Disgusting, even by Hollywood standards

The usual suspects (liberal Hollywood actors and directors, deigning to take some time off from their recent hero-worship of Venezuelan dictator President Hugo Chavez, and who generally present themselves as emphatic champions of womens' rights and are very outspoken against such crimes as rape and child abuse. Except in this case.) have come rushing to the defense of film director and unrepentant fugitive from justice Roman Polanski, who in 1978 pled guilty to drugging, then anally raping, a thirteen-year-old girl at Jack Nicholson's house in Los Angeles. Polanski subsequently jumped bail before he was sentenced as he was (rightly) facing serious prison time, and he apparently thought that his measly 42-day stay in a mental ward was punishment enough. He has been ducking American law enforcement ever since.

Yes, we know he was a Holocaust survivor and that his wife was brutally murdered by the Manson gang in 1969. None of that excuses his absolutely horrifying and felonious behavior that night.

"Whoopi Goldberg used her spot on ABC's "The View" to try to clear up the record regarding the crime to which Polanski pleaded guilty in 1978.

"I know it wasn't 'rape' rape. I think it was something else, but I don't believe it was 'rape' rape," said Goldberg, dismissing the possibility that Polanski had forced himself on anyone."

Except for one small detail, Ms. Goldberg - the girl testified in front of a grand jury at the time that that's exactly what Polanski did to her, and that's why he decided to cop to the lesser charge of having sex with a minor - to avoid having to face her on the stand in a court trial, where her devastating testimony would no doubt have easily convicted him.

Thanks to Ms. Goldberg, we now know that there's "'rape' rape", which is apparently very, very bad, and then there's plain ol' "rape", which isn't so bad and should be punished lightly, if at all. How about "statutory" rape, Whoopi? Which of these categories do you in your learned opinion think that serious crime should fall under?

By the way, Whoopi, if this same situation were to happen to your daughter or granddaughter, would you be as willing to let the perpetrator off scot-free just because he also happened to make good movies? Your stand doesn't seem so noble and principled when you view it in that light, now does it, ma'am?

Here are some of the other "esteemed Tinseltown luminaries" besides Ms. Goldberg who are agitating for this lowlife worm to be spared punishment for his crime and long years on the lam, according to the article:

Harrison Ford

Harvey Weinstein

Woody Allen (Of course. Aficionados of vulnerable young women have to stick together, you know.)

Martin Scorsese

Debra Winger (Is she still a working actress?)

We're sure there are many others in that industry who feel the same way as the above individuals, but we apologize as we're too nauseated right now to go find out who they are.

We do know one thing for sure - we won't ever spend another dime in the future to view any project with which these execrable people have even the smallest involvement.