From the Beeb

Every once in awhile, I’ll go to the BBC to see what’s shaking.

IFC-TV is running a series of Python reunion movies and documentaries: Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyers’ Cut). At least we can see the video clips (I guess Brits can’t).

I just like this title.

Maybe Madonna should just buy the whole building.

Roman Polanski is fried. I really have mixed feelings about this whole thing. What do you say?

7 thoughts on “From the Beeb

  1. Mavis

    I don’t have any news from the Beeb, but here’s a little trivia news from here:

    Vic Mizzy, who most probably don’t even know, died. He wrote the theme songs from 2 well known 60’s television comedies – Green Acres & The Addams Family.

    Reply
    1. Rat Fink Post author

      Wow Mave, I did not see that. Two great songs from shows from our youth. We watched ’em every week!

      Reply
    1. Rat Fink Post author

      I’m torn because, yes, he did the crime. And while I know it doesn’t excuse what he did, the girl has since come forward and said on several occasions that it didn’t destroy her childhood; she was not permanently emotionally damaged. Cripes, a 13-year-old losing her honor, even back in 1960-whatever, was not earth-shattering news — especially for an aspiring model. The “casting couch” was in full swing back then, maybe even moreso than now because of the harassment threat.

      So I’m wondering…the guy has been in exile for three decades for having consensual (who’s to say her story was true?) relations with a minor. We have murderers walking the streets. Drug dealers. I mean, it’s all relative, and I’m not excusing what he did, but come on. A little perspective. The victim herself said it’s fine, and she’s fine.

      What’s your take?

      Reply
      1. Art Merchclod

        I think that since quaaludes and alcohol were involved and since she (according to most reports) said “no”, it should be considered non-consensual. And even if it was consensual…she was 13…so its not legal even if it was consensual…regardless of whatever winking understandings there may be or have been about that sort of thing in Hollywood. I don’t think right and wrong are on a sliding scale. Just because something is the norm in a certain context doesn’t make it right or ok absolutely.

        I would classify rapists, especially rapists of children, near murderers on the “bad person who shouldn’t be allowed to walk the streets” scale.

        This girl may have been unique in her ability to cope with the situation, but just because the victim became ok with it after 30 years doesn’t make it ok that Polanski did what he did. He knowingly broke a law…a pretty big one….and if laws mean anything he should be punished for that.

        Reply
  2. Ross

    Who’s to say her story was true? Polanski. He pled guilty in a deal that amounted to statutory rape, but then bolted before his final sentencing. He’s a fugitive from justice. Meanwhile her own testimony at the time clearly incriminates him and hardly suggests that she was fine at the time.

    And ‘exile’? Exile is living in Siberia, not Paris. I would LOVE his version of exile.

    All of this is his doing. This is his creation. Time may heal all wounds but it doesn’t expunge an outstanding warrant.

    If nothing else, he was egotistic and arrogant enough to go to a country he knew he shouldn’t go to in order to collect a lifetime achievement award. There are lots and lots of men right now who are serving or who have served time in prison for the same thing he did. Why should his crime be excused?

    At the very least he could have avoided all of this if he simply stuck around and faced up to what he had done. He didn’t have to cop a plea- what celebrity does that anyway? They plead not guilty, trash their accuser in the press, and hire expensive lawyers.

    It sounds like you interpret his decision to run as a sign of his innocence. Is that how you read OJ too? Or Scott Peterson?

    HIs victim may not care about getting ‘justice’ anymore but that may have something to do with the lucrative civil suit she filed against him in the 80s.

    Reply
    1. Rat Fink Post author

      And didn’t he pay? If he did, that should expunge her feelings of personal woe. Haven’t been the same since you had your little crash, but you might feel better if they gave you some cash. And money solves the problem.

      I said in my post that I don’t excuse his crime, Ross. That’s why I said I had mixed feelings about it. I’m all for justice, but I wonder about the severity of this manhunt. Sure, extradite him, bring him to some kind of justice. But to put him away for years because of this, when lowlifes like Ray Lewis and Leonard whats-his-name, who killed people, walk free? Not fair.

      Reply

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