Polanski and Woody Allen - compare and contrast

[hedgehog]

:hide:

[brooklynite]

1. Allen is...wierd, but did nothing illegal

...and Soon Yee (sp?) was a legal adult

[condoleeza]

2. Legal when he married her but when did the relationship begin?

[brooklynite]

7. Don't know but no charges were filed, and Soon Yee didn't complain

So that's all we have to go on

[WonderGrunion]

3. What? no push poll this time?

:thumbsdown:

[maxsolomon]

4. allen is in some ways worse

polanski has drugs and unspeakable tragedy as mitigating factors in his moral failing.

[proteus_lives]

9. Moral failing?

Call it what it was. RAPE. There are no mitigating factors, his wife was murdered eight years before and he encouraged the girl to take drugs so raping her would be easier.

What Allen did was gross but Polanski is a rapist.

[maxsolomon]

13. ok rape. he's a rapist. he raped a 13 year old.

i have about 1/100th of the passion for this controversy that you do.

but i do believe rape falls into the category of moral failings. i didn't qualify if as a "mere" moral failing.

[eShirl]

16. "but i do believe rape falls into the category of moral failings"

I know I shouldn't be shocked to read something like this on DU anymore, but DAMN! I still am.

[TorchTheWitch]

21. you and me both

Much like calling rape "nonconsensual sex". UGH.

[maxsolomon]

22. then what is it?

to me that's an inclusive category. there's an awful lot of bloodlust (especially regarding Polanski) on DU, too, and I'm rarely shocked by it.

[TorchTheWitch]

27. it's a violent crime

Calling a violent crime a moral failing grossly diminishes what it is. Bloodlust has nothing to do with it, and accusing those who understand the horror and ugliness of rape or any other violent crime as bloodlusting is disingenuous and frankly a slap in the face.

[maxsolomon]

36. a violent crime ISN'T a failure of morals? or ethics?

we're talking at cross purposes over your objection to ONE FUCKING TERM, "moral failing'. i say it's a large category that encompasses a panoply of horrific monkey behavior that (male) humans engage in ALL THE TIME, EVERYWHERE ON THE PLANET, SINCE THE ORIGIN OF OUR SPECIES, you say i diminish "what it is".

and my reference to bloodlust is an across-the-board reference to DU's propensity to bay for vengeance, not justice tempered with mercy - i.e. the ongoing arguments for the death penalty.

and then you infer that i am NOT among "those who understand the horror and ugliness of rape"? how the FUCK would you know?

[Zix]

30. "Hmmm, hmmm, rape. Hmmm. where shall I place it? Hmmm..."

"Here, with the begonias? Here, with my stamp collection? It does seem a little gauche! Sigh. Oh well, I suppose in a conceptual "moral failings" box will have to do, but goodness it's such an untidy sort of thing with so many AMBIGUITIES. Moral failings should always seem ROMANTIC. Surely it should go with post-modern art-statments? Oh, really, I'm simply too tired."

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. Although what Allen did was creepy/immoral, as far we know it was not illegal

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. Just what is immoral about an older man marrying a young woman

who is of legal age and not related to him?

[maxsolomon]

23. unethical

soon yi was for all intents and purposes his stepdaughter. maybe "immoral" is the wrong word, but it's definitely icky.

[RaleighNCDUer]

29. She's his ex-wife's adopted daughter who never lived with him.

The adopted daughter of Mia Farrow and Andre Previn. An acquaintance, nothing more. How's that make her his step-daughter?

[Liquorice]

31. That's not how Soon-Yi's adopted brother characterizes the

relationship:

"He's my father married to my sister. That makes me his son and his brother-in-law. That is such a moral transgression. I cannot see him. I cannot have a relationship with my father and be morally consistent.... I lived with all these adopted children, so they are my family. To say Soon-Yi was not my sister is an insult to all adopted children."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Allen

[RaleighNCDUer]

33. That's his hang up.

If there is no blood relationship, there is no incest. Period.

From Websters: Incest - 1) sexual intercourse between persons too closely related to marry legally.

Since they DID marry legally, there was obviously no 'too close' relationship in the eyes of the law - there was, in fact, NO bloodline relationship to begin with, and what familial relationship there was, was purely legalistic.

Do you believe that a man whose brother dies cannot marry his brother's ex-wife? She's his former sister-in-law. Is THAT incest?

There is actually biblical law that mandates that marriage.

[maxsolomon]

34. notice my qualifier "all intents and purposes"

:eyes:

[EFerrari]

26. Nothing unless incestuous behavior bothers you.

[CatWoman]

18. the only thing I find creepy is that ugly ass dog of yours

:hi:

[Freddie Stubbs]

25. Woof woof!

;)

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. Allen had nonconsensual sex with a child?

Wow, I heard it here first. I know it must be true because I know that no DU'ers would pull anything out of their asses simply to make a point.

[TorchTheWitch]

20. nonconsensual sex?

Sounds much like nonconsensual gifting (ie: thievery) or nonconsensual amateur facial reconstruction (ie: beating; assault) or nonconsensual removal to undisclosed location (ie: kidnaping).

Nonconsensual sex is RAPE. It's a violent crime (as opposed to a "moral failing" as was suggested up thread). Using more appealing language grossly diminishes what it is and says a lot about someone who uses such diminishing language.

[Zywiec]

24. So anyone who has sex under the age of consent is raped?

Since Polanski's victim admitted to having sex before, and since a 13 year old can't consent to sex, why didn't anyone go after those other perpetrators (rapists)?

:shrug:

[lumberjack_jeff]

28. Okay.

You missed the point. Polanski raped a child.

The parallel that the OP is attempting to draw with Allen is ludicrous.

Compare and contrast: Jeffery Dahmer and Colonel Sanders.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Woody is a better director. Though, Polanski is no slouch.

[proteus_lives]

10. Allen is a creepy loser but Polanski is rapist.

That's the difference.

[deaniac21]

11. I don't think I'd pick either one to baby sit.

[HamdenRice]

14. I think what people are missing is that in addition to the age thing, w/ Allen there's incest

The girl was Allen's S.O.'s adoptive daughter.

[hedgehog]

17. Emotional incest, I agree. If X and Y are in a committed relationship,

it's a nasty thing if X is having an affair on the side with Y's relative Z. If X is gong to be looking around, X should break it off with Y and walk away for a while before getting in touch with Z.

[Piwi2009]

32. Not to defend the man, but

I just don't see how it's incest when it's a Jewish man and a Korean girl. Those aren't close in the least!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

35. It wouldn't be called incest but it's creepy. One thing that is often overlooked here, you called

Farrow his significant other... they spent lots of time together, but he had his own apartment and didn't live with her.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. Allen's got better comedic timing. Polanski: drama and suspense.

Neither have done anything remarkable in years.

[NashVegas]

19. Not So, Not So

See Allen's "Match Point."

Polanski is very hit and miss. One year it's "The Ninth Gate" and the next, "The Pianist."

[travelingtypist]

37. Allen gives me the skeeves. Won't watch his movies.

Soon Yi looked at him as a father. He was in that role. That's disgusting.

Wish this was a poll. Glad I searched before I posted this question.