More Polanski news...

[j2k4]

...and balanced, as well.

http://entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/10/30/gore-vidal-thirteen-year-old-roman-polanski-rape-victim-was-a-hooker/?test=faces

http://airamerica.com/entertainment/10-28-2009/gore-vidal-calls-polanski-victim-hooker/

[Rart]

I've seen so many 13 year old hookers in my day and age I've almost lost count.

[3RA1N1AC]

can't say i agree with gore vidal or that i think roman polanski should be let off the hook completely but...

polanski escaped from a nazi concentration camp where his parents were put to death. his pregnant wife along with several friends were murdered by the manson cult (they were probably looking for the previous resident of the house, a record producer who had denied manson a music recording contract after hearing manson audition) while polanski was overseas, then the press accused him of the murder when he returned to l.a. finally the rape trial was presided over by a publicity-hungry judge (who had previously done cases involving cary grant, elvis, and brando) who tried to railroad him.

just sayin'. fate dealt polanski a pretty lame hand. it's hard to not feel at least a little bit of sympathy for a guy when everyone he ever loved was murdered by HITLER AND THE MANSONS.

[j2k4]

Hmm.

I guess you're right, then.

Really, who could blame him.

[pentomato]

can't say i agree with gore vidal or that i think roman polanski should be let off the hook completely but...

polanski escaped from a nazi concentration camp where his parents were put to death. his pregnant wife along with several friends were murdered by the manson cult (they were probably looking for the previous resident of the house, a record producer who had denied manson a music recording contract after hearing manson audition) while polanski was overseas, then the press accused him of the murder when he returned to l.a. finally the rape trial was presided over by a publicity-hungry judge (who had previously done cases involving cary grant, elvis, and brando) who tried to railroad him.

just sayin'. fate dealt polanski a pretty lame hand. it's hard to not feel at least a little bit of sympathy for a guy when everyone he ever loved was murdered by HITLER AND THE MANSONS.

So if somebody murders your family it is ok for you to go on and molest children? Is that what you are saying?

[chalice]

can't say i agree with gore vidal or that i think roman polanski should be let off the hook completely but...

polanski escaped from a nazi concentration camp where his parents were put to death. his pregnant wife along with several friends were murdered by the manson cult (they were probably looking for the previous resident of the house, a record producer who had denied manson a music recording contract after hearing manson audition) while polanski was overseas, then the press accused him of the murder when he returned to l.a. finally the rape trial was presided over by a publicity-hungry judge (who had previously done cases involving cary grant, elvis, and brando) who tried to railroad him.

just sayin'. fate dealt polanski a pretty lame hand. it's hard to not feel at least a little bit of sympathy for a guy when everyone he ever loved was murdered by HITLER AND THE MANSONS.

So if somebody murders your family it is ok for you to go on and molest children? Is that what you are saying?

Quite possibly the only intelligible post you've ever made on this forum.

You've come a long way, sir.

[j2k4]

So if somebody murders your family it is ok for you to go on and molest children? Is that what you are saying?

Quite possibly the only intelligible post you've ever made on this forum.

You've come a long way, sir.

My faith in humanity is...nah, nevermind.

[3RA1N1AC]

So if somebody murders your family it is ok for you to go on and molest children? Is that what you are saying?
no. that's not what i am saying.

i'm saying that if he had ONLY been a concentration camp survivor whose wife was later murdered by the mansons and he were not ALSO a well-known movie director, then he probably never would've gotten the grandstanding judge that he had on his case, the press would have barely ever acknowledged the case at all, and it wouldn't still be an issue of national importance 30 years later. rape is a terrible thing. there are lots of terrible things. the victim in the case eventually decided that she no longer thinks it was a big enough deal to hound polanski to his grave about it. quite a lot of people seem to feel otherwise and are intent on doing that. is that all to say "relax, it's not that big of a deal"? perhaps so. in the grand scheme of things, it really isn't. this isn't adolf eichmann that we're talking about, or osama bin laden, or "who killed JFK." the only reason anyone really still cares about this case is because it's a fatty arbuckle story and people love those.

[chalice]

So if somebody murders your family it is ok for you to go on and molest children? Is that what you are saying?
no. that's not what i am saying.

i'm saying that if he had ONLY been a concentration camp survivor whose wife was later murdered by the mansons and he were not ALSO a well-known movie director, then he probably never would've gotten the grandstanding judge that he had on his case, the press would have barely ever acknowledged the case at all, and it wouldn't still be an issue of national importance 30 years later. rape is a terrible thing. there are lots of terrible things. the victim in the case eventually decided that she no longer thinks it was a big enough deal to hound polanski to his grave about it. quite a lot of people seem to feel otherwise. OH WELL.

Yeah, but the guy is a paedophile.

He should be hounded to the grave and then some.

Fuck him.

[j2k4]

no. that's not what i am saying.

i'm saying that if he had ONLY been a concentration camp survivor whose wife was later murdered by the mansons and he were not ALSO a well-known movie director, then he probably never would've gotten the grandstanding judge that he had on his case, the press would have barely ever acknowledged the case at all, and it wouldn't still be an issue of national importance 30 years later.

Okay, let's follow through on your supposition:

If he had " ONLY been a concentration camp survivor whose wife was later murdered by the mansons", but "not ALSO a well-known movie director", he would not likely have had the suspect judge, but nor would he likely have had the wherewithal to abscond in the face of a rape charge to live a grand existence overseas.

If he were inclined to flee the charges in that circumstance, he would most likely have done so with the prospect of a workaday life, and, depending on where he alit, may have had difficulty staving off extradition.

His livelihood afforded him the leeway to flee, so subtract that little fact and he probably would have been convicted and served the term any of us would have before being released.

You are right, however, in pointing out that the mundane would be less likely to preoccupy a nation several decades after the fact, but then, why else are we talking about it?

[3RA1N1AC]

he would not likely have had the suspect judge, but nor would he likely have had the wherewithal to abscond in the face of a rape charge to live a grand existence overseas.

If he were inclined to flee the charges in that circumstance, he would most likely have done so with the prospect of a workaday life, and, depending on where he alit, may have had difficulty staving off extradition.

His livelihood afforded him the leeway to flee, so subtract that little fact and he probably would have been convicted and served the term any of us would have before being released.
certainly polanski's wealth did give him the opportunity to avoid sentencing for a very long period, which the average person would not have been able to do, after he submitted a guilty plea to the charge of statutory rape. i agree. maybe i should clarify that i have no objection to the california court system's right and obligation to pursue the case to its conclusion.

my issue mainly is with the very simplified cut & dry story that the press presented to the public, and which continues to preoccupy the public after 3 decades. i see an element of tragedy in the polanski case, rather than a completely straightforward tale of good & evil. my issue is not particularly with any legal, technical, or logical problem. as far as the legal aspect goes: i agree that since polanski did plead guilty, he should've been sentenced and still should be sentenced now that he has been arrested.

[j2k4]

Oh.