Draven

So his behavior toward women should have been rewarded?

Lots of people work hard and don't find success. Just because Louis CK was successful, doesn't mean he can't fuck up and lose his shot at success. I, for one, would never support that kind of behavior

Josh-da-man

He anally raped a thirteen year-old in Jack Nicholson's hot tub.

He plead the charges down to a slap on the wrist.

After that, the court rescinded the plea bargain and were going to go after him on more serious charges, which caused him to flee the US and become a fugitive from justice.

A more detailed overview can be read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_...ual_abuse_case

And the grand jury transcript is here: Roman Polanski, Fugitive Director | The Smoking Gun

B5Erik

Harvey Weinstein needs to go to prison for at least a decade (and at his age that could be a life sentence). He's total scum.

And I don't think he's getting away with it.

Norm de Plume

^Oh, I think he'll get more prison time than that.
There are several other accusers as well. It's a travesty that he never faced justice. Even in the laissez-faire '60s and '70s, rape and sex with children were not socially acceptable.

brayzie

It's just crazy to me how it's only popular opinion and public pressure that gets people to make a moral stand.
The facts of the Polanski case remain the same, but in the early 2000s, the majority of the public and audiences didn't feel too strongly about Polanski, or weren't that aware of the details. And he just made a very popular/well regarded movie at the time, so he got lavished with praise and the award for Best Director. Meryl Streep is standing up with others giving him a standing ovation.
Fast forward today and she's wearing a #TimesUp pin in hair and wearing black to the Golden Globes to promote #TimesUp. And NOW, the Academy expelled Polanski as a member, not because they felt it was the right thing to do, but because they don't want negative publicity in the time of #MeToo and #TimesUp.

If something's popular, many people will go along with it, regardless of what it is.

fujishig

Well, yeah. Look at the politics today, for instance. We don't have to go into it and we shouldn't here, though, but it's a perfect example of moving the goalposts of acceptable and not acceptable.

brayzie

It's like when you grow up you realize the social dynamics of the playground or high school is repeated in the real world.
If the majority of the cool kids say something is right, then it's right. If they decide it's not right, then isn't right. Doesn't have to make sense or be based on reason or morals. If you disagree, you don't want to be on the outs with the cool kids so you're tempted to go along with the bullshit.
I understand why that it is in regards to politicians and their parties. Even in Hollywood it's politics. Harvey Weinstein had a lot of power and pull so of course, actors, directors etc will look the other way because they value their careers over anything else. You often times have to play politics when it comes to your career.

But even the public who doesn't get anything out of it will go with the flow, based on what's popular. Average dude that drugs and sodomizes a 13 year old; POS deserves to be locked up. Award winning director does the same? Well, no one's a saint. If we look into the past of every artist, director, writer, etc we'll all find something bad. Do you want to ban all art by people who've done something bad? Does one bad act define a person? Hey, his victim says she doesn't want him to be locked up, so let him be. Etc etc etc.

They resort to straw man, slipper-slope arguments and butwhatboutisms, essentially doing mental gymnastics to justify it. Are they afraid they'll lose out on more art from Polanski? Chinatown will go out-of-print forever? Is it because their fans of the work they somehow feel a kinship with the person creating it and defend the person out of reflex? Misplaced sense of loyalty? Or maybe they subconsciously feel guilty about enjoying their work or being a fan and it's a defense/coping mechanism?

Hazel Motes

Then there's Amazon signing Woody Allen to a multi picture deal knowing full well of the accusation against him, then suddenly having a come to Jesus moment and realizing that they made a mistake. No chance it had anything to do with the shift in the climate.

Think of all the people leading the metoo timesup bridgade who also worked with Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, Harvey Weinstein, Brett Ratner, the Jeepers Creepers Pedo. Knowing full well who and what they are. I mean the list is endless.

Mabuse

Polanski and Kobe have a lot in common. First of all they’re both 6’5”.

Ha, but seriously. They really do though. The thing they have in common is that they both can dance. That is to say they are both exceptionally gifted. They do things no one else can do. We tend to give exceptional people a pass because of their talent.

And to extend the metaphor for a moment. Harvey Weinstein can’t dance for shit. He’s someone who gets in the way of the creative process and you have to pay him to get out of the way. That’s why he was so hated even before this sexual harassment thing was even a blip. That’s why his career won’t recover after this, he doesn’t have any talent.

nando820

^that's a good point.

Mabuse

Thank you. It’s like what do you want? Kobe to be locked up and you never get to see him play the most amazing game of basketball ever again? That’s like punishing yourself. Do you want Polanski to go to jail, or do you want Macbeth, Bitter Moon, Death and the Maiden, Frantic, The Pianist, and the Ghostwriter? I’ll take the movies and two scotches to take away the guilt.

Its now widely known that David Bowie fucked a thirteen year old girl. You gonna stop listening? Of course not, that’d be punishing yourself as well.

PerryD

I always thought that Mike Tyson should have been allowed to box while serving his prison term with an agreement to split the earnings with the state or whoever was housing him. He was at the top of his game, so the payouts would have been huge.

Giantrobo

Right. And let's be honest...It wasn't MY loved one assaulted right? So why should I suffer?

cultshock

From today's witness testimony at Weinstein's trial:

Josh-da-man

Pictures or it didn't happen!

Draven

So let me get this straight - if someone is good at sports, or singing, or making music, they shouldn't be locked up for rape?

I actually do want criminals locked up, even if they are really good at basketball.

Mabuse

I’m not saying they should or shouldn’t be. I’m saying that in many cases society gives them a pass. Kobe and Polanski prove my point. So does R Kelly.

Now what’s this about Harvey has a vagina?!?! My Friday just got interesting.

printerati

Yes, that’s exactly what he said.

In Johnny Depp/Amber Heard news, leaked audio appears to confirm that Heard was indeed the violent one in the relationship.

https://www.newsweek.com/justiceforjohnnydepp-trends-amber-heard-admits-hitting-actor-1485267

Brack

It doesn’t prove that Depp didn’t abuse her. She probably isn’t 100% innocent either. I don’t have a dog in that fight, just saying.

DaveyJoe

Has anyone else ever accused Depp of domestic violence? It seems unusual that he would start being abusive at his age unless his other partners just didn't report it.

RichC2

Correct, she isn't 100% innocent, she admitted that. He also probably isn't entirely either, but only one side so far has admitted to hitting the other.

Either way, they need to not be around each other.

DJariya

Meet Darren Sharper. Most of you commenting in this thread probably aren't NFL fans, but this guy was the fucking devil. His case was very big.

Super Bowl champion, very well liked, handsome and I also had a TV job at NFL Network. I didn't know him, but he was a colleague when I first started at NFL Network 8 years ago.

Turns out that was all a facade. This guy was a serial rapist. He drugged and raped 16 women in 4 states.

You can read about his case here:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...g-raping-women

He finally got caught and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Granted Sharper is nowhere near as popular as Kobe Bryant, but this man is the epitome of evil. He showed absolutely no remorse during his trial.

Brack

That makes sense. Appreciate the clarification. Wasn’t trying to knock Depp or anything.

maxfisher

I’ll go ahead and say it’s bullshit to call out actresses for supporting #MeToo when they previously supported someone with an abusive or violent past. I mean, isn’t part of the whole point of the current movement that women historically had to keep their mouths shut and smile along for fear of losing their career or worse? Recognizing the system was/is shit and committing to doing better? If someone claims to support the movement and simultaneously makes excuses for a scumbag, criticize away. But the idea of telling a woman, ‘you don’t get to have a voice now because you didn’t use it in the past’ is crap.

DaveyJoe

I agree with this sentiment but I also feel like people such as Meryl Streep were completely sincere in their support for Polanski. Do you think there was external pressure to give Polanski a pass or a genuine respect for him from Hollywood players?

Humans are very prone to hypocrisy. I think the Polanski situation is an example of it and I don't think it's fair to hold people to standards of consistency that none of us really live up to.