NBC Does Some Creative Editing Last Night
…concerning the arrest of that pillar of manly artistic sensibility, Roman Polanski. If you’ll remember, he’s the guy who starred in this:
…after Polanski plied her with Champagne and a Quaalude…
The teenager’s [ths: 13 years old] troubling–and contemporaneous–account of her abuse at Polanski’s hands begins with her posing twice for topless photos that the director said were for French Vogue. The girl then told prosecutors how Polanski directed her to, “Take off your underwear” and enter the Jacuzzi, where he photographed her naked. Soon, the director, who was then 43, joined her in the hot tub. He also wasn’t wearing any clothes and, according to Gailey’s testimony, wrapped his hands around the child’s waist.
The girl testified that she left the Jacuzzi and entered a bedroom in Nicholson’s home, where Polanski sat down beside her and kissed the teen, despite her demands that he “keep away.” According to Gailey, Polanski then performed a sex act on her and later “started to have intercourse with me.” At one point, according to Gailey’s testimony, Polanski asked the 13-year-old if she was “on the pill,” and “When did you last have your period?” Polanski then asked her, Gailey recalled, “Would you want me to go in through your back?” before he “put his penis in my butt.” Asked why she did not more forcefully resist Polanski, the teenager told Deputy D.A. Roger Gunson, “Because I was afraid of him.”
In NBC’s piece last night, there’s a quick mention of a “sex crime” in Lester Holt’s intro, right before they cut to the “revered director” who is now “sitting in a Swiss jail”. They distill the revolting, predatory acts in the paragraphs above to:
“…facing extradition to the United States for having sex in 1977 with a thirteen year old girl.”
Is that all? Well, dang! Your average viewer would be experiencing a “well, big deal” moment right about then. A Newsweek film critic explains helpfully that Polanski was always concerned about an arrest possibility…
“…because he’s obviously aware that there seems to be some vendetta against him.”
Aw. The poor persecuted pedophile. OutRAgeous, non? Actually…non.
That’s just the start of the pity party parade. THAT’S what’s OUTRAGEOUS.
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Morality, People | tree hugging sister | 
September 28, 2009 9:24 am
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I remember this story. Newsies were disgusted — revolted, I’m tellin’ you — with this guy in 1977. Lots ‘o feminist and New Urban Male handwringing, then they all went to his movies.
I guess raping a 13 year old is OK now if you work for NBC.
This is the NYT, right.
Where in this item is there any news. Just another day at the city desk.
Even the intro has me enraged–pretty much implying that any crime against children should just be wiped out after 30 years. Especially for a guy who is supposedly so talented he’s too good for the law? Please.
It is just completely, totally disgusting how people are lining up to support this scumbag.
If he were Roman Polanski, plumber, where would the government of France be on this case?