Bill Bennett shares his thoughts on Hollywood’s defense of a child rapist…
The Polanski Double Standard [Bill Bennett]
At a certain point, “shut up and sing,” or “shut up and act,” or “direct,” or “produce,” will not cut it. Before we are anything else, we are citizens and human beings. And no matter what our profession, we not only have to follow common bonds of decency but the common laws of civility, not to mention the civil and criminal laws too. That’s not a tall order.
Here’s the CNN squib:
Woody Allen, Pedro Almodovar and Martin Scorsese have “demanded the immediate release” of fellow filmmaker Roman Polanski, who was arrested in Switzerland on a U.S. arrest warrant related to a 1977 childsex charge.
They were among 138 people in the film industry who signed a petition against the arrest.
Polanski was on the way to the Zurich Film Festival when Swiss police detained him in response to the American warrant.
The filmmaker pleaded guilty in 1977 to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor but fled before he could be sentenced. He settled in France, where he holds citizenship. Investigators in the United States say Polanski, then 43, drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl.
Let me repeat this last part: He drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl. And he plead guilty — but then fled the country.
One entertainer got it right, the singer Jewel. Here’s a Tweet she sent out yesterday: “Polanski admitted raping a 13 yr old-whys every1 in the arts upset hes facing jail? cause hes a gifted director? what am i missing?”
Let me say one last thing about this. Time passed is not the issue, and neither is accomplishment in the arts — justice and the message we send is precisely the issue. As Mark Steyn notes, what are we going to do, start an “Artists United for Pedophile Rapists” movement here?
When scandals turned up in the Catholic church, the elites — as everyone — were rightly shocked. It was a major, several year story. And the abuses investigated, detailed, and condemned went back to 1950, 27 years earlier than Polanski’s crime. Priests and parishes and archdioceses were punished and sued and even bankrupted. There is a major double standard here — not because that is what is wrong, but because what Polanski did was wrong and too many want to dismiss it and move on — because he’s in the favored class of the elite.
Are these artists and other Polanski defenders really saying a child can be drugged and raped, a 13-year-old child mind you, and the consequence is time, for simply time — never mind fleeing justice — will heal that? This is a horrible message, and the artistic industry, so callous to claims about lyrics encouraging this kind of trashy behavior in the past, better get it right when the behavior is real and when the message they send is one that most people — rightly — abhor. You want to know why Michael Medved titled his book Hollywood v. America? It wasn’t because of this case, but it might just as well be now. Who defends child rape? Well, now you know who.
I expect nothing less from Woody Allen. After all, didn’t he practically do the same thing, and got away with it? Remember his step daughter?
Remember, Clinton was impeached because of perjury? Why was he never taken to trial, or convicted? Because he was one of the elitest. (I just made up that word).
We definitely have a double standard in this country. And it sickens me.
It goes both ways as well. Look at Michael Vick. He served his time, and paid his dues. Now people don’t want him to be “allowed” to be able to practice his trade. I don’t know of any electrician convicted of anything, that after serving time and released where people complain about him going back to being an electrician.
These people are people, not gods. The “great unwashed” need to quit worshiping these people. People that worship these people are lower class people when it comes to intelligence.
Interesting that you have drawn a connection between Polanski, Clinton, and Vick.
This guy is a scumbag. Yes he had a hard life. Yes he suffered unspeakable tragedy at the hands of government and psychopaths. But does that give him an excuse to run from justice?
We shouldn’t be angry that there is outrage at his arrest. We should be outraged that he was given a plea deal because he was a rich artist with a checkered past. We should be outraged that he drugged and raped a 13 year old girl even as she asked him repeatedly to stop and told him no. We should be outraged that the media calls this “sex with a minor.”
I hope you didn’t get that I was excusing the guy from my post. I am in 100% agreement with your post. I was just pointing out that he is not the only one that gets this attitude from the public and Hollywood. I think he should be castrated with the handle of a rusty butter knife.
I didn’t misunderstand your post at all. I just thought it was interesting how you drew the connection.
With regard to Michael Vick and being able to ply his trade. The question is has he paid enough restitution for his crime? Yeah the NFL sells a product, but they also operate under contracts that include morality clauses. How does Vick stack up against drug takers and the general ass-hattery of other NFL players? That I do not know that solid answer to, however I can tell you that because they control the gold they can make the rules. The NFL should analyze its role in the greater community and its “value” as “wholesome” entertainment.
The only connection between them is the attitude of Hollywood. With Polanski, and Woody Allen both, it is excusable in Hollywood’s eyes to rape a minor.
In Clinton’s, they actually supported his defense costs. That is the parallel. It has nothing to do with the types or heinousness of the crimes. Obviously, they are not the same type of crime.
Right Hollywood in general has this dishonest view of the world. It is a view that says “I will force people pay for things they don’t like while I don’t pay for them myself and I will only respect the rule of law when it doesn’t interfere with my ability to have a fun time.” Disney’s hiring practices are a good example. Disney calls all of its employees “Actors” since the parks are part of an entertainment experience. Because employees are actors they can be hired and fired at any time for any reason. Disney has used Hollywood logic to completely circumvent labor laws.
Tholan, Disney is in an “At Will” state… they are not circumventing any labor laws by firing or hiring at their will.They are still bound by EOE laws like every other business in the state.
As for “Actors” supposedly having less pull …than say, your average mall worker(which would cover most Disney employees), they have their own unions and Guilds… and Disney has to accommodate them with every film or television show they make. It they really typed as Actors, then the SAG would be unstoppable in unionizing each park employee.
I happen to like Disney’s practice of calling all employees “actors” and their hiring interviews “Auditions”. It’s more fun.
Gan, Disney’s hiring practices apply to all Disney property and not just Disney World parks in Florida. Euro-Disney is definitely not in an “At-Will” state.
Disney Actors (as in the costumed people) are indeed actors and are organized under the Actors’ Equity Association. As for rank and file employees they are held under the same “actor” standards with auditions, etc but do not get the same benefits.
The right to associate says a company can hire and fire for whatever reason they want. My complaint is that they act at the edge of or outside of the law in the name of entertainment, but if another company (say a web services company) fired someone for religious beliefs, racial background, or personal appearance the Hollywood types would be the first to protest a violation of the law. It is hypocrisy.