving her champagne and qualudes, and then raped and sodomized her.What if Polanski was a 44-year-old vagrant at the time? Who then skipped bail? Or what if he was a 44-year-old priest? Or a 44-year-old stepdad of the girl? Or a 44-year-old lawyer?
Luckily for him he was a 44-year-old film director.
His actions were indefensible. The reaction of some countries and some high profile journalists and directors to his arrest is also indefensible. They should hang their heads and be called to account to explain their position.
UPDATE
More links: great article from Salon.com, which includes some absolutely indefensible comments from the HuffingtonPost (this article).
And this one from TimesOnline, about the way the French media portray Polanski.
Another of the HuffPo articles that caused so much controversy... another one... another one...
I wonder how they would have felt had this man been a movie director???
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