Thursday, October 1, 2009

When in Rome, Do Like Roman

Last night I had dinner with my fellow Mouthy Housewives, Kelcey and Jessica and as usual, whenever we get together, the conversation turned to sodomy.

Specifically, what the fuck are some members of Hollywood doing in signing this petition to free Roman Polanski. In case you haven't been following along, Roman Polanski raped and sodomized a 13 year old like 30 years ago and then pled guilty and then fled. Because living in France is better than being in prison.

He hasn't been to the United States since then, either because he didn't want to be prosecuted or because the flights are outrageously expensive. I'm not sure. But over the weekend, he was arrested in Switzerland. Probably while eating a Toblerone. Harvey Weinstein, Woody Allen, Whoopi Goldberg, Debra Winger, Natalie Portman and others are outraged and are signing a petition, as though he were some sort of a seal that needed saving.

In the case of Woody Allen, I get it. I mean, he had a sexual relationship with his stepdaughter, to the extend that you can have a "sexual relationship" with a minor and not be indicted. And now they're married. Every Valentine's Day, I comb the incestuous romance section of Hallmark, but have yet to come up with an appropriate card. But anyway. Woody Allen, got it.

Harvey Weinstein? Ok. He's got his own Torch Song Trilogy going there. What? Oh, not Harvey Fierstein? Seriously, am I the only one who gets them confused?

Whoopi Goldberg with her "not rape RAPE." Yes, Whoopi, that makes sense. It was rape light, or fun rape. Because Roman didn't jump out of the bushes before he raped her and because he is Caucasian that makes it all better.

I know the reasons for not prosecuting him--he's old, the case is old, there are worse crimes out there, he's super talented. I'm pretty sure that's an affirmative defense.

I'm not persuaded. Over the last decade, whenever an elderly Nazi had been captured, living some place bucolic and stealing oxygen from farm animals, there were always some who went along with the "oh, but he's old and feeble and has cancer and skin tags". I never understood that. Because I thought that a trial and prison would let them relive their youth. Be invigorating, even.

Hopefully Roman will get the same opportunity. Don't think of it as a prosecution, Roman. I mean it's not going to be a prosecution prosecution. For one, I bet you don't even have a white Bronco.

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38 Comments:

Anonymous Stepiphany said...

I hope you get nominated for a Noble prize for this post. I had no idea this controversy was even going on. Thanks for enlightening me, and being so right and all, but I liked it better under my rock.

October 1, 2009 at 8:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I could not have written this better myself! I'm appalled by the idiots trying to defend him. And since when is a 13 year old a young woman? Consensual? Not rape "rape." These people are allowing us to see just how stupid they are.

My biggest question, where is this woman (now she IS a woman) now? And what does she think about all this?

October 1, 2009 at 8:43 AM  
Blogger Marinka said...

Anonymous--the 13 year old says that she does not want him prosecuted.

October 1, 2009 at 8:44 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Fantastic post. It's amazing that these Hollywood idiots can so blandly overlook issues like this.

October 1, 2009 at 8:46 AM  
Blogger Maureen@IslandRoar said...

You Go Girl!

October 1, 2009 at 8:52 AM  
Blogger Amy W said...

I agree on all points.... An adult man, no matter how talented, should not be having sex with 13 year old, even if they are precocious, developed, and at parties where they definitely should not be. I think it is interesting to hold this up to Mackenzie Phillips' recent horrifying revelations about her relationship with her dad. Yes, I know they are not the same, but the weird sexual issues of "crimes" versus "wrong" seem pretty blurry when looking at these cases.

I may think they are both wrong AND criminal, but I know the law doesn't always see it that way.

October 1, 2009 at 8:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like the whole 'rape light' and jumping out of bushes bit. Amen.

And holy-mad-Marinka. Never seen you fired up.

October 1, 2009 at 9:12 AM  
Anonymous Jen on the Edge said...

I wrote about this today too. Just because he's rich, white, and famous doesn't mean he gets a pass on justice. Hell, he ADMITTED to the crime.

As for his victim, she doesn't want him prosecuted because of the media circus.

When he finally sees the inside of a prison cell, his life is going to be pure misery. And it's about time.

October 1, 2009 at 9:50 AM  
Blogger Everyday Goddess said...

Who will play him in the movie version of his life?

October 1, 2009 at 10:21 AM  
Blogger Everyday Goddess said...

Woody Allen, no doubt.

October 1, 2009 at 10:22 AM  
Blogger Maddness of Me said...

It's all so creepy. If they don't start prosecuting these Jerry Lee Lewis weirdos, they are never going to stop doing it. I've noticed we throw the book at female teachers who do it though.

October 1, 2009 at 10:27 AM  
Anonymous Jane said...

Marinka and Anonymous,

I read she does not want him prosecuted because she is married and has kids and doesn't want the attention or have to go to court.

I think he should be strung up by his balls.

October 1, 2009 at 10:42 AM  
Blogger hokgardner said...

He.raped.a.13yo.girl. End of story. He should have gone to jail 30 years ago instead of living in luxury in Europe. And his defenders ought to be ashamed.

October 1, 2009 at 10:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As a mother to a daughter, as a woman who has been sexually harassed and, AND someone who was nearly sexually assaulted in a date rape situation, AND someone who was sexually assaulted while I was a child, this whole thing makes me sick. I am outraged that anyone, ANYONE would try to downplay this (and I use the term so lightly it may as well be a piece of soggy tissue paper) man's crimes.

There is no such thing as a little bit raped, there is no such thing as light sodomy and when a minor is involved all those things are amplified.

How talented someone is does not excuse them from being punished for a criminal offence, it certainly doesn't excuse someone from being a victim of a crime.

I'm stepping off my soap box now.

October 1, 2009 at 10:57 AM  
Blogger Chief said...

The message this sends is:

If you rape or kill, hide long enough that people either forget or you are old enough that they feel sorry for you.

WTF!?

October 1, 2009 at 11:01 AM  
Blogger Magpie said...

I like your old Nazi analogy.

October 1, 2009 at 11:08 AM  
Anonymous Paula said...

THANK YOU. This is your best post ever.

October 1, 2009 at 11:09 AM  
Blogger tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

I don't know the story behind this particular issue. (What would I do without you, Marinka, to bring these to my eyes?!?) Was this like the person above said "a well-endowed girl at a party she shouldn't be at" ? Because, if so, there are a lot of men out there that unknowingingly "raped" me. Even though I knew what I was doing. (not that I was well-endowed, though. Which sucks.)

I'm just saying that I don't like the hard-line number game with what is allowed with sex. Never have. I do believe it IS possible for a teenager to be old enough to understand the ramifications of intercourse. I don't regret a single thing from my teen years.

However, if we're talking about a forceful, unwanted Rape, that's totally different.

I'm not so sure I feel that this is cut and dry, but you still make me think. Which is a rarity these days so much thanks, babe.

October 1, 2009 at 11:12 AM  
Blogger anymommy said...

Tracey - He admits to giving her drugs and she repeatedly told him no. It's rape of a minor without any room for doubt, IMO.

I hope he has to spend a good long time in prison thinking about that.

Marinka - "prosecution" prosecution. Classic. I love you and I want your quick mind.

October 1, 2009 at 11:42 AM  
Blogger Kabbalah Rookie said...

Love this post and with you 100%

Rape Lite - funny
Stealing oxygen from farm animals - very funny.

Oh to be a witness to your thought process!

October 1, 2009 at 11:51 AM  
Blogger Jen said...

Rape - just like "rape rape" but without all the pesky consequences and when you finally get caught famous people will feel sorry for you and sign a petition so that people will leave you alone.

Gah! The whole thing makes me sick. I don't care how old are talented the man is. He's a rapist, a child rapist and he needs to pay the price for what he did and anyone who tries to defend what he did (the raping or the running) has some very twisted thinking.

October 1, 2009 at 12:01 PM  
Blogger Anna Whiston-Donaldson said...

Ugh. I am with you! This is absolutely ridiculous. He needs to be held accountable for what he did.

And letting the Lockerbie bomber go home to die last month? So wrong.

October 1, 2009 at 12:28 PM  
Anonymous peajaye said...

i don't know if this link will show up as a link or not, but please cut & paste if necessary. it goes into the details and has great links. and if you're outraged now, just wait 'til after you read it. it links to the testimony of the 13 year old girl. and if you read the last couple of pages carefully, you'll see that he actually sodomized her TWICE. so i guess it is "rape-rape" - but only if you don't include the vaginal penetration (while he's inside her, it occurs to ask if she's had her period yet. and ever the considerate lover, he pulls out cuz he doesn't want to get her pregnant. what a gent!) AND the forced cunnilingus. so that's rape-rape-rape-rape. so technically, whoopi was right.

but the bright spot in all this is that women are finally getting a voice and calling men on this shit. this woman has been made to feel like the bad guy here, and THANK GOD people are speaking out.

(sorry for the rant)

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thehumancondition/archive/2009/09/29/roman-polanski-raped-a-child-a-primer.aspx

October 1, 2009 at 12:31 PM  
Anonymous Heidibide said...

I'm so incensed by this story that I have a hard time reading most stories about it. Thanks for breaking the tension in my head by putting a hilarious spin on it.

October 1, 2009 at 12:43 PM  
Blogger Kiki said...

i have read and heard about this case for many years, and it still troubles me. he needs to be prosecuted. i remember when he was up of for an oscar back in '02, and he won, and obviously couldn't be there to get it, and celebs were going crazy in support of him. it's amazing what celebs decide to support, and protest against. one thing i just found out about the case: he raped the young girl at Jack Nicholson's house. that's crazy. great post. take care.

October 1, 2009 at 12:52 PM  
Anonymous Coco said...

I saw a blip of Whoppy's comment. I thought it was ridiculous. Whether the girl AND her parents consented or not is irrelevant. It was a crime. She was a child. Put him in jail.

October 1, 2009 at 1:58 PM  
Blogger K.Line said...

Well, well said! I feel exactly the same way. I haven't been able to figure out why he hasn't been extradited in the last 30 years. There's nothing like rape-and-run. I guess France really is much nicer than prison.

October 1, 2009 at 2:11 PM  
Blogger Roshni said...

Bastards!!

October 1, 2009 at 3:34 PM  
Blogger MommyTime said...

I feel incredibly sorry for the victim, who just wants to live her life without the circus coming to town AGAIN. But, seriously, the man deserves no pity whatsoever. Yes, he has had horrifying things happen in his life (ironic about your Nazi analogy, Marinka, as Polanski's mother died in Auschwitz). But that doesn't give him the right to drug and rape a 13 yr old girl. And, frankly, "mature" or not, when someone more than twice her age drugs her first, it's rape. Rape rape. Or rape rape rape. Or however many times it takes to write it to make it horrify people enough to prosecute him.

October 1, 2009 at 3:39 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

If he had had "inappropriate" sex with a 13-year-old boy back in the day, would anyone waste their time defending him?

He's a criminal, pure and simple.

October 1, 2009 at 6:48 PM  
Blogger Beth said...

Guilty is as guilty as does. He stole that girl's innocence and childhood just like the Nazi's stole lives. No matter how old and feeble, they have a price to pay.

October 1, 2009 at 8:05 PM  
Blogger Kate Coveny Hood said...

I'm giving you a standing ovation right now. I'd really like to know what Whoopi and Debra and Natalie?? would think if it was them that was raped by R.P. way back when - or even worse: their daughter.

October 1, 2009 at 8:42 PM  
Blogger the mama bird diaries said...

You know I agree with every word.

Can't wait to see you again and chat sodomy.

October 1, 2009 at 11:35 PM  
Blogger tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Damn. He needs to fry, then. That was a violent crime and... everything. I can't form the words.

October 2, 2009 at 12:49 AM  
Blogger Elisa @ Globetrotting in Heels said...

I think he should hope to go to jail, because if he doesn't you just know a bunch of pissed-off people will catch him and beat the shit out of him, possibly even pull a Bobbit.

Go to jail Roman, you'll be safer there. Unless someone decides to make you their bitch. Which would be, you know, Karma.

October 2, 2009 at 3:32 AM  
Blogger teahouse said...

I'm with you there. There's something fundamentally unjust that he wants us to wipe off the books just because so much time has gone by, and because the victim wants it to go away as well. As I heard someone on NPR say the other day, "It doesn't matter if the victim says it's ok now. This was not just a craim against her. It was a crime against society."

October 2, 2009 at 8:54 AM  
Blogger Christy said...

I totally agree with you - this whole story makes me sick and has stuck in my head every since I heard about it. He DRUGGED her and raped her while she tried to fight him off - how can people NOT be outraged by this?!?!

October 2, 2009 at 6:45 PM  
Blogger Charmaine said...

Marinka,

A thirteen (13)year old is not capable of giving consent to sex. That is why we have these irritating little laws.

I imagine she was given money.

If I see another woman sell-out in this country I will scream and move to Iran.

October 5, 2009 at 12:33 AM  

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