Monday, October 5, 2009

Salman Rushdie is Pro-Polanski...



...oh, that one stings.

Although the recent arrest in Switzerland and subsequent rebirth of the media frenzy has me jumping on the bandwagon to comment, I had already heard of the Polanski case a few years ago. It was the first thing my mother brought up after I praised The Pianist.

What I can't understand is the Hollywood wagon-circling around this self-confessed child diddler. I knew Hollywood types were in a neo-liberal bubble, but how could they so grossly misjudge public opinion on the matter. Sam Mendes, Whoopi Goldberg, Wes Anderson, Monica Bellucci, Martin Scorsese and Salman Rushdie (that's the one that stuns me) are just a few heavy weights publically declaring their support and petitioning Polanski's release. Signateur Woody Allen wasn't a shocker. He's probably just glad it's not him in the hot seat this time around. Novelist Richard Harris went to bat with the media on Polanski's behalf. I couldn't help regarding him with disgust: he claimed Polanski never seemed to fear travel around the world, never acted as though he were side stepping extradition. So that leads me to conclude either Roman is a sociopath or Harris is an idiot. I'm thinking the latter, because if Polanski were so at ease with travelling freely, why did he never visit Harris in his native England? Oh, right. Because they would have extradited his French ass with relish.

The arguments for Polanski's case seem to center around four things: he's European (ergo, supposedly comes from a society where statutory rape isn't a "big deal"), the victim no longer wants the case to go through, he's suffered major tragedy in his life (the sympathy vote), and, basically, he's a brilliant artist. They also claim he's too old to go to prison. Funny. I thought they still prosecuted Nazis for their crimes, and they're not exactly in the spring of their lives.

Many people don't understand that Samantha Geimer (the victim, now in her 40s), settled with Polanski for an undisclosed sum out of court after he fled. She also probably doesn't want to be the main attraction for the media circus a second time, though I'd say that's inevitable. The European sociology and his status as an A-lister are hogwash defences. And yes, he was only convicted of statutory rape (perhaps only a 6 month stint in jail) because he pled down to it (the incident was in fact originally classified as rape-rape, Whoopi). His fleeing Californian jurisdiction compounded the matter.

The tragedy thing I can sympathize with to a degree; he lost his mother to the Holocaust and his pregnant wife to the Manson family. However, the main point is, if we as a global society let Polanski slide, we're not only insinuating that morally we do not object to rape across the board, we're opening a can of worms. What's to stop the next child rapist from arguing that, "If Polanski went free, why should I be held accountable? How is that just?".

The law is the law. And as a French Minister articulated, after they reassessed what it would mean to back up their famed citizen, "No one should be above the law."

P.S. You rock Switzerland.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Devil's Great Grandmother Didn't Wear Prada



Elizabeth "Bess" Cavendish (formerly Hervey, later Lady Foster), the second wife of the Duke of Devonshire (although she participated in a 'menage a trois' relationship with both he and his 1st wife for nearly 25 years) is the great-great-great grandmother of famed (people eating) editor of Vogue Magazine. Yes, Bess was quite an 18th century beauty, and apparently much more likable (and she seemed pretty cool with sharing things too) than the more recent model. But is it just me, or does Anna Wintour kind of resemble her ancestor (minus the needless sunnies)? Creepy.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Aging Gracefully...



...if not poorly, financially speaking.

Carmen Dell'Orefice is GORGEOUS even in her 80's. I wish I was as fashionable as this longtime model (in my opinion the first Supermodel). All I can say is, Damn you Bernie Madoff.

Saturday, September 12, 2009



In Newsweek they recently published a story about a little girl and her adoptive family of a different race. What made it an unusual story is that little Katie O'Dea-Smith is white and her parents are black. I was initially surprised when the article detailed the daily glimpses of subtle racism and then I realized I shouldn't've been quite so shocked. I've heard second hand about the ongoing existence of racism in North America. I suppose this instance was just extra poignant because there are so many white families with adopted black children.

Newsweek link: http://www.newsweek.com/id/194886

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

| My Wedding Dress Dream |






I do have a soft spot for the 2007 Oscar de la Renta wedding gown above, and love what Carrie wears to the court house as she marries Mr. Big in the SATC film. My favourite wedding dress thus far was the one worn by Malin Ackermann in 2008's 27 Dresses.



Crepes are French for ...



I'm heading back to Toronto for a whirlwind romp. The trip is just days away and I'm salivating over the meals I'm going to have. There are three necessary pitstops:

1. Toronto is probably the least French part of Canada (well, at least a close second to Alberta), but last winter I did find this delightful Crepe-centric restaurant, aptly named Cafe Crepe, on Queen Street W. Warm crepes, cappucino and ice cream is something I've been craving for months.



2. Brownstones Bistro. Great Steak. Great Wine. Good Service and Ambiance. What more is needed? Plus, since it's not quite winter yet, Bay Street won't be a wind tunnel to fight against on the way there.


3. The College St. institution Fran's may be considered just a diner (if not an authentic - the first was opened in 1940). But it is also home to the most orgasmic hot chocolate I've had since my childhood introduction.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Thin is Inn


I read an article recently detailing the sale of NYC's "skinniest house", which has garnered a pricetag the sum of which would have me convulsing in happiness if I'd been the owner. The red brick wonder, measuring just 8 and 1/2 feet wide and 42 feet deep, is on the market for a cool (hefty) $2.7 million.

The mind boggles.

I've always been aware that living in New York City is tantamount to balancing on the edge of poverty while living in a closet - Toronto is bad enough. But this led me to tracking down more of these anorexic homesteads in other fashionable cities I could never afford. They all seem to have been erected within alleyways, tucked away like a secret you'd never notice.



As small and impractical as these houses seem to be... I can't help but find them utterly adorable. And an incentive to keep my waistline.