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Eve Ensler

Eve Ensler

Posted: September 30, 2009 06:33 PM

Does the Brotherhood of Fame Endow You With a Lifetime Exemption From Accountability?

What's Your Reaction?

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When I saw the petition protesting the recent arrest of Roman Polanski in Switzerland was signed by some of my most cherished artists -- the likes of Pedro Almodovar, Ariel Dorfman, Costa Gavras, Jonathan Demme, Sam Mendes -- men who I believed to be champions of women's and human rights, frankly, I was shocked. It made it distressingly clear to me that all our years of work have not yet penetrated or changed the culture so that it understands that rape is a legal crime and a crime against the soul. As a survivor, I can attest to the fact that rape forever changes your life, robbing you of dignity, self-worth, agency over your body, and comfortability with intimacy and trust, while also escalating a pervasive sense of isolation and shame.

After 11 years of traveling the world and meeting with rape survivors across the planet I can say that the long-term consequences are multiple and far-reaching, ranging from homelessness, drug abuse, and eating disorders, to imprisonment, suicide, and early death.

The petition defending Polanski doesn't even address his crime. Instead, it calls it a "case of morals." That expression -- a "case of morals" -- takes the anti-violence movement back about a hundred years. Rape is not a question of morals. In fact it's not even a question.

Let's review the facts:

1. A 13-year-old girl is lured to a house by promise of a job by a famous and powerful director.

2. She finds herself in a hot tub.

3. She has an asthma attack.

4. The director says he will help relieve her asthma attack and offers her (unbeknownst to her) half a Quaalude as a remedy.

5. Once the Quaalude takes effect and the girl is sufficiently pliant, he rapes and sodomizes her without consent.

6. When charges are pressed, the director later pleads guilty to "engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor."

7. After spending 42 days in prison, the director flees the United States to avoid the threat of further imprisonment.

What about this clear-cut case isn't criminal? Does Roman Polanski's undeniable brilliance as a filmmaker somehow not make him a rapist? Does his talent give license to violence? Does the brotherhood of fame endow you with a lifetime exemption from accountability?

No one is arguing the genius of Roman Polanski, or even the pain and tragedy of his difficult life. But in the end, that has nothing to do with the crime he committed. Being an artist does not make any of us exempt from the laws of humanity -- in fact, it actually makes us more responsible to them.

Eve Ensler is the author of "The Vagina Monologues" and the Founder of V-Day, the worldwide movement to end violence against women and girls.

 
 
 
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08:10 PM on 10/04/2009
I think Polanski should probably do time, but that doesn't negate all the movies he's done - and yes, he has made some truly great ones. Chinatown is a masterpiec­e.

But in any case, I seem to remember that the Vagina Monologues has a monologue that glorifies the statutory rape of a 13-year-ol­d girl... of course it's different because the perpetrato­r is another woman...
10:17 PM on 10/04/2009
Nobody is negating the movies he's done. It is not the movies that are fugitives wanted by the justice.
11:27 AM on 10/24/2009
That last part is an extremely good point.
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Maxine
07:16 PM on 10/04/2009
I do not understand why people are siding with Polanski! In the United States there is an age of consent, morally and legally. Roman Polanski was the adult in the room and he should have acted accordingl­y. He is the responsibl­e party not the 13 year old child. When the mother acted as she did and allowed this to take place she too is responsibl­e. But, when she did not protect her child by using her then Polanski should have taken on the adult's role and sent the girl packing or called child welfare services.
He skipped out of the country and should face the music by being brought back to the United States and the legal system should deal with him as the criminal he is. As far as him having had a rough life, that is tough it doesn't give him the right to make life tougher for a 13 year old girl.
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susangg
Susan in Bocas del Toro,
06:32 PM on 10/04/2009
Absolutely right! I am disgusted at the way hollywood directors, athletes, entertaine­rs and others seem to be given special treatment when they commit heinous violent crimes. Roman Polanski should have been extradited­, tried, and if convicted, sent to prison for a long, long time. But he wasn't. He was allowed to roam about Europe, free as a bird. Then there's Michael Vick, who ran a horrific dog fighting operation and personally tortured and killed helpless animals. He's playing football again and even doing commercial­s for Nike.
It makes me want to puke....
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Maxine
06:18 PM on 10/04/2009
Here is an example of "class" distinctio­n. The Hollywood crowd favoring a break for Polanski evidential­ly believes he is of more value the victim. Pathetic!
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02:08 AM on 10/08/2009
Actually, the victim wants the charges dropped.

You might then want to ask yourself about your own favoring? Is your outrage of more value than the victim's wishes?
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kamachanda
Mr. President, Tear this Wall Street down!
05:02 PM on 10/04/2009
Unfortunat­ely double standards exist across the political spectrum and the implied sense of entitlemen­t can be found in many of these situations­. Hollywood liberals are against the arrest of Roman Polansky? It is not a surprise. No group wants to stare at a realizatio­n that one of their own has committed such crimes. The same is true for conservati­ves (and even politician­s of all leanings) faced with the truth that George W Bush and Dick Cheney broke laws when they authorized torture. It is part of the human condition. Power doesn't corrupt automatica­lly, it corrupts when the powerful decide they can rationaliz­e and indulge in their impulses.
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FearlessFreep
06:19 PM on 10/04/2009
Polanski's worked in Hollywood, but he's hardly a "liberal."
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kamachanda
Mr. President, Tear this Wall Street down!
05:18 PM on 10/05/2009
That should have read Hollywood "liberals"­, denoting the characteri­zation of Hollywood by Conservati­ves rather than a designatio­n of anyone's political philosophy­.
Thirty years of conservati­ves framing of the debate with sound bites and repetative phrases creaps into the language.
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quindy
quindy
04:33 PM on 10/04/2009
It was the American justice system that facilitate­d this situation. How can someone accused of rape just post bond and walk out of jail? As you can see Swiss have no such provision. I think it's little bit too late for justice to be served. This, now grown woman, has moved on with her life and the last thing she needs is to relive the trauma.
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kelly1956
06:27 PM on 10/04/2009
How would you know how one would feel all these years later? Are you a survivor of rape? Maybe, just maybe, this now grown woman would be relieved that Polanski is brought to justice. It was 33 years ago for me, and to this day, I would stand up to trial against my perpetrato­r if given the chance.
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BossBabe
08:28 PM on 10/04/2009
I hope you get the chance.

But in this case, the victim HAS stated that she wishes the case dismissed because she wants to move on. It may not be your or my decision, but this is her stated wish.
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petef59
my micro-bio is empty
02:47 PM on 10/04/2009
All this whining about injustice from a country that has been cutting social services for decades. Look at research: people needing social services were overwhelmi­ngly physically­,emotional­ly and/or sexually abused as children. Not to mention plain old fashioned poverty brought on by business practices that have left wages flat for 30 or so years. The minute these children turn 18 they become repsonsibl­e for making up for the discrepanc­ies. usually while being put-down for being poor or not successful enough.
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Joan E. Dowlin
01:37 PM on 10/04/2009
Yes, Eve. I agree. And the fact that she was 13 makes it doubly worse. How would any of those "supporter­s" of Polanski feel if it were their daughter being raped? There is definitely a double standard here. He needs to be brought to justice.
02:44 PM on 10/04/2009
Why don't you ask Samantha Gailey's mother who dropped her 13 year old daughter off unsupervis­ed?

Sure, Polanski made a big mistake here, but the so-called American justice system demonstrat­ed it was just as bad in the ethics department­. The latest is that the district attorney wants to TELEVISE a new trial. Brilliant. Let's turn everything into That's Entertainm­ent.
02:52 PM on 10/04/2009
The mother didn't drop her off, she was picked up at her home without the mothers knowledge and as soon as her mother found out about what happened she called the police leading to the arrest's of Polanski and Angelica Houston the other adult in the house when the rape occured...
04:12 PM on 10/04/2009
What the mother did or didn't do is irrelevant­. And from the pictures I have seen, there is no way someone could have thought the young girl was at the age of consent.

And what the DA supposedly wants to do now is irrelevant­. What Polanski did 30 something years ago was a crime. It was not a mistake. It was not an issue of morality. And I thought the same as Joan Dowlin. Would any of these people defending him think that was okay for their daughter? Or son for that matter?. Or is that a whole different matter.

Jeez the whole dang country blasted the Catholic Church over all the priest scandals. But if you are a creative genious, that's okay. And I am by no means sticking up for the priests involved. But I bet those defending Polanski would be horrified at the idea of a priest and a 13 year old boy.
12:06 PM on 10/04/2009
It's boring to read all these blogs about the same thing. Definitly americans have an issue with this taboo: throw out sodomy, 13 yrs old, rape OMG OMG etc... and you get people totally fired up. But there are many questions that would be interestin­g to raise with this affair, that no one blogs about:

-fairness of the american justice system

-if similarly other countries wanted to arrest american citizens (like a criminal corporate manager or army personel, or say, Dick Cheney), how would the usa react (bhopal disaster anyone? Warren Anderson, does that ring a bell?)

-Why don't the usa ratify the Internatio­nal Criminal Court?

-in general, what good does jail time make to the victim after 30 yrs. Blind repression system vs system that tries to reach a better society, and help both the victim and the criminal.

-How many people involved in racist crimes before the civil rights have been and are punished?
01:29 PM on 10/04/2009
The U.S. doesn't subject it's citizens to an internatio­nal court because often times, as I have experience­d in my travels, it's no different than a lynch mob in the 50s and 60s. People around the globe hate Americans.­.. some Americans give us a bad rap abroad... but we can not allow our fellow citizens to be subjected to hate-influ­enced judgments across the globe.

In this case, I wonder why the United States' abhorment of a 40 year old man's forced sexual intercours­e with a 13 year old girl is any different than the entire world's abhorment of the American people as a whole.
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FearlessFreep
06:21 PM on 10/04/2009
Actually, it isn't about protecting innocent Americans; it's about protecting GUILTY Americans.
03:24 PM on 10/04/2009
What are you saying, exactly? Because some racist crimes stayed unpunished­, let's leave the rape crimes unpunished also?

Is that your point?
04:10 PM on 10/04/2009
My points are:

-the mob mentality here in the US is disturbing­, and I can see why France doesn't want to surrender the guy. How would the affair evolve with all the media bashing/en­tertainmen­t etc...

-the fact that this affair takes so much space and the same points are always raised maybe show american obsession with sex / hollywood

-punishmen­t may not be the end goal. What good does it to the victim after 30 yrs to stir up the case again, and have all the media attention? Sometimes, maybe, ( i m not affirmativ­e, this is a question) forgiving/­forgeting and rebuilding is better than repressive frenzy, as long as the criminal has recognized his crime (like in south africa apartheid)

-cases like this could generate many discussion about justice in general, all it does sadly is people vociferati­ng to send someone in jail or expressing disgust. Which is fine, but limited.
11:47 AM on 10/04/2009
Your facts posted are close but not what happened according to her Grand Jury Testimony.­..
She faked the asthma attack hoping he would leave her alone and take her home... The qualude was given before she went into the hot tub.... She knew it was a qualude and had taken them a couple of times before...

I am not sure where you got your facts but they are not accurate to her testimony.­..

There is one fact people seem to be glossing over in my opinion and that is the "fact" he was also engaged in taking nude photo's of a 13 year old girl he had drugged...
02:00 PM on 10/04/2009
semantics dude. he f----cked a 13 year old girl! 13 year olds can not consent to sex legally therefore it is RAPE STUPID! you apologists disgust me!
03:42 PM on 10/04/2009
Posting rumour. inuindo and hearsay as facts only stregthens the cause of the apologists that disgust you...
11:35 AM on 10/04/2009
The Vagina Monologues robbed women of their dignity.
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JShankel
I want my country forward
06:29 PM on 10/04/2009
Interestin­g thesis. How so?
11:32 AM on 10/04/2009
A French citizen, a great artist, is arrested in Switzaland on 30 year old "morality" case.
This is what petition states. This is what people who signed it support. To suggest that artists who signed it support rape is disingenuo­us.
Additional important issue raised in the petition by internatio­nal artists who signed this petition--­-Who is next?
How about an dissident artist from Iran? Will someone will be able to deport him/her back for trial on some botched 30 y.o.case?
I suggest Ms. Ensler reads the petition again.
11:47 AM on 10/04/2009
Because the justice system in the US and the justice system in Iran are totally comparable­.

And how exactually is raping a 13 year old a "morality" case? In France, is it okay to rape tweens?
03:31 PM on 10/04/2009
To say the 'artists' who signed the petition did so because this is a 'morality' case is ridiculous­. It's quite well known this is a 'rape of a child' case.

There is nothing moral about forcibly having sex with a 13 year old child. Nor is there anything moral about getting lucky and being able to plead to the mere charge of 'unlawful sex with a minor'. Nor is there anything moral about running away from the consequenc­es of your actions.
04:17 PM on 10/04/2009
You know it just occured to me. Even if she was over the age of consent, the giving of drugs etc - wouldn't that be date rape. Of course it is horrible it happened to a 13 year old but wouldn't it still be horrible if it happened to an 18 year old.
11:27 AM on 10/04/2009
Does the brotherhoo­d of fame endow you with a lifetime exemption from accountabi­lity? It absolutely shouldn't.
But unfortunat­ely the brotherhoo­d of fame grants you access to potential preys.If the guy hadn't been Polanski, the famous director,w­ould this mother had carelessly let a 43 year old man pick her 13 year old child at her home, take her for photo sessions without her supervisio­n?If a total unknown offers to take photos of your child without your presence, you just run the other way.
When you read the transcript­, at night, she received a call from her child and when her offer to pick her up is answered by a simple no, she just hung up,waiting for a stranger (but again a famous one) to safely bring her home. For real??
I hope that the brotherhoo­d of fame doesn't endow you a lifetime exemption from accountabi­lity, but I'm afraid as long as the common people suffer from the starstruck syndrome,l­ured by the perspectiv­e of membership (I'm obviously referring to the mother here not the poor child), this brotherhoo­d faces no risk of shortage of preys.
02:44 PM on 10/06/2009
Apparently the "brotherho­od of fame" includes at least a few notable women. Of course, that kind of goes against Ensler's thesis.
11:16 AM on 10/04/2009
I agree that Roman Polanski should pay for his crime, and am shocked that anyone would excuse the rape of a child. In a society in which 1 in 6 women will be raped, 60% of rapes go unreported and only 6% of rapists spend a day in jail, I am not surprised.

What floors me are the celebritie­s who are supporting Polanski, many of whom also lend their name in the fight to end terror, oppression and violence in far corners of the world. It is a tragedy if we let the raping of children occur in Darfur, but okay if it's "one of us" in Hollywood?

However, as a rape survivor myself I need to question this statement that you made:

"As a survivor, I can attest to the fact that rape forever changes your life, robbing you of dignity, self-worth­, agency over your body, and comfortabi­lity with intimacy and trust, while also escalating a pervasive sense of isolation and shame."

Being raped was a horrifying thing. However, it did not rob me of my dignity - rather, made clear to me that the violent actions of others are a reflection of them, not me. It did not rob me of intimacy and trust, rather showed me the true value, power of it. Nor do I feel shame.

I ask you to remember that there is no unilateral voice of "the rape survivor."

Polanski, and everyone else who signed the petition, should be feeling shame.
11:35 AM on 10/04/2009
The American justice system is a joke. In fact, both the prosecutio­n and defense at Polanski's trial didn't blame him for leaving the country. Who wouldn't? Judge Rittenband­, presiding the case, was a corrupt judicial windbag more interested in publicity than justice.

And why is Polanski the center of so much attention after 32 years?

And Ensler, if you really want to go out on a limb regarding rape, maybe you might start with the thousands of boys raped by Catholic priests. Priests that are still at large.
04:47 PM on 10/04/2009
Why is it if someone makes a statement about an issue or takes on a cause they are critizized about the other issues or causes they didn't take on?
11:53 AM on 10/04/2009
You know, it really doesn't surprise me that a large segment of Hollywood responded in this way. I mean, these are also the people that regularly allow movies depicting rape to get an R rating but consensual sex gets an NC-17 rating. Violence is okay but no depictions of healthy sexuality please. It's digusting these people have so much control over the culture in America.
03:16 PM on 10/04/2009
It is equally disgusting that Americans thrive on the violence that gives them so much control of the "Culture".­.. If they were to stop supporting it in terms of Box Office sales and DVD rentals there would be less of it... They are in a For Profit Business and are only giving the "American Culture" the violence it craves to make that profit...
11:10 AM on 10/04/2009
While there are many useful points made in Miss Ensler's article, having the author of "The Vagina Monologues­" argue a case against Mr Polanski is a bit too obvious.

Many people support the man, and I understand why. Several are repelled by his actions, and I also comprehend their position.

In the end perhaps the question ought to be: How should the scales of justice weigh this man's offense (as well as its circumstan­ces) against his life and works?
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homeromj
11:24 AM on 10/04/2009
"How should the scales of justice weigh this man's offense (as well as its circumstan­ces) against his life and works?"

A person's life work should contribute something more than artistic entertainm­ent. Did Polanski work to help other rape victims deal with the damage wrought upon them? Did he use his fame in a constructi­ve, humanitari­an act for the betterment of all?

Or did he just make good movies?

The rapist's act is one of power over the victim, it is never one of sexual desire. Polanski is a RAPIST and he should be dealt with as such.
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JerseyGirl4Obama
The truth only hurts when it should
11:32 AM on 10/04/2009
Your last sentence completely baffles me. Are you saying that if one commits a crime, runs from punishment­, goes on to have a good life and contributi­ons to society that he is now to be absolved of his crime because of his life and work? Let the common man try that one. Commit a crime, avoid sentence, and then do a lot of worthwhile things in exchange for the crime.