Much has been written about Roman Polanski since his arrest in Zurich last week, but one aspect of the story that has struck me forcibly in the last couple of days is the widening fissure between Hollywood celebrities, most of whom have lined up more or less solidly behind Polanski, and the public at large, which appears unwilling to cut him any slack at all. Moreover, a growing number of decidedly unusual subjects, including Kevin “Silent Bob” Smith and Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post, are choosing to break cultural ranks and condemn Polanski.
What triggered this split, and what is its significance? I’ll be talking about these questions–and supplying a bit of historical perspective–in my “Sightings” column for Saturday’s Wall Street Journal. Pick up a copy of tomorrow’s paper and see what I have to say.
UPDATE: Read the whole thing here.
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
