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megwritesI've been seeing commentary about the whole Roman Polanski arrest thing, and I frankly just do not understand how anyone can make a cause celebre out of this man. If you can stomach his films, that's one thing. Be that on your own head. But signing a petition on his behalf to help him elude serving his sentence? Unforgivable in my book.
He raped a thirteen-year-old girl. Let me repeat that statement: Roman Polanski RAPED a thirteen-year-old girl. I don't care if he makes movies or shoes in a factory. Your job should never be a Get Out of Jail Free card when you physically and sexually violate someone against their will.
I'm tired of news reports saying that he "had sex with a thirteen-year-old girl". No, he didn't. He FORCED sex onto a thirteen-year-old girl. Toning that down and not using the word rape means that you somehow, in some way, think that something about what he did wasn't that bad.
That girl (now a woman) didn't have sex with him. She had a traumatic, tragic, horrible experience with him. What she had? Was not sex. It was an assault. None of this is about her age, or about Polanski somehow being a straw man for us backwards Americans. If thinking that forcing drugs and sex on someone when they say "no" is backwards, I'm proud to claim the title.
This is about the fact that she said "No" and he said, "But I'm a famous director!" and we're still living in a world where that last bit apparently still matters when it comes to paying the criminal penalty for crimes of which you have been convicted.
In a way, I'm as angry at Polanski's supporters as I am him, because they're not just supporting him - they're voicing their assent and agreement with rape culture. Those famous celebrities (gee, a lot of them are men and at least one is Woody Allen. Like![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thewayoftheid said, the jokes write themselves) are saying that they believe that sometimes, rape can be okay. Given enough time and money and fame, rape is okay. That it's all right not to face punishment for it if you can afford to fly to another continent and make movies.
Nor is this about whether his victim has forgiven him, because she probably did that for the sake of her own sanity. I can't imagine living in a world where the man who did that to you wins awards and has people patting him on the back because he made a movie where a woman has the devil's baby or Adrien Brody sits in front of a piano and looks really sad and skinny. I bet you pretty much have to just let it go or lose your sanity.
This is about more than Polanski and his "art" (and I resent the implication that any movie he's made is good enough to be considered art rather than just slightly-better-than-bad cinema) - it's about telling people that just because you're rich and famous doesn't mean you can victimize whoever you want. It's about telling people that you can't abuse the power you have over others.
Because when you say that maybe Polanski should get away with this - and yeah, fighting for him not to be extradited and punished is helping him get away with it - you're saying to that teacher who's thinking about putting his/her hand down his/her student's pants that if they're really nice and inspiring otherwise, it's okay. You're saying to that priest who's looking a little too long at that altar boy that, well, since they're a priest and they serve soup to the homeless, it's okay. You're saying to anyone who finds themselves in a position of power over someone else - a child, a woman, a subordinate, or just someone less famous, less rich, and less empowered than them - that if they make pretty things or are charming enough, it's okay.
And those victims? Those children who's teachers, priests, parents, and other folk abused them - you're telling them that their pain doesn't matter. You're telling them that someone else was entitled to their bodies, their dignities, their well being.
You're saying, in essence, that some people can be made worthless just by standing next to someone we like better. You're saying that the value of human dignity has a sliding scale.
So, to you petitioners on Roman Polanski's behalf, I ask - where on the sliding scale of Human Value should we put you now? Where on your scale is his victim? Where am I? And what will you say to the next rock star or politician or Hollywood A-lister who sees this and decides that if Polanski can get away with it, so can they. Most of all, what will you say to their victims?
This isn't about his movies, this is about his victim. This is about all victims. All the ones that have been hurt, are being hurt, and will be hurt if we don't stand up and say "THIS IS NOT OKAY. THIS IS WRONG. YOU WILL BE PUNISHED." And yes, we need it to say it in all caps as loudly and frequently as possible.
As for the works of Polanski and his supporters? I'm envoking the Fuckmuppetry Doctrine* which states that since the amount of works to be read, viewed, heard, and enjoyed far outstrips the amount of time I can possibly have on this Earth, I will eliminate from my selections the works by those who have elected to act like complete and utter fuckmuppets and instead concentrate on works by those who I have less uncomfortable feelings about - you know, people who don't support rape and rapists.
*credit for the Fuckmuppetry Doctrine should go toyuki_onna
He raped a thirteen-year-old girl. Let me repeat that statement: Roman Polanski RAPED a thirteen-year-old girl. I don't care if he makes movies or shoes in a factory. Your job should never be a Get Out of Jail Free card when you physically and sexually violate someone against their will.
I'm tired of news reports saying that he "had sex with a thirteen-year-old girl". No, he didn't. He FORCED sex onto a thirteen-year-old girl. Toning that down and not using the word rape means that you somehow, in some way, think that something about what he did wasn't that bad.
That girl (now a woman) didn't have sex with him. She had a traumatic, tragic, horrible experience with him. What she had? Was not sex. It was an assault. None of this is about her age, or about Polanski somehow being a straw man for us backwards Americans. If thinking that forcing drugs and sex on someone when they say "no" is backwards, I'm proud to claim the title.
This is about the fact that she said "No" and he said, "But I'm a famous director!" and we're still living in a world where that last bit apparently still matters when it comes to paying the criminal penalty for crimes of which you have been convicted.
In a way, I'm as angry at Polanski's supporters as I am him, because they're not just supporting him - they're voicing their assent and agreement with rape culture. Those famous celebrities (gee, a lot of them are men and at least one is Woody Allen. Like
thewayoftheid said, the jokes write themselves) are saying that they believe that sometimes, rape can be okay. Given enough time and money and fame, rape is okay. That it's all right not to face punishment for it if you can afford to fly to another continent and make movies. Nor is this about whether his victim has forgiven him, because she probably did that for the sake of her own sanity. I can't imagine living in a world where the man who did that to you wins awards and has people patting him on the back because he made a movie where a woman has the devil's baby or Adrien Brody sits in front of a piano and looks really sad and skinny. I bet you pretty much have to just let it go or lose your sanity.
This is about more than Polanski and his "art" (and I resent the implication that any movie he's made is good enough to be considered art rather than just slightly-better-than-bad cinema) - it's about telling people that just because you're rich and famous doesn't mean you can victimize whoever you want. It's about telling people that you can't abuse the power you have over others.
Because when you say that maybe Polanski should get away with this - and yeah, fighting for him not to be extradited and punished is helping him get away with it - you're saying to that teacher who's thinking about putting his/her hand down his/her student's pants that if they're really nice and inspiring otherwise, it's okay. You're saying to that priest who's looking a little too long at that altar boy that, well, since they're a priest and they serve soup to the homeless, it's okay. You're saying to anyone who finds themselves in a position of power over someone else - a child, a woman, a subordinate, or just someone less famous, less rich, and less empowered than them - that if they make pretty things or are charming enough, it's okay.
And those victims? Those children who's teachers, priests, parents, and other folk abused them - you're telling them that their pain doesn't matter. You're telling them that someone else was entitled to their bodies, their dignities, their well being.
You're saying, in essence, that some people can be made worthless just by standing next to someone we like better. You're saying that the value of human dignity has a sliding scale.
So, to you petitioners on Roman Polanski's behalf, I ask - where on the sliding scale of Human Value should we put you now? Where on your scale is his victim? Where am I? And what will you say to the next rock star or politician or Hollywood A-lister who sees this and decides that if Polanski can get away with it, so can they. Most of all, what will you say to their victims?
This isn't about his movies, this is about his victim. This is about all victims. All the ones that have been hurt, are being hurt, and will be hurt if we don't stand up and say "THIS IS NOT OKAY. THIS IS WRONG. YOU WILL BE PUNISHED." And yes, we need it to say it in all caps as loudly and frequently as possible.
As for the works of Polanski and his supporters? I'm envoking the Fuckmuppetry Doctrine* which states that since the amount of works to be read, viewed, heard, and enjoyed far outstrips the amount of time I can possibly have on this Earth, I will eliminate from my selections the works by those who have elected to act like complete and utter fuckmuppets and instead concentrate on works by those who I have less uncomfortable feelings about - you know, people who don't support rape and rapists.
*credit for the Fuckmuppetry Doctrine should go to
yuki_onna
