Hollywood And Washington, D.C. Are Very Much Alike

In yesterday's Los Angeles Times, John Horn and Tina Daunt wrote about the extent to which the Hollywood community is terribly out of touch with the rest of the country on the matter of Roman Polanski. Their article is worth reading just to experience the pancreas-curdling, sanctimonious bilge that issues from the snackhole of Harvey Weinstein. But what's even nicer about this piece is that at some later date, they can refile it as a broad criticism of the Beltway media elite without making more than a few cosmetic changes. This could save print media, maybe!

You can only imagine how paragraphs like this resonate with me:

"The split between what the rest of the world thinks about Polanski and what Hollywood thinks about Polanski is quite remarkable," said film historian David Thomson. "It proves what an old-fashioned and provincial club Hollywood is. People look after their own."

Seriously. The only difference between their provincial club and ours is that most people finds theirs to be prettier.

Take a look at this paragraph. You'll see what I'm talking about:

When Mel Gibson launched into an anti-Semitic screed following his 2006 arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, hardly any Hollywood leaders -- agent Ari Emanuel and Sony studio chief Amy Pascal among the few exceptions -- publicly rebuked the actor. The criticism of Hollywood at the time was that in a business contingent on relationships and currying favor with the powerful, no one was willing to denounce such a prominent artist.

Just make the following changes:

--"Mel Gibson" to "the Bush administration"
--"launched into an anti-Semitic screed...of driving under the influence" becomes "launched a pointless, expensive, and detrimental war in Iraq."
--"Hollywood leaders" becomes "Beltway media professionals"
--"actor" becomes "President"
--"Hollywood" becomes "Washington"
--"artist" becomes "politician"

...and voila! It's all just as true as the original!

The only thing I'm missing are suitable replacements for Ari Emanuel and Amy Pascal. I guess Hollywood is two up on us in the "ability to make a lick of damn sense every once in a while" category.

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Comments

[SonnyRice]

11:08 PM on 10/06/2009

Was she ready for that close-up Mr. Polanski?

He harmed a child in horrible ways. Does money or time buy forgiveness? He has never shown any remorse. His life has been a charmed one for all these years. A dream come true many would say. Going about his life without a care in the world. Life is good. Unless you were that innocent thirteen year old child, to you he was the nightmare come true. The actual Bogyman in the flesh. Older flesh intent on taking her innocence evermore cried the raven. . She would find no relief from waking up, and the world being the same as her few yesterdays.

Could he capture that in his work and be even greater in his mind. He took what can never be replaced or undone, then ran a world away. She stayed and lived a very different life for one so young. Her life was directed by Polanski from that moment on. Was she ready for that close-up Mr. Polanski? I think not.

Today she expresses words of forgiveness for his grievous sins. She forgives while he forgets and believes he shouldn’t have to be bothered. Other soulless one’s agree publicly with him. Her feelings I can understand, she is human. My feelings would see him share her pain. Do these supporters need to learn decency and morals in some script. Let him baby-sit for all their children.

[joependleton]

01:07 AM on 10/07/2009

Nicely done, Mr. Rice. Next week's assignment will be to describe the changing seasons from the perspective of a tree.

[SonnyRice]

01:40 AM on 10/07/2009

Your comment means what exactly? Why waste your time with such a comment, or mine. Do your parents know your up this late and online babbleing. This is a grown up discussion, perhaps before nap time in play school someone will explain important things to you after your diaper change.

[sexyrexy]

06:52 PM on 10/11/2009

you're too overmelodramatic.

better yet-- try to watch her interview on Larry King when she went record to allow Polanski to come t o Hollywood & be at hand in case he won his Oscar.. WH. later he did.

also, there's an in d epth investigative report on this scandal in the early 1980's-- & HOW it came about.. too many d etails are conviniently missing' from reports today, that paints Polanski as such an ogre..

[MsMassachusetts]

02:12 PM on 10/06/2009

Check out the young arm candy with these old farts in Hollywood and D.C. The younger the conquest the more manly they feel. How many well written columns can change that culture?

[eden4barack08]

04:14 PM on 10/04/2009

Meh!

[StJames]

11:15 AM on 10/03/2009

Hmmmm, D.C. = Hollywood. If you think of it as a bunch of overpaid, self-absorbed entertainers (what else would you call a Joe Wilson) you're on to something.

[honoursplendor]

09:36 AM on 10/03/2009

I don't understand the sweeping generalization that "Hollywood" is supporting Polanski. Only a handful of people have come out to support him from Hollywood. How does this mean that an entire industry is doing so?

[ponderingmuch]

12:40 AM on 10/03/2009

Polanski should be in jail and Letterman?

Unless the affairs lost them work, or he pressured them, who cares.

I am a lefty Hollywoody kinda person. Night and day difference between the two.

[berrycooda]

12:00 AM on 10/03/2009

CODE OF ETHICS..

Watch my back and I'll watch yours.

[jdrourke]

07:51 PM on 10/02/2009

Good post, Jason! The truth is both "industries" are within company towns where money and power trump humanity and compassion. But at least L.A. has great weather...

http://jdrourke.wordpress.com/