Thirteen

Um, there are plenty of things to not like about the Polanski extradition and the LA DA's ham fistedness.

But Anne Applebaum is really a horrible human being.

She states that readers who refuse to look at the nuances of the criminal act itself (as opposed to the judicial proceedings), are somehow unsophisticated goons. And I would agree that readers who threaten to rape her daughter are indeed such. But, there was nothing "nuanced" about what happened in Jack Nicholson's house that night, unless you don't believe the trial testimony she herself links to (she called her mom to tell her she'd be late...and so he raped her...of course, it's the mom's/daughter's fault...it always is).

The reopening of this has been an interesting walk down memory lane. I vividly remember the trial and the aftermath, and I am pretty much sure that much public opinion sided with Polanski at the time (I guess I could google the way-back machine to look for confirmation of my memories, maybe later). In fact, I believe I read an interview of Nicholson after Polanski'd fled, where he said, "She knocked him down and beat him to the floor," to describe the victim that night. Who was thirteen. And had been given champagne and a Quaalude, so, yeah. In that context, the reaction of Applebaum, Woody Allen (who should shut his mouth, really), and Ethan Cohen, among many others, isn't that surprising, I guess.

That is all on that.