Chris Rock On Roman Polanski
Posted by Michelle Moquin on 7th October 2009
I’m taking a break on my ‘sustainable series’ today because my attention got grabbed again over the hot topic of Polanski. In case you didn’t see Chris Rock on Jay Leno’s new show last Thursday night, click here for the clip. Unfortunately I couldn’t copy it from the linked site. So I searched youtube. I found it, but when I tried to play it, this notice came up: “This video is not available in your country due to copyright restrictions.” Ok, this video was shot in our country but now we can’t copy it and view it – crazy. Anyway, it’s a short clip and worth the watch – Right on Chris!
Here’s the article too if you’re interested:
Last night on Jay Leno‘s new show, Chris Rock put on blast some of the attitudes surrounding director Roman Polanski, ripping into the rhetorical dances being done around what Polanski actually did – which was rape a thirteen year old.
The conversation around Roman Polanski has been a hard one to follow. Part of it is annoyance – it is unnerving to see how certain celebrities fall under scrutiny for consorting with minors and others can make it seem like an unfortunate lapse in judgment.
Jill at Feministe points out how many actors seem to feel that this is just peachy:
“What I don’t understand is why so many people are signing this petition. On the most basic level, it’s especially disappointing when the signatories are people whose work I like and respect. Pedro Almodovar. Wes Anderson. Natalie Portman. Kristin Scott Thomas. Darren Aronofsky. Diane von Furstenberg. Julian Schnabel. Martin Scorsese. Tilda Swinton. Gael Garcia Bernal (there goes my biggest crush). Penelope Cruz.”
But they are, after all, just entertainers. It’s absolutely heartbreaking when the support comes from someone who should really know better – like the founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation.
“My personal thoughts are let the guy go,” said Peg Yorkin, founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation. “It’s bad a person was raped. But that was so many years ago. The guy has been through so much in his life. It’s crazy to arrest him now. Let it go. The government could spend its money on other things.”
Lauren over at Feministe brings her experience into the narratives around Polanski, noting:
“Rape is not the only assault. Around rape is a large segment of the population that questions the victim, a culture that looks down on victims for allowing themselves to be victimized, or keep them victimized, questions about the victim’s credibility, questions about the legacy of rape and how bad it is, because how bad is rape really? Rape, because various levels and forms of sexual assault are systemic and pervasive across all societies, exists alongside one’s experiences of unwanted touching, wanted touching, sexual objectification, sexual desire, sexual harassment, incest, love, leering eyes, cat calls, roaming hands, consent, confusion, tits, vagina, rectum, penis, mouth, rape and not-rape, all of it loaded, all of it veering at rape’s ugly legacy, co-mingling, the legacy that tells us to be more careful, to dress more conservatively, to BE BETTER AT BEING VULNERABLE, or BE MORE POWERFUL, or BE MORE FEARFUL, or GET OVER IT ALREADY. Rape leaks into healthy, consensual experiences. It lingers. It pervades.”
Roman Polanski initiated sexual contact with someone he knew to be underage, persisted after she said no, pled guilty to unlawful intercourse with a minor, and fled the country when he feared he would go to prison anyway.
What’s so disturbing about the articles isn’t that people are claiming our legal system is flawed. It’s that people – be they in Hollywood or your average citizen – are grasping for all kinds of ways to twist this back on the victim and to exonerate Polanski by denying this crime ever happened. So you want him to walk on a technicality? Fine. Admit that! But why are we denying that the rape ever happened?
It did happen.
Polanski admitted as such. So are people so invested in the idea that if we pretend it isn’t “rape-rape” then the matter will be resolved?
As Rock says at the end of the clip: “The United States, we want to capture Osama Bin Laden, and murder him. We don’t want to rape him – that would be barbaric!”
Rape is a barbaric act.
And I’m amazed it took a comedian to say it outright.
-Latoya Peterson
Can you believe that the head of the Feminist Majority Foundation, Peg Yorkin, says to ‘let it go.’? I am shocked by the amount of women who have been supporting Polanski. What is wrong with these women? I am so disappointed.
On an up note, don’t you just love Rock’s final words though?!
Readers: Thoughts? Blog me.
************
Hey Zen Lill: Time has not been expanding much for me either, and I have barely had any time to exercise at all. Getting this details of this new venture together has been taking up a lot of time but then love is in the details and I am such a detailed person. By the way, I got your joke – too funny!
Mai Ling: How does an earthling girl get discovered with a commander like Madaline commanding her? Believe me, as Al so appropriately pointed out, you were once a ‘primitive’, and obviously not too long ago. It’s clear, you, or whoever got discovered, haven’t mastered surreptitiousness.
Remember this, if you decide to retaliate with an earthquake, it will most likely be the less fortunate of the ‘primitives’ who will undoubtedly suffer, not the ones behind shooting the rockets this Friday. And the ones behind the rockets don’t necessarily care about the livelihood of the less fortunate ‘primitives’.
My readers and I quite aware that our weather can be controlled, as we have been informed many times. And I am sure that the ‘primitives’ that you intend to teach are aware too. This is not the first time humans have tried to make a statement, and we know it won’t be the last. And you are well aware, as I am, that if push ever came to shove, we would be as easy to exterminate as a human foot on an ant hill: completely defenseless.
Know this, I am tired of the destruction on our planet. The economic climate in this world is fucked up enough, and another disastrous earthquake leaving more of the ‘primitives’ homeless and jobless, will not make this Girl happy.
Earth is a cattle planet to say the least, but it is still our home. You know Earth…the place you used to live. Try not to be an insensitive, expanded brain, no-longer-a-primitive-myself, earthling.
Mai Ling, what can I say? You got me on a morning where I have little tolerance for ego-talk. Try to be safe out there and not get into any trouble.
Cecil: You’re only a creep if you excepted the blow job. She was probably testing you to see if you really loved her by offering herself to you, or if you were just like any other man. If you really loved her you would’ve set her up out of the care and love for her, and nothing more. Did you, or were just like any other man who wanted to get a good blow job? And shame on your brother for being a man who shares the intimate details of his relationship.
Al: I thought your questions and comments in regards to ZL’s joke were even funnier than the joke.
Doug: There is no reasoning with women like Laura. She accepts her place in society as second class and kisses ass to those white men that control her. She would be a good match for George.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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