HuffPo’s Bernard-Henri Lévy: Poor Persecuted Polanski
by John Nolte
Wait till you see me with gold chains…
There’s no way this is real. It can’t be. The Huffington Post needs to start an immediate investigation to find the right-winger who falsely submitted this Ode to Child Rapist under Levy’s name in order to discredit French philosophers everywhere:
I am mostly thinking about him: Roman Polanski whom I don’t know but whose fate has moved me so much. Nothing will repair the days he has spent in prison. Nothing will erase the immense, unbelievable injustice he has been subjected to. Nothing will take away the hysteria of those ones who have never stopped pouring contempt upon him, hounding him through hatred and asking for his punishment as if we were living the darkest and most ferocious hours of the McCarthysm [sic] era all over again.
There’s no doubt Leftist intellectuals everywhere think this way, but how many are stupid and arrogant enough to say so out loud … much less in writing?
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83 Comments
The manliness of his hairless chest frightens me.
It would be funny if it wasn't so depressing.
These reads like the overly dramatic diary of a mad teenage girl who is so into movie people. File it next to the "Leave Paris Hilton alone. " bleating. T.C.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Big Hollywood, Michael Chavez, DNC DUDES, Big Tweeting, Mr. Pink and others. Mr. Pink said: HuffPo’s Bernard-Henri Lévy: Persecuting Polanski http://tinyurl.com/yh7nzk6 [...]
Some of the comments at HuffPo are worth reading… those that essentially ask Bernard-Henri "WtF?"
If the author could set it to music and post it on Youtube, we at least could get some entertainment value from it!
You see in Bernard-Levy the human intellect "freed" from the paradigm of good and evil (or good and bad). Levy, following Nietzsche, seeks to get beyond good and evil. For Levy (and his philosophical kin) enlightenment lies beyond good and evil. For many of us, I hope, what lies beyond good and evil is the monstrous.
God only knows what actions, what deeds these people carry on their own souls in order for them to have empathy and to be simpatico with this Lowlife Bum Polanski. It's a sick world and getting sicker.
Bernard-Henri Levy may be a celebrity but he is by no means considered an intellectual, even by liberal intellectuals. He's basically the french equivalent of Deepak Chopra. Great article debunking Levy below:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/2516/
Damn! I've wasted my whole life as a straight guy, never knowing I would one day see Bernard-Henri Levy bare-chested. Be still, my beating heart.
He is one hot frog! I meant French guy, sorry.
Oh come on, this is a joke. Right? I mean no one can have their head that far up their a$$.
Nothing will replace lost innocence. Nothing will repair the lack of trust ripped from a young girl's soul. Nothing will erase the horrors of those dark, ferocious, raped-filled memories. Nothing will take away the hysteria of those ones who have never stopped pouring adulation and love upon a child-rapist. And HIS fate should move us? If justice comes, it will move me with glee.
Ah yes, the embodiment of that Euro-weenie relativist ambivalence which our MSM and the One wishes us to emulate. Feh.
How anyone in the world can take the French seriously is beyond me. God must've dropped that country on its head as a baby.
They used to have men of character… but that was *long* before our time. However, Sarkosy might just be an indicator that the French are coming back to their senses.
I wonder how this arrogant POS would feel if it were his own daughter Justine that was raped and sodomized by Polanski?
Proof, no matter what the circumstances, humor can still be found.
What bad porn movie did this guy come out from or did he really mean to get that look?
This is pure grade Big Hollywood idiocy. Of course, everyone who has ever touched a camera and not posted on Big Hollywood is not dead is assumed to be far, far left, but that list is not of leftist or even necessarily liberal individuals. Here are a short list of names not on this, actually outspoken lefties. I see no Noam Chomsky, no Naomi Klein nor a single writer for the Nation or Mother Jones. No Rachel Maddow, Not even you're favorite the right's favorite stand-in for everyone who dares be to the left of Newt Gingrich, Michael Moore — and he's a filmmaker very involved with the festival circuit. The usual Hollywood lefties who sign on to causes of all sorts….no Ed Asner, no Alec Baldwin, no Janene Garafolo. The well-known, very liberal pro-feminist TV writer-producer-director Joss Whedon, very definitely not on their own. The list of left of center people of an activist bent who are not on that list goes on and on — and I guarantee they all would have signed it if they'd been of a mind to.
When will the ideology-addled Mr. Nolte notice that the Polanski controversy, such as it is, has never been a right/left issue? The one thing that those people who signed the petition have in common is that they are film lovers who on the one hand may be too inclined to give Mr. Polanski a rather too large benefit of the doubt. (Though the nature of the events is not as clear as people across the political spectrum who demand that life always be simple and clear, will admit, but that's a separate debate I've had even with some of my fellow liberals at place like, yes, DailyKos, who have, yes, been screaming for Polanski's head as loudly as any Big Hollywood denizen.)
Indeed, many very well known "Hollywood leftists" believe pretty strongly that Polanski deserves to be punished and at least three that I can think of — Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx, and, oh yeah, Bill Maher — have been quite pointed on the topic and are hardly alone.
So, what of Mr. Henri-Levy. He is considered fairly moderate in France, but of course, he is French. So, go one French bash based on this if you want. Clearly, the entire nation encourages whatever colorful verbiage you'll use to describe Mr. Polanski's admitted crime (the actual charge he confessed to was, just for the record, "unlawful sex"). You can also bash talented filmmakers. (David Lynch was once a Republican, FYI, and for all I know may still be an admirer of Ronald Reagan.) You can bash a segment — but far from all — of the cinephile world. But not liberals. That is not a liberal list.
But, hey, we know Mr. Nolte despises the reality based community and facts continue to have a well-known bias toward making far right ideologues look foolish. Enjoy.
Socialism does that. It beats the desire to be a productive member of society.
Wait till you see me with gold chains…
Oh man, maybe it's just me, but that gave me a case of the giggles that took about two or three minutes to get over…ah, I'm giggling just typing this.
This is why Jonah Goldberg was able to popularize "cheese eating surrender monkeys"…he didn't coin it, but he did bring it mainstream. And it's such a perfect term.
Good post (and I say that as a rightie), other than the ad hominem at the end, but one qualm, Polanski admitted guilt, that all but absolves whether or not the details of his little bout with pedophilia were muddled or not. He had a chance to plead his case, with all the legal and moral support Hollywood could offer, and he choose to become a fugitive. That speaks more to Mr. Polanski than the well-wishes of his supporters at the Huff Puff.
As for your criticism of Mr. Nolte and his outrage toward the "reality-based community," he's merely holding Polanski's petitioners to the same standard they hold conservatives. I've been in the media long enough and followed Hollywood for enough time to know the difference between benefits of the doubt. If Polanski was a conservative and his petition list was made up of the likes of Tom Selleck and Gary Sinise, oh how swift the broad brush would be placed. I ask you, from the left, wouldn't there be demands of outrage? It's the old adage, "when did you stop beating your wife?"
My guess is that anyone who can sympathize about Polanski's plight probably would get off on thinking about the circumstances. He's a dick and doesn't deserve to be taken seriously.
"Roman Polanski whom I don’t know but whose fate has moved me so much.
"Whom I don't know…" Now THAT is the perfect way to describe a true Leftist. It's not about what the Leftist 'knows' but what he 'feels'. Levy feels his self-righteous ideology. And, just as an actor's feelings for his role need an audience, Levy's feelings need one as well – which is why Levy plastered them on Huff-Po. Any excuse to display his feelings will do, even defending a man who drugged and sodomized a 13 year old. Levy 'doesn't know' about that 13 year old because he doesn't want to. Like I said, it's all about Levy's feelings. And because feeling isn't thinking, Levy was able to type this garbage and post it on HuffPo without once looking at the words and going 'WTF? I'm defending a pederast?'
My guess is that his own daughter already knows what rape is like. He seems to speak with authority about rapists -> takes one to know one.
In this I just see human intellect freed of intellect.
"Nothing will repair the days he has spent in prison."
Except perhaps, you know, still more days in prison. Like maybe a few decades worth.
"Nothing will erase the immense, unbelievable injustice he has been subjected to."
BHL. You are rich because your daddy chopped down countless forests. Trees. You hyper-liberal children of highly successful businessmen don't know how infantile you sound.
To quote Israel Kamakawiwo'ole: "Don't cry for me, go plant one tree"
Exactly Levy. Stop crying for the pedophile and give back to what gave you your enormous wealth. How gay.
No you had it right HPJr. Let's see Protruding eyes, slimy, short soft spine, amphbious. Can give you warts or in some cases be toxic. No frog is fitting but toad would be more apropos.
Would he still be crrying if Polanski had raped his daughter?
I clicked on the PuffyHo link, saw this guy described as a French philosopher…
If the comparison of this guy to René Descartes doesn't stir a chuckle, what does?
Henry-Levy is actually a neoconservative. He's a fervent supporter of the US and Israel. He's also obsessed with his Jewishness. I suspect that may explain his sympathy for Polanski. Henry-Levy keeps rattling on about polanski's suffering under the Nazis.
Sorry, I misspelt his name.
Hollywood elitists are nothing more than worthless, self-important, anti-American egotists. They spew their venom to the world while praising themselves and giving each other endless awards so they won't feel guilty for participating in their deviant lifestyles. They preach "tolerance" but they are not satisfied with tolerance, THEY WANT FULL ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR SICK LIFESTYLES AND MENTAL ILLNESSES. In reality, they act the part of heroes while they surrounding themselves with adoring, WEAK MINDED WORSHIPERS WHO WILL NEVER TELL THEM THE TRUTH.
Why is Obama Surrounding Himself With Gays?
http://usataxpayer.org/view.asp?Get=obamagay
Corruption in Congress…
http://usataxpayer.org/view.asp?Get=corruptcongre...
Hollywood elitists are nothing more than worthless, self-important, anti-American egotists. They spew their venom to the world while praising themselves and giving each other endless awards so they won't feel guilty for participating in their deviant lifestyles. They preach "tolerance" but they are not satisfied with tolerance, THEY WANT FULL ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR SICK LIFESTYLES AND MENTAL ILLNESSES. In reality, they act the part of heroes while they surrounding themselves with adoring, WEAK MINDED WORSHIPERS WHO WILL NEVER TELL THEM THE TRUTH.
Why is Obama Surrounding Himself With Gays?
http://usataxpayer.org/view.asp?Get=obamagay
Corruption in Congress…
http://usataxpayer.org/view.asp?Get=corruptcongre...
[...] post: HuffPo’s Bernard-Henri Lévy: Poor Persecuted Polanski This entry is filed under America – Blogs, Big Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this [...]
Actually he fits in nicely with Jean Paul Sartre. Camus, not so much.
Those on the Left are totally unashamed of their viewpoints and want as many others out there to know what they are thinking. No matter if it makes them look like a complete moron, they think it makes them appear "enlightened". In my book, nothing is more nutty than an "enlightened" moron.
I thought Homer Simpson made it mainstream
You'll note that not one of the celebrity signatories, not even in passing reference, dare address the underlying matter at hand: the molestation, rape, and sodomy of an intoxicated 13 year old girl. And to raise it before them is something gauche. It's simply been blacked-out.
Upon reading, my first thoughts actually went to Justine. I do wonder how she regards her father's outlook.
The french are very unnaturally deep there – They have to be. They're all so full of shit. But ws we all well know, it doesn't stink.
He probably broke her in. Part of her education, you know.
I am sorry here, but I actually AGREE with Levy, or at least the quote cited.
But would you really have it any other way?
Polanski made a choice when he chose to rape an underage girl even as she BEGGED him to stop.
And because of that CHOICE, he must bear punishment for that crime, that sin, that ATROCITY for the rest of his damnable life. And hopefully after it.
He made his choice. And now, he can suffer for it. There is no way to undo the trauma he inflicted upon that girl, no way to untarnished the justice system from the scars of this fiasco, no way to redeem himself completely even if he showed the slightest inclination to do so.
And for that, he deserves EVERY SINGLE OUNCE of condemnation, of isolation, of damnation he has received AND FAR MORE.
Say what you will about the McCarthy era, but some of those who famously had their "lives ruined" or even ended DESERVED their fate.
Such is the case here.
Oops. I didn't notice the "injustice" part.
Everything else but that, then.
Anybody else think "eurotrash" when they see that picture?
Sorry, he raped and drugged 13 year old girl who begged him to stop.
I'll heap as much scorn upon him as I damn well please, Mr. Levy, because what he did was evil.
I think "someone likes to wax his chest and show it to the world" when I see that picture.
Is that shirt he's wearing actually made to look like that?
Wow.
Obviously this is just another example of the prudish USA laws restricting free expression. If the USA would simply make it legal to drug, rape, and sodomize 13 year olds, great men like Polanski and Woody Allen would no longer need to be so unfairly victimized and inconvenienced.
Awe John! Why'd you post that picture. I nearly threw up my Thanksgiving Dinner…yesterdays dinner….
What John said. Bob..you know better than this. I know you do.
"You know, the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who was still trying to dine out on her looks, but doesn't have the face for it"
Senator John McCain
My "ad hominems" are simply the result of not having the time to line up all the counter-factual statements I have read from Nolte for some time.
Also, Polanski's "bout" — as criminally wrong as it was — was not with pedophilia. Pedophilia is defined as sexual desire for pre-pubescent children. There are many appropriately harsh words for people who have sex with post-pubescent teens much younger than themselves, but "pedophile" is simply incorrect.
And, no, this is in no way similar to something backed by Sinse or Tom Selleck — I mentioned several of their liberal equivalents and they are all not on this list. My point is that most of the people on this list are not terribly active politically though I'm sure few would vote Republican. But if a bunch of, say, country music stars, came out in support of another country music star who had done something very wrong but under somewhat murky circumstances, I really wouldn't be making generalizations because most of them happened to be Republicans and I think anyone who would do that of any political persuasion is kind of a putz.
Too damned funny!!
Good one, ALLAMERICAN!
Kermit has nothing on this guy.
Polanski's own words…
"If I had killed somebody, it wouldn't have had so much appeal to the press, you see? But … f****ing, you see, and the young girls. Judges want to f*** young girls. Juries want to f*** young girls. Everyone wants to f*** young girls!"
Is there some subtlety in the semantics here I'm not getting? Should he say "pre-pubescent" rather than "young" to fulfill your requirement as a pedophile?
As far as the liberal condemnation of Polanski, it has been weak in general. Jamie Fox has no credibility after saying Miley Cyrus should "make a sex tape and grow up. Get like Britney Spears and do some heroin." Yeah, he respects young women. More likely, he was trying to get some positive press after the heat he got for being really stupid.
It's a bit of a leap to say that liberals are not the main defenders of Polanski's behavior just because the list doesn't include every lib in Hollywood. Do any known conservatives happen to be on the list? Have any conservatives come out in support of Polanski? I haven't heard of any and even if you could dredge up one example, the attempt to minimize Polanski's crime has come almost exclusively from the left.
Looks like Bob Guccione…
Why would Henry-Levy's obsession with his Jewishness explain his sympathy for Polanski? Polanski isn't Jewish any more than Barack Obama is Moslem. Indeed, one's Jewishness, if anything, would mitigate towards an obsession with the letter of the law which Polanski has violated time and time again.
"whom I don't know".
Well, in other columns he has said he "hardly" knows him. A confused man, that Henry-Levy:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernardhenri-levy/f...
This is an excellent point. I wish I'd thought of it.
Sometimes, i think, "Gee, I wonder how a person could think and act that way." (Upon hearing a report of a particularly heinous act)
Followed by: "I'm damned glad I don't. If I fully understood it, I'm afraid it would contaminate me."
LOL – Another good one.
Well said! You go!
[...] Hat tip: John Nolte [...]
If I remember correctly BHL was considered some kind of intellectual god in France. But then he wrote a book that dubbed "Anti-Americanism the socialism of imbeciles".
A quick wiki article reference on the book "Left in Dark TImes: A Stand against the New Barbarism" by BHL has the following.
"In this, his most recent book, Lévy argues that in the wake of the failure of communism, the Western left has lost its ideals. It now fails to uphold universal ideas of justice, fails to sympathize with the oppressed, and has lost its commitment to truth. The left, according to Levy, has replaced those ideals with a pathological hatred of America, of Jews and Israel, and of freedom and liberty itself."
So he could very well have a big target on his back from the leftist of the world.
Agreed. I read through most of the comments on the first page and could find few (if any) comments that agreed with the author. Most were taking him to task for defending the rapist.
We should keep that in mind the next time we reflexively attacking anything from HuffPo.
The Polanski thing is interesting in that the Hollywood crowd has really found themselves at odds with the people who are usually their biggest supporters. I've read the comments at HuffPo on this particular topic a number of times and, generally speaking, the readers over there aren't falling for any of the excuses Hollywood wants to offer for Polanski. I think this really demonstrates the elitist mentality in the entertainment industry. The idea that normal moral values don't apply to them. Clearly their target audience isn't buying it. And while I disagree with most leftist politics, it's obvious that most normal people still have a thread of decency no matter what party they vote for.
A dirty, common sort of fellow.
As for his writing: what a clumsy gang-bang of hyperboles! It's worthy of Andrew Sullivan.
No, we should keep it in mind next time we attack their readers, since they are the ones displaying moral intelligence here.
So….you're saying that you've never seen a Robert Gibbs oress conference?
I don't think that word means what you think it means…
I am no fan of Woody Allen, neither as a film maker nor what I know of him as a person, but when did he rape an under-aged girl?
True, but that does not excuse the stupidity and amorality he displayed in that article.
If you’re a Euro-sleaze with money, Huffington Post is your best friend.
The last time I looked they were defending Polanski( the Rapist and “Flee-bag”) and Karadzic (the War criminal)
Arianna must have some friends in low places.
Where were all these supporters when Catholic Priests were doing the same thing?
Karadzic is not a war criminal. He was defending his people from a potential genocide. If anyone should be in the dock for war crimes it is Bill Clinton who murdered 3000 Serbs on trumped up genocide charges that were every bit as false as WND in Iraq. Shame on you for putting him in the same category as a creep like Polanski.
Hey simpering, whining, morally bankrupt Levy and all you other worthless Eurotrash. Don't worry, the Cali prisioners are all about welcoming newcoming phedophiles. Bubba is waiting patiently for ol' Romie Polie to show up at Solidad. He has curtains and a nice bedspread picked out for the memorable occasion. Pucker up, buttercup.
He actually played the McCarthyism card? Wow.
It reminds me of the Ann Coulter comment that liberals only have a small number of talking points that they try to work into each argument. I'm surprised he didn't mention Vietnam or Global Warming too.
where`s the barf bag?
Fair enough.
France, a paradise for criminals.
Touch'e
OH STOP! HATE Bill all you wany but DON'T Build Karadzic or Milosevic as 'defenders of their people'! I have had more than a few Serbian Emigres refer to both of them (and that other scum Radko Mladich) as self interested hyenas & amoral rats who basically 'flushed' Yugoslavia for their own gains.
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