Good grief, kids. I have to thank Lilith, self-proclaimed asshole, for linking to yesterday’s blog post about me bribing my child at a stoplight to help his baby brother by putting a nuk back in his mouth. Buckle up folks, yesterday’s entry received 300 visitors.
Three of them were total bitches, but that’s just part of the job I suppose.
Who knew that my not so great (but desperate) decision to break a seat belt law for half a minute could drum up such outrage. Meanwhile, millions of babies are being aborted, children are starving in third world countries, Obama is sending more troops to the war zone and bankrupting the nation with his proposed health care bill, but Lilith could care less. Instead she links to little ol’ me! How sweet.
I’d link to the blog I mention, but I’m just not that into it.
When I was just a little girl, no older than nine or ten years old, my mom and I watched a television special about Helter Skelter and the Charles Manson story. My mother graduated high school in 1969, and just before her first semester of college, the news stories about the tragic murders of actress Sharon Tate and her three house guests dominated the airwaves and newspapers.
My mother and grandmother were devastated over the loss of such a talented actress, who was 8 1/2 months pregnant at the time of her death. They also felt sad for Tate’s husband, director Roman Polanski, and the grief he felt over losing his wife. My family is of Polish heritage and back in the late 60s, there was a kinship felt for “one of our own.”
Several years later, in 1977, Polanski was convicted of “unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor” and subsequently fled the United States prior to his sentencing. He has said in interviews that he was afraid the judge would give him a harsh sentence.
Polanski raped a 13-year-old girl. Thirteen. He was 44 years old at the time. Forty-four.
Polanski plead guilty to the lesser charge of “unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor” but didn’t stick around to serve his time. He spent 42 days incarcerated while undergoing a psych evaluation, but he never paid for his crime. He fled to France immediately after his release. His victim did receive a settlement from Polanski, and has since stated she has forgiven him for his crime and just wants to move on.
I understand this woman just wants to be left alone, but if Polanski is let off the hook for raping a young girl, what does that say about our American justice system? That sexual assault is okay, as long as you’re famous and can buy your way out of it? That all you need to do to get away with rape is to flee the country in which you committed the crime?
Polanski himself said he didn’t think anyone was truly hurt. He doesn’t believe he raped this young girl. His victim was drugged and pumped with alcohol. He forced himself on her multiple times, despite her pleas to stop. She said no. Last time I checked, NO means NO.
Polanski has been living life as a free man for the last 32 years. He has continued to make films, despite having an arrest warrant out for him since 1978. He’s taken every action imaginable to avoid extradition, by choosing not to travel to countries that may arrest and extradite him. In so many ways, he “got away with it.”
The fact that many Hollywood actors and actresses, journalists and artists are defending Polanski, and asking for his release sickens me. It makes me want to vomit.
Whoopi Goldberg saying “it wasn’t really rape-rape” is infuriating. Rape is rape, Whoopi. If this were any other Joe Schmo, and not a famous director, you would be screaming from the rooftops that the offender be locked away in jail.
Debra Messing saying that Polanski served his time is outrageous. If this was a case against Mel Gibson and his drunken rants and insults to Judaism, you would be outraged. I’m certain some anti-Catholic rhetoric would be thrown in to the mix as well.
And this bullshit that Polanski has lived a difficult life and suffered through the Holocaust makes me angry. Yes, it’s awful that his mother died at Auschwitz. Yes, it’s horrible that his wife and unborn child were murdered. I understand the grief and the trauma he has suffered, but this does not make it acceptable to rape a 13-year-old girl. It does not make it okay to flee the country to avoid jail time.
Should we let every rapist who suffered the loss of a parent or the murder of a family member go free? Of course not. Doing so undermines the rights of the victims to receive justice.
Roman Polanski, you deserve to serve your time. You committed a crime and should be punished for it. Thank you, Switzerland for doing the right thing and arresting Polanski. May justice be served.
I must live in a bubble. Regarding my blog, I mean. A few weeks ago there was a Working-outside-the-home-mom vs. Stay-at-home-mom vs. Work-from-home-mom debate all over the blogosphere that I was oblivious to. It was only brought to my attention after I wrote an article for the Imperfect Parent and a commenter tipped me off.
Then I read about the whole “PR Blackout” Controversy and was all where the hell have I been that I didn’t know about it until a second ago?
I don’t have much of an opinion about this situation, because I don’t receive many PR pitches. Major companies aren’t seeking me out to review their amazing gadgets and gizmos. I don’t get invited to things like Camp Baby or the Disney stuff or the other trips that some bloggers are invited to. I know some bloggers think they have to be a “blogebrity” to secure those invitations. I don’t think that’s true. I think it depends on the type of blog and the traffic it receives, as well as how much influence you have in the great big blogosphere.
Thankfully, the few pitches I do get are from wonderful PR reps who happen to read my blog and offer relevant products and services they think I would be interested in.
I admit, I’ve gotten a few doozies. A few. Less than ten.
Yes, PR reps have asked me to spread the word about press releases pertaining to their products, services and causes. I tend to ignore these requests, or reply with my regrets. But most of the time I receive legitimate and thoughtful pitches and sometimes I say yes to reviewing the products that are relevant to my blog and my interests.
Is that really so wrong?
I’ve read posts saying that mommy bloggers are only in it for the freebies. I’ve read posts telling bloggers not to do reviews if there is no monetary compensation. I’ve read posts that say if you do a paid review you lose all integrity and authenticity. My head is staring to hurt. My brain is oveloaded from trying to make sense of all these contradictions.
I didn’t start blogging with the goal to make money or get free stuff. Yes, it’s a nice perk, but I don’t actively seek opportunities to receive free stuff in exchange for my review.
My blog is my place to document my life, to write about marriage and motherhood, and to feel connected to others in the blogosphere. I love this online community. I write to share myself with others who may be experiencing the same things I do.
I know there are bloggers who write many reviews and they often feel overloaded with deadlines and e-mails. I understand they may need a break from the stress of it all. Everyone needs a break, I get that. But I’m not participating in this blackout, simply because I don’t like the negative connotations it sends into the blogosphere.
I agree with Liz when she says, “But then, why take the shot at PR people? Why not call it “Write Well Week” or “Blog About Life Week” if the idea isn’t to antagonize or alienate the PR community? Ostensibly, that’s what an effort called “PR Blackout” is doing.”
If you don’t want to do a review or host a giveaway, politely say no. PR reps understand. They do. I’ve turned down a few pitches before, and I was nice about it. To my knowledge no one’s feelings were hurt.
So there you have it. My two cents. I’ll be going back into my bubble now.
I found this video and I wanted to share it with you, if you haven’t already watched it, that is. Take a look, it offers a wonderful message.
Doug and I have decided not to get each other anything for Christmas. Dawson is only getting one big gift that his grandparents (both sets) aunts and uncles and Doug and I have chipped in for. I don’t think he’ll be disappointed, and it will save us all some money.
I’ve also made the decision to make handmade gifts, and I’m also going to attempt to bake cookies and give them to my family in some cookie tins I’ve been saving for decades — and since I love to stamp handmade cards, I’ll attach a personalized card for each gift. Also, I’ve decided to reuse the many picture frames I’m not using, by giving the relatives a framed picture of Dawson that we had taken earlier in the year as part of my mom’s group fundraiser.
It’s a good plan all around, I think, and I believe the time and love put into this will be worth more than any purchased gift could.
Add to this the many hours I’ll have free for singing Christmas Carols, attending Mass and celebrating with family and friends, and I must say this year may be the best Christmas ever.
Dana began her Mom career in 2004 with the birth of her first son, Dawson, aka The Doodlebug, and little brother, Owen, was born in 2009. She spends her days putting out fires, climbing mountains and chasing monsters. More About Dana.
Contact: thedanafilesblog [at] gmail [dot] com RSS Feed
