I am sick of the abuse and scorn being heaped on Woody Allen, because some actors who enhanced their careers when it was opportune with the most prestigious director in America now find it convenient to join the righteous and self-righteous and the outraged. Let’s specify Natalie Portman, for example, who didn’t seem to object too much while starring in “Everyone Says I Love You” even though it was filmed after Farrow’s allegations went public.
And for the record, Greta Gerwig, one those who have hopped on the bandwagon, conveniently after the boost to her career from the man she now says will never direct her again– “Lady Bird” is an over-rated, mediocre film. What, do you think, are the odds that Gerwig has even a second movie in her? Come on– seriously. Let alone a third. Or fourth. Will she ever produce anything with the sublime beauty of “Manhattan”, “Annie Hall”, “Crimes and Misdemeanors”, or “Hannah and Her Sisters”?
The makers of “Lady Bird”, like the makers of so many similar films, plainly believes that the reason you want to watch this film is because the putative main character, Lady Bird, is just so interesting.
Anyone can look up the arguments about Dylan Farrow’s allegations if you want to. I’ve been through them: they are weak and readily disputable. There were no allegations at all, until a furious partner, Mia Farrow, discovered nude photos of Soon Yi in Allen’s apartment. It is only after this bitter betrayal that Farrow, after having begged her therapist to find a way to “stop” the “satanic” Allen, appears to have coached a daughter, Dylan, to make allegations against Allen. When investigators interviewed Dylan, over a period of months, her story changed repeatedly. The investigators came to the conclusion that the charges would not hold up in court. They couldn’t say it, but I would find it hard to believe that they didn’t also notice Farrow’s desire to punish her faithless ex.
Soon Yi was never Woody Allen’s adopted or step daughter. Allen and Farrow lived apart during their relationship, in separate New York apartments.
There were never any other allegations of that nature by anyone else against Woody Allen. Which, if he really was the predator Farrow would like you to believe he was, would be inevitable.
The second charge is more ridiculous. Allen married his ex’s adopted daughter. Many media sources proffer the short-hand lie that Soon Yi was Allen’s stepdaughter or foster daughter. She was not. But, holy cow, even the New York Times did it! Unbelievable. (And then issued a correction.) Does that tell you just how the hysteria around this issue it driving people to distort the facts?
But she was very young. Isn’t that a serious issue?
If the age difference is very troubling to you, look up Mia Farrow’s marriage to Frank Sinatra, and her subsequent affair and marriage to Andre Previn. And dozens of other Hollywood marriages between older male actors and very young ingenues. And if you are going to get all righteous and prickly about the issue, should you be asking, why do so many young women hit on wealthy, successful, older men? Do you really believe she was dragged into the marriage, kicking and screaming?
The allegation that there is something exploitative or demeaning about this relationship is, obviously, a brutal insult to Soon Yi, and I can fully understand why she would return the favor with the most powerful insult there is: silence. Would there be a point to her appearing on Oprah or Ellen or some other insanely trivial talk show to defend herself? To descend to the level of Allen’s most enthusiastic accusers: consumers of inane, trivial, mind-numbing pseudo-feminist discourse and gossip?
The point made is this: you people are not worthy of this discussion.
I find it stunning to realize that our society has now reached the point where we look at a consenting sexual relationship between an older adult man and younger woman as something that is obscene and repellent and vulgar and disgusting. How dare you people make that judgement? How dare you heave your judgement only upon the man? We used to have a name for the female partner in these relationships. Do you really believe that these women never sought an advantage from these relationships? They were always only prey?
At least one writer has indicted Allen’s character because he expressed, repeatedly, throughout his career, how desirable young, beautiful women were. As if that was something that no normal, upright, decent red-blooded American male ever thinks. What a fantastical shock to all of us! How dare he! The sheer obscenity of it! My god, the next thing you know people of disparate ages and incomes will be getting married and having sex.
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Here’s another raft of accusations, about a certain professor, Dr. Dominguez. Read it carefully, from the NY Times 2018-03-06.
The allegations from the other women ranged in severity, from inappropriate full-body hugs to claims by one woman that he grabbed her buttocks and tried to put his hand down her pants. The Chronicle reported that one graduate student in the early 1980s complained to the university about comments from Dr. Domínguez that made her feel uneasy, and that Harvard found that he had “behaved inappropriately.” Other women said they had discussed Dr. Domínguez’s behavior with Harvard employees, but had not filed formal complaints.
Hugs? Grabbed buttocks? Tried to put his hand down her pants? Comments that made her feel “uncomfortable”. This is now the benchmark of sexual harassment?
And yet every one of these accusers– who couldn’t even respond verbally to this professor at the time– will now be lauded for their courage and fearlessness.
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