Althouse: "I’d just like to say Woody Allen is a great, great filmmaker and this cancel thing is not just Woody. And I think when we look back on it..."

June 14, 2020

"I’d just like to say Woody Allen is a great, great filmmaker and this cancel thing is not just Woody. And I think when we look back on it..."

"... we are going to see that — short of killing somebody — I don’t know that you can just erase somebody like they never existed."

Said Spike Lee on the radio on Friday, New York Magazine reports.

On Saturday, he was all: "I Deeply Apologize. My Words Were WRONG. I Do Not And Will Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment, Assault Or Violence. Such Treatment Causes Real Damage That Can't Be Minimized.-Truly, Spike Lee."

Deeply!

So he thought when he would look back on it, he'd see that you can't really just erase somebody who's done some great work, but the looking back happened the very next day and he looked back and saw that he was WRONG. That is, the new position, which he feels very deeply, is that you can just erase somebody like they never existed. And "this cancel thing" really can be just about Woody. Isolate that one man and erase him. It won't have a wider effect. It can be as if he never existed!

48 comments:

gilbar said...: who was this 'Woody Allen'? Some incestuous rapist, or such?; 6/14/20, 6:49 AM
tim maguire said...: Spike Lee used to be better at standing up to Whitey.; 6/14/20, 6:53 AM
Readering said...: Shorter version, Leave Me Alone Already.; 6/14/20, 6:57 AM
Unknown said...: Here is a man whose character Mookie in his film "Do the Right Thing," starts a riot by throwing a garbage can through the window of his employer's business.

Then when he later meets his employer, he asks for his last week's pay.

He tells the business owner his insurance policy will make him whole.

(The reality is that most small businesses cannot afford 'business interruption' insurance, so even if the owner wanted to rebuild in a devastated neighborhood where he is clearly unwelcome, he couldn't afford to.)

The owner pays Mookie, tossing crumpled bills at him one at a time.

Mookie tosses them back.

The word 'mook' means a stupid person.; 6/14/20, 6:59 AM
mccullough said...: Spike Lee made a documentary about one day of the season for Kobe Bryant about 10 years ago.

He also paid tribute to Kobe after his death.

Kobe the Rapist.

Spike is a hypocrite and a coward.; 6/14/20, 6:59 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: Lol. Professional mau-mauer gets mau-maued.; 6/14/20, 7:02 AM
Gordon Scott said...: Isn't it interesting that psuedo-tough guys like Spike Lee can be reduced to cringing beggars whining for mercy by a few Tweets?

The speed of all this is rather breathtaking. It took years for the French Revolution to revolve and start consuming its own. It's mere weeks today, and might get down to days.; 6/14/20, 7:03 AM
Temujin said...: The best principals are the ones that can be changed- snap!- on a dime. Makes you wonder how many other strong statements made by Spike were more about building his own cred with those who might care (the press), than about any principal at all.; 6/14/20, 7:03 AM
The Vault Dweller said...: Wow, cancel culture has gotten really powerful, if during the current unrest a black man can get forced to bend the knee, over an issue which is tangentially related to sexual assault against women. I say tangentially because the real issue was about the bad idea of trying to erase an individual from society, not about condoning any sort of sexual assault. This violates the usual lefty orthodoxy because generally oppression of black men is viewed as higher on the oppression scale than oppression of women, specifically white women. Look at the recent spurt of Karen-shaming on the internet, this was the lefty Zeitgeist reminding white women that they are responsible for oppression of black men too. And the way lefty orthodoxy works is that oppression can only flow one way. So if Karens are at least partially responsible for oppressing black men then it is impossible for black men to ever oppress Karens. This makes me think that this is a defense of cancel culture itself.; 6/14/20, 7:11 AM
mezzrow said...: If Nietzsche (or Mahler) were here they might say,

Die Welt ist tief,
Und tiefer als der Tag gedacht.
Tief ist ihr Weh –,
Lust – tiefer noch als Herzeleid!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPQSokfeQN8; 6/14/20, 7:13 AM
William said...: Woody Allen's personal as opposed to professional reputation took a hit because of the scandal. Deservedly so. He did something definitely wrong in going out with the daughter of his consort. He may have abused his own daughter, but that's not proven. In any event, all this happened nearly thirty years ago. He's had a long career since then and the available evidence indicates that with the exception of the Hemingway girl he was not inappropriate with the women on his sets...I wonder what's the fair price Allen should pay for his misdeeds. Even more I wonder what's the fair price someone should pay for wondering if Allen has not already paid the fair price.; 6/14/20, 7:40 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: Best advice: never say anything about anything, especially if you're someone of weak moral character and unable to stand up for yourself. You never know when you'll have to issue a groveling apology.; 6/14/20, 7:52 AM
MD Greene said...: Thinking of rereading "The Crucible."; 6/14/20, 7:56 AM
Fernandinande said...: I Do Not And Will Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment, Assault Or Violence.

That is a brave stance, perhaps even a dangerous stance, in our violent racist patriarchy.; 6/14/20, 7:58 AM
Andrew said...: Useless cowards and hypocrites, the lot of them.; 6/14/20, 7:58 AM
Matt Sablan said...: Roman Polanski might be getting a bit nervous.; 6/14/20, 7:59 AM
Andrew said...: Something I don't understand about celebrities, as well as corporations. If they were to refuse to apologize, they would become instant heroes. Why not just stand your ground? Yes, you'll be attacked. But when the dust settles, you'll have your dignity intact. Maybe regular people have to be careful, but if you've got the money and the microphone, why bend the knee?

I would gladly frequent a store that proudly proclaims, "We're not sorry for nuthin'. Grow the hell up. Oh, and All Lives F'g Matter." And I would deliberately support the work of any celebrity (or artist, etc.) who tells the mob, "Go screw yourselves. You have no authority over me." I just wish someone out there would show some backbone. Millions of people would respond favorably. (This is obviously one reason many of us feel so much loyalty towards Trump. He will never grovel to anyone.); 6/14/20, 8:13 AM
MayBee said...: And this is all based on his ex wife (or ex partner)'s accusations, right? No evidence and no proof?
Didn't we all just watch a woman in Central Park make up an accusation against a man because she wanted to get him in trouble? Are we still working through whether Tara Reade is a cunning liar or a victim (but we still will vote for the man who assaulted her)?

Where are we in this cancel culture thing? How do we decide who cannot be defended and who must be?; 6/14/20, 8:23 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: Matt Sablan said...
"Roman Polanski might be getting a bit nervous."

Hah! When I hear some Hollywood twit bloviating about their support for Me Too, I am reminded of Polanski's standing ovation at the Academy Awards ceremony. Seems the academy appreciates an outright rapist who never apologizes for anything.; 6/14/20, 8:23 AM
Lucien said...: Andrew: it is nice when President Trump stands up to the mob, which is why it’s so disheartening when he wimps out and changes the date of a rally because “Juneteenth”.; 6/14/20, 8:43 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: Does Spike Lee not have f-u money? Can't he just go live on a farm somewhere and tell them all to go to hell?

Are these people such attention addicts that the humiliation of a groveling apology is better than having no one look at them at all?; 6/14/20, 8:47 AM
Darkisland said...: The more things change...

Currently reading Elia Kazan's "A Life" and finding it very good though kazan was a world class shit. Marilyn Monroe came to his hotel room to announce her engagement to joe dimaggio and they celebrated by screwing. For one example.

Kazan was a card carrying member of a communist cell in the 30s. He claims not to have liked being told, sometimes forcefully, what to believe. But he went along with it even after he left the party. He was still faithful, more or less to the party line 20 years later.

One of the things the book is doing is making me wonder if I've been too harsh in my thinking about HCUA. I don't claim expertise but I probably know more about them than most Americans. I've always felt very strong revulsion that they have no place in a free society.

Kazan is making me wonder if maybe they were right. At least a little bit.

What is happening today, as evidenced by Lee and others, has been going on in the us for 100 years or more. It's just more visible.

John Henry; 6/14/20, 9:02 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: I think I was done of the first people canceled.

Because I'm the most dangerous when heard.; 6/14/20, 10:31 AM
Kevin said...: One day the mob will come for Spike.

He will be called out of touch and not a real black person.

Do the Right Thing will be relabeled conservative propaganda.

The issue will be that Mookie just peacefully protested and didn’t kill any white people.; 6/14/20, 10:34 AM
Bill Peschel said...: "One of the things the book is doing is making me wonder if I've been too harsh in my thinking about HCUA. I don't claim expertise but I probably know more about them than most Americans. I've always felt very strong revulsion that they have no place in a free society."

The problem with the HCUA was that it instigated a political revolution in which emotion overwhelmed the fact, much like today.

Also, the Left wants us to forget the power politics that followed WWII. The Soviet Union was fomenting revolts across Europe and into Asia. It was working against American interests. And there were Hollywood scriptwriters who were happy to abet them. Dalton Trumbo bragged about killing movies that took an anti-Soviet line, because heaven forbid people should be concerned about what in essence was Soviet imperialism.; 6/14/20, 10:47 AM
Jupiter said...: "One of the things the book is doing is making me wonder if I've been too harsh in my thinking about HCUA."

FDR's government was rotten with Commies, and Truman inherited most of them.; 6/14/20, 10:53 AM
tcrosse said...: Who is Spike Lee afraid of? Are jack-booted storm troopers going to kick in his door in the middle of the night? Or is he just trimming his sails to the prevailing winds (which you don't need a weatherman to know which way they blow)?; 6/14/20, 10:56 AM
Sebastian said...: "I don’t know that you can just erase somebody like they never existed"

Sure you can.

No one gives a damn about the victims of Stalin's Terror or the Gulag, no one outside their own families remembers any of Mao's millions of victims.

Prog cleansing is proceeding apace. Spike should know.; 6/14/20, 11:09 AM
Andrew said...: @Lucien:
Agreed. That was disappointing and unnecessary. But maybe he has something planned to get the last word.; 6/14/20, 11:13 AM
JackWayne said...: Spike Lee is a dick. Cancel him!; 6/14/20, 11:28 AM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: Spike Lee is as racist as David Duke. Maybe more.; 6/14/20, 12:31 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: Who knew Lee was a Groucho fan?; 6/14/20, 1:31 PM
John henry said...: Jupiter said...

FDR's government was rotten with Commies, and Truman inherited most of them.

That's why I never had any problem with McCarthy and his committee. Rooting out govt employees with security clearances who were passing info to Stalin is not just a legitimate task of the Senate, it is an essential function.

HCUA, Otoh, was looking into the politics of private citizens. I have always found that abhorrent and un-American.

A good starting place to learn about HCUA is "thirty years of treason" by Eric Bently. It's a history of HCUA with testimony excerpts. Bently is clear that he the it was HCUA that was treasonous.

John Henry; 6/14/20, 1:48 PM
GingerBeer said...: There is Dutch courage, and there is Hollywood courage.; 6/14/20, 1:51 PM
setnaffa said...: Spike Lee? The guy who made "The Girl's Gotta Have It"? That Spike Lee?

We're all sinners who need a Savior. We're none of us fit to judge ourselves, much less anyone else...; 6/14/20, 2:06 PM
narciso said...: Culture is as important as policy, as we see today john henry, the blacklist was a private association arrangememt; 6/14/20, 2:15 PM
Doug said...: One day the mob will come for Spike.

He will be called out of touch and not a real black person.

Do the Right Thing will be relabeled conservative propaganda.

The issue will be that Mookie just peacefully protested and didn’t kill any white people.

No, as he just demonstrated, Lee will immediately apologize and disavow his own work. He will grovel, and for doing so, he will be forgiven ... but watched closely.

For liberals, history always started this morning.; 6/14/20, 2:27 PM
Drago said...: JackWayne: "Spike Lee is a dick. Cancel him!"

According to Inga, its just as likely that Spike Lee was "cancelled" by hawaiian shirt wearing intolerant white supremacist conservatives as by leftists.; 6/14/20, 2:49 PM
Prickly Pete said...: If Spike Lee was white he'd be banned from NBA games and working at Starbucks.; 6/14/20, 3:38 PM
Molly said...: (eaglebeak)

This whole thing about Woody Allen and his daughter has been adjudicated several times and whaddya know? Allen has never been found guilty or problematic. Not even when adoption agencies were investigating him and his wife before letting them adopt two little girls.

If Mia Farrow weren't such a harpy and if her poor kid Rowan weren't so brow-beaten, the rest of the world would feel comfortable getting over this already.

Spike Lee is a jerk and Woody Allen, though peculiar, is not, or not completely.; 6/14/20, 3:39 PM
John henry said...: Yes, Narciso. As I have pointed out here numerous times over the years.

The Hollywood Reporter has accepted full blame for the 1948 blacklist and has apogized

And nothing at all to do mccarthy

John Henry; 6/14/20, 3:50 PM
twallan51 said...: I simply do not understand why these celebrities keep apologizing? The evidence is clear the twitter mob will not forgive or forget nor stop going after u. Use JK Rowling for a role model. She stood her guns yes she was vilified by twitter mobs so what? do they really represent all that many people?

These mobs cannot hurt her or Spike Lee all that much. They will be respected by many if they stand up.; 6/14/20, 4:48 PM
John henry said...: Yes, Narciso. As I have pointed out here numerous times over the years.

The Hollywood Reporter has accepted full blame for the 1948 blacklist and has apogized

And nothing at all to do mccarthy

John Henry; 6/14/20, 5:13 PM
bobrzik said...: Doesn't he know that he's not supposed to capitalize the first letter of each word?; 6/14/20, 5:49 PM
Paul Zrimsek said...: Lee interview doubleplusungood refs unperson.; 6/14/20, 6:05 PM
Mark Andre Alexander said...: Any rational person who reads Woody’s memoir, Apropos of Nothing,” will realize that Mia is a psycho and Woody completely innocent.; 6/14/20, 7:10 PM
Earnest Prole said...: Woody Allen is a great filmmaker, Do the Right Thing is a great film, and cancel culture is philistinism.; 6/14/20, 10:47 PM
Skipper said...: I wonder what's hiding in Spike Lee's closet that provoked him getting his mind straight so quickly.; 6/15/20, 6:27 AM