Hollywood’s Indignation about Polanski

Carson Holloway at First Things is astonished at Hollywood’s reaction to Roman Polanski’s arrest for a 30-year old rape charge. While pity might be an appropriate response, he argues that indignation is not.

“Pity, yes. But indignation? This is strange, and it compels us to ask how we can account for the inclination of some in Hollywood righteously to condemn those who would bring Polanski to justice. The reasons are no doubt complex. . . Nevertheless, this controversy should not pass without our observing that Hollywood surely has deep self-interested reasons to defend Roman Polanski. Put simply, Polanski’s sins are inextricably bound up with Hollywood’s own sins. If he is guilty, Hollywood is, in some measure, guilty as well. . . The embrace of sexual liberation necessarily diminishes our horror for rape, and contemporary Hollywood has been nothing if not ardent in its embrace of sexual liberation.”

Holloway goes on to interrogate the sexual liberation ethic of Hollywood. The only limits to their liberation is consent, but he argues that such a position is self-defeating. This one is well-worth the read.

(HT: Justin Taylor)