Big-time Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein - whose production companies are noted for producing such virtuous gems as "Sex, Lies, and Videotape", "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" (no wonder he thinks rape is no big deal), "Madonna: Truth or Dare", and "Pulp Fiction" - is not only more politically "enlightened" than the rest of us, but he is just oh so morally superior to you and me:... In an opinion piece in London's the Independent, Weinstein Co. co-founder Harvey Weinstein, who is circulating the pro-Polanski petition, wrote: "Whatever you think about the so-called crime, Polanski has served his time. A deal was made with the judge, and the deal is not being honored. . . . This is the government of the United States not giving its word and recanting on a deal, and it is the government acting irresponsibly and criminally."(emphasis added)
In an interview, Weinstein said that people generally misunderstand what happened to Polanski at sentencing. He's not convinced public opinion is running against the filmmaker and dismisses the categorization of Hollywood as amoral. "Hollywood has the best moral compass, because it has compassion," Weinstein said. "We were the people who did the fundraising telethon for the victims of 9/11. We were there for the victims of Katrina and any world catastrophe." ...
My Comments:
Anally raping a 13-year-old girl against her will is a "so-called crime"? And he's "not convinced that public opinion is running against" such criminal behavior? What a big, fat jerk! Yeah, only the "best" values come out of Hollyweird.
And it's not just the LA Times that is taking note of the moral and cultural divide between Hollywood and normal Americans. In The Washington Post, Eugene Robinson - who last week harshly criticized the Polanski apologists for defending Polanki's "grotesque" actions toward a 13-year-old girl - reprises his anti-Polanski role today by asking whether "conservative culture warriors who portray Hollywood as a cesspool of moral bankruptcy have been right all along". He answers, "Not really", but reading the entire piece it is difficult not to conclude that Robinson has grudgingly conceded otherwise.
Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
"Age and ability in the arts or anything else, in my opinion, does not excuse a crime"
Reminder: Roman Polanski Raped a Child [UPDATED]
That's rich. Hollywood is compassionate -- the place where it's practically written into law that every PA, grunt, and "little guy" working in the Biz has to kowtow and kiss *** profusely if s/he wants to keep a job.
ReplyDeleteNo, Polanski has not served his time. He's a child rapist who fled to Europe after his conviction to avoid serving the prison sentence he earned for his crime.
ReplyDeleteThirty some odd years of living, working and earning a lucrative salary as a fugitive does not constitute a prison sentence.
No, there was no 'deal.' The judge and the government of the United States were not acting irresponsibly and criminally by extraditing back to the US a convicted child rapist who fled the country to avoid serving his prison sentence.
And no, Hollywood does not have the best moral compass. This is a ludicrous statement.
Now, Mr Weinstein, read down the list of the movies produced by your production companies and you will then understand why thousands upon thousands of Americans, and the better Europeans, are crumbling onto the floors in laughter every time you open your mouth in defense of Roman Polanski.
The Smoking Gun has the transcript of the girl's grand jury testimony. It is not for the squeamish. There's Hollywood's "moral compass" in action.
ReplyDelete