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Don't get me wrong, I greatly appreciate the fact that you're at least putting effort into sincerely arguing your points. It's an argument I've enjoyed having. It's just that your points are wrong and your reasons for thinking they're right are stupid.

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This god damned Woody Allen thing,

Started by Salty, February 10, 2014, 01:58:47 AM

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Faust

#45
Quote from: Alty on February 10, 2014, 11:12:41 PM
In this particular instance I don't think public opinion that is negative toward Woody Allen is going to do much harm, compared with the harm that leaving his precious reputation unsoiled will do. I say precious because there is an overwhelming number of people who will rush to defend him, presumably because they enjoyed Small Time Crooks just that much.

The case is closed, legally. No legal machine in the world would touch this case as A)It's two decades old, B)It would be a circus, and C)Nobody in a position to care seems to. And anyway, it was already decided when it happened. Charges were not held up.

The issue at hand is not even whether anyone can prove or disprove Dylan Farrow's claims. The issue is our culture's strong desire to avoid soiling the good name of a well known and influencial public figure, and the consequences of that behavior. The issue is, the man is highly respected, he won a Lifetime Acheivement award, FFS. The problem with that isn't that he isn't raked over coals by the entertainment industry, it's that there (seemingly) is no public discussion of the possibility that we, collectively, have idolized a sexual abuser.

Do you suppose the assholes who decided on that award sat around having a discussion like this?
http://www.theonion.com/articles/boy-ive-really-put-you-in-a-tough-spot-havent-i,34949/

Innocent until proven guilty is for the system of governing bodies that rule over us with power we cannot fight. But a Lifetime Acheivement Award? A motherfucking Lifetime Acheivement Award?

This doesn't demand a lynching, but it does demand a discourse that make people decidedly uncomfortable.

I wasn't familiar with the details of the case. I lived in hopeful ignorance that the charges would be brought to trial. That's unfortunate and looks like a failure of justice at the time and as you say a reflection of our culture. Despite his bizarre relationship with his current girlfriend/daughter people still seem to jump to defend him.

Guess all that's left is for people to vote with their wallets, if you want to get someone out of the entertainment industry it's only possible by making them financially toxic to the producers. If no one goes to see his films pretty soon he wont be able to make any more.
Ironically though the attention positive or negative will boost sales of any upcoming projects he has.
Sleepless nights at the chateau

Faust

Quote from: Alty on February 10, 2014, 11:14:12 PM
BTW, Faust, thanks for helping to pull my head out of my ass RE: Arkham City. I told him it was broken and got him Legos Batman instead. Dunno what I was thinking.

It's not the worst game to let a kid play, and fifteens probably conservative, plenty of 10-12 year old would be mature enough to distinguish that the darker themes aren't reflective of real life.

My mother and I had several arguments over my brother playing the new grand theft auto. He is only 11 and there is a pretty graphic torture scene in it. The rest of the game is vulgar but not too bad, I would have preferred if he had waited a few more years before playing it.
Sleepless nights at the chateau

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Alty on February 10, 2014, 11:12:41 PM
In this particular instance I don't think public opinion that is negative toward Woody Allen is going to do much harm, compared with the harm that leaving his precious reputation unsoiled will do. I say precious because there is an overwhelming number of people who will rush to defend him, presumably because they enjoyed Small Time Crooks just that much.

The case is closed, legally. No legal machine in the world would touch this case as A)It's two decades old, B)It would be a circus, and C)Nobody in a position to care seems to. And anyway, it was already decided when it happened. Charges were not held up.

The issue at hand is not even whether anyone can prove or disprove Dylan Farrow's claims. The issue is our culture's strong desire to avoid soiling the good name of a well known and influencial public figure, and the consequences of that behavior. The issue is, the man is highly respected, he won a Lifetime Acheivement award, FFS. The problem with that isn't that he isn't raked over coals by the entertainment industry, it's that there (seemingly) is no public discussion of the possibility that we, collectively, have idolized a sexual abuser.

Do you suppose the assholes who decided on that award sat around having a discussion like this?
http://www.theonion.com/articles/boy-ive-really-put-you-in-a-tough-spot-havent-i,34949/

Innocent until proven guilty is for the system of governing bodies that rule over us with power we cannot fight. But a Lifetime Acheivement Award? A motherfucking Lifetime Acheivement Award?

This doesn't demand a lynching, but it does demand a discourse that make people decidedly uncomfortable.

I am incredibly impressed that the Onion managed to pull that off and make it funny! Damn, that's some good work.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Salty

Right? It rolls the bulk of the issue up so neatly, without cheapening anyone's experience. Definitely one of the best Onion pieces ever.
The world is a car and you're the crash test dummy.

LMNO

It really does hit the nail on the head.  Luckily, I'm not a terribly big fan of his.  I've never found the "nervous neurotic" Author Avatar schtick all that entertaining.  So for me, I'm more apt to reject his work based upon his distasteful alleged personal life.

East Coast Hustle

Yeah, I gotta wonder why people even like his crappy movies to begin with. And I've ALWAYS thought he was a creepy little sex abuser ever since the whole "Sorry, wife, I'm actually nailing our adopted daughter" thing.
Rabid Colostomy Hole Jammer of the Coming Apocalypse™

The Devil is in the details; God is in the nuance.


Some yahoo yelled at me, saying 'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH', and I thought, "I'm feeling generous today.  Why not BOTH?"

East Coast Hustle

What a fucking piece of crud. Sorry, I don't actually have anything valuable to add to the conversation but the very existence of Woody Fucking Allen irritates the shit out of me. But not as much as the existence of people who make it possible for a piece of shit like Woody Allen to have a successful career.
Rabid Colostomy Hole Jammer of the Coming Apocalypse™

The Devil is in the details; God is in the nuance.


Some yahoo yelled at me, saying 'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH', and I thought, "I'm feeling generous today.  Why not BOTH?"

Salty

I actually enjoyed what stuff of his I have seen, and have thought him as funny.

But it doesn't matter.

I truly enjoyed Michael Jackson's music since I was 11 or so.

Buuut it does not matter.

Talent or no, that still comes down to personal taste, fuck those guys.

But I am not going to eat a delicious pie if it's loaded with cyanide.
The world is a car and you're the crash test dummy.

East Coast Hustle

I have to admit that I tend to place Michael Jackson in a different category from people like Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. Not that I'm defending the things he did AT ALL. But it's easy to look at his life and his lack of agency through most of it and how his personal development was so horribly stunted and come to the conclusion that he really probably didn't view his actions as being wrong or even understand why other people thought they were wrong. Doesn't mean they weren't HORRIBLY HORRIBLY wrong, but I tend to view that more as "victim victimizes other victims" as opposed to "shitbag predator".

But now I wonder how much of that is just because Billie Jean has the sickest bassline ever.
Rabid Colostomy Hole Jammer of the Coming Apocalypse™

The Devil is in the details; God is in the nuance.


Some yahoo yelled at me, saying 'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH', and I thought, "I'm feeling generous today.  Why not BOTH?"

Salty

I would tend to agree, much like Britney Spears, he never had a chance.

But Britney nevet did anything like that, that we know.

Plus,

QuoteBut now I wonder how much of that is just because Billie Jean has the sickest bassline ever.


Yup.
The world is a car and you're the crash test dummy.

Salty

If it helps, he didn't create that bassline, he just liked it, said he could dance to it, which is how his crew knew it was a winner.
The world is a car and you're the crash test dummy.

Junkenstein

Just calling it now - Woody Allen will be the U.S version of Jimmy Saville.

He'll die, be venerated and then about a year later all the skeletons will leap out.

I can't recall offhand a major US celebrity being seriously punished for child abuse in the recent past. When this shit hits it's going to make the McCarthy hearings look fair and even-handed.
Nine naked Men just walking down the road will cause a heap of trouble for all concerned.

P3nT4gR4m

Given that I don't pay for my media, I'm in a fortunate position to be able to separate the art from the artist. If I'd ever bought Thriller or Hanna and her Sisters I'd be feeling pretty fucking conflicted right now but, hey, I buy clothes and other consumer goods from companies that probably have a child slave or two somewhere in their production pipeline. These days who the fuck can tell?

Taking money out the equation we have a kiddie fiddler who just fiddles with kiddies on one hand and one who also creates beautiful, inspiring art on the other. Does the child molesting necessarily detract from the art? I'm not sure. I want to say yes but if it came out that Davinci was a pedo would the Mona Lisa be any less awesome?

Luckily we're not talking about beautiful inspiring art, we're talking a boring, dull, pseudo-intellectual whining snorefests. Yeah fuck Woody Allen movies - if you like them then you're a molester by proxy!

I'm up to my arse in Brexit Numpties, but I want more.  Target-rich environments are the new sexy.
Not actually a meat product.
Ass-Kicking & Foot-Stomping Ancient Master of SHIT FUCK FUCK FUCK
Awful and Bent Behemothic Results of Last Night's Painful Squat.
High Altitude Haggis-Filled Sex Bucket From Beyond Time and Space.
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walking the fine line line between genius and batshit fucking crazy

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Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Jet City Hustle on February 11, 2014, 05:53:56 PM
Yeah, I gotta wonder why people even like his crappy movies to begin with. And I've ALWAYS thought he was a creepy little sex abuser ever since the whole "Sorry, wife, I'm actually nailing our adopted daughter" thing.

THAT is something I've never been able to fathom, yet people will sit there and bald-faced try  to minimize and justify it. It's goddamn amazing.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Junkenstein

Nine naked Men just walking down the road will cause a heap of trouble for all concerned.