Where and when was it published?
Who wrote it? Do you know anything about this writer? How can you find out more?
Take a moment to open up a new tab (file>new tab) and do a quick internet search on the author. Share your findings in the comments section at the end of this post, then come back to the next question.
What is the subtitle of the post? What kind of clues does it give you about the content and tone of what you are about to read?
This post appears on salon.com, an online magazine that specializes in liberal politics, media, and opinion. What can you assume, then, about this blog post?
Now, catch up with the back story for this post by skimming over a news article on the subject, then come back.
When you read the blog post, you will need to know the following terms to understand the text:
age of consent
consensual
apologist
stigma
undisputed
Define these words and think about words that you know that sound similar to these words and may be related. When you've done this, you're ready to go back to the text for a first reading.
For the first time through, you should read to understand the text. Read as if you trust Harding, and focus on what she is trying to say. Is the article about what you thought it would be about? Does Harding say what you thought she would say?
What surprised you?
What does Harding want readers to believe?
What authorities does Harding use to support her case?
What action does she want to be taken?
30 comments:
It seems that Kate Harding wants Polanski to be arrested and put in jail because letting him rome free is wrong. She thinks even if he has been in exile for years he should still be imprisoned because raping a child is wrong.
I think we all had a pretty clear idea about the direction the article was pointing at. Harding didn't surprise me, I had a feeling she would be the type to go against Polanski. And I agree with her 100%, what that man did is wrong, why in the world would people out there think they should just drop the case? He raped a child, no question about it, he deserves to pay for what he did, I don't care about his age or his Oscar award-winning movies, makes no difference, he should be in jail, it's common sense really. What surprised me, I'm sure it came as a shocker to all of us, was the first paragraph. I have to say Harding has a way with words, cause damn, she just put it out there. I'm hoping though, that other people, not just 5th period, take Harding's brute words as a wake-up call to what really went down. If someone doesn't step up and say it, I'm sure Harding will be first in line to speak up about this delicate topic. She wants her readers to believe that Roman Polanski is at fault here, and I guess other people are just blind to not see the reality of it all. Harding is sending out the message of justice. What makes this man so special from other child molesters out there? Harding (along with me if you will) would like to see some justice here. He testified that he DID rape her, so what's the hold up? They arrested him on Saturday. Why still debate over it? He got caught, he should be in jail. Simple as that.
I think everyone can agree with rape being a bad thing, but Harding shows the case with vivid, and disgusting detail. It's obvious that she wants the readers to know what this man deserves, no matter what he has gone through, or what hes done.
Kate Harding wants Polanski to be in jail for what he done. He raped a child, and he pled guilty. They should've put him in jail thirty years ago instead of thirty years after. It didn't surprised me that Harding would go against Polanski. Only a crazy person would defend Polanski and want him free. He made great movies but a crime is a crime no matter what.
Although the topic of this blog is rather interesting, I didn't find what the blog and the tone of the writer itself to be anything out of my expectation. Somehow I thought I'd find Kate Harding to be a person who is obviously sarcastic and somewhat bitter towards this topic especially when it comes to her diction. Kate Harding was continually repeated that it is not okay to rape anyone and a child nonetheless. She was trying to have us believe that Polanski should be punished for what he did no matter what the victim or anyone else says. Despite his age and how long ago this case dragged on for, he should not be forgiven because it's the law. She is using the authority as a normal logical human being. She's not using her emotions and sympathy, she's going by the law and not bending it. She knows the laws as a U.S. citizen, and knows that she has the rights to speak up to what seems to be unjust and unlawful. She wants Polonski deserves everything that the law offers to criminals, even though he has a rough life and is a famous person, he doesn't have the rights to sexually assault a child. Kate Harding believes that everything that is holding everybody back from ruling against him should be thrown aside, and he should be punished by imprisonment for what he did to the then thirteen year old.
Well obviously know that Kate Harding wants Polanski to be put in jail because he committed a crime. One thing that surprised me about the article was how straight-forward about how Polanski raped the 13 year old girl. Another thing was that how some people didn't want him to go to jail because its been 32 years and he's suffered enough. But come on he committed rape!! So he should go to jail no matter how long ago it was.
Honestly, it was no surprise that Kate Harding feels this way about Polanski's actions. Her blog clearly displays why people have this dislike for her and what she has to say. However, on this subject I think her ignorant sarcasm is completely necessary! Rape is such a serious issue, that harshness is almost implied whenever it is brought up. In that sense, her blog didn't really surprise me at all. I mean to persuade others to feel how she does about Polanski she had to elaborate on his wrong! She had to clearly describe the details for us so we could see eye to eye with her. Doing this, she was trying to get us angry, and on her side. She wants us to believe Polanski is CLEARLY in the wrong, that he deserves NO pity, and that he needs to be punished.
What surprised me?
Well, the most surprising thing I read in that article was how the victim of the rape was ok with it now. Through most of the things I've read or seen, most people who get raped don't forget about it so easily. I mean it IS good that she is over it, but I feel as though if I was raped 2 years ago and 30 years later the person was still free, I would want that person to be brought to justice. I wouldn't care how much media attention I would get, just to get that scum where he belongs! Another thing that surprised me about this whole ordeal(Although it wasn't in Kate Harding's blog) was that there were so many influential people who agreed to forget about it and help Polanski. I would never expect that from so many people. That may even be more surprising than the victim part.
With the exception of the first paragraph, I don't think that anything Kate Harding said was surprising. Rape is a serious issue and our judicial system seems to be lenient towards celebrities. Ms. Harding uses sarcasm and logos to portray her views in a good way. She makes it seem like she's writing factual things that aren't based on opinion which makes her view more understandable. Rape is illegal in most countries and just because you made an amazing Oscar-winning film doesn't mean you are better than other rapists out there that are serving out their time.
Kate Harding's writing is both blunt and beautiful; I love it, because that's the way I write, too.
Her choice of title perfectly reflects her content, because that entire article was a simple wake up call that Polanski definitely did rape a child.
How different would his situation be if he was just a normal person? I bet his case wouldn't even make the news. How different would it be if he was a bad director!? It makes me sick to think there are actual people that can condone his behavior (that word seems too mild) just because he's a famous person.
It was a little surprising and uncomfortable to read Harding's article because of her word choice... But I suppose that's the nature of Polanski's crime; surprising and uncomfortable. I was also surprised to find important, influential people arguing that the case be dropped because poor, poor Mr. Polanski had to spend his years away from the US, and he couldn't even drop by to pick up his oscar.
What about his poor, poor rape victim that had fifty extra tons of baggage added to her life because Mr. Polanski couldn't keep it in his pants!?
Again: This makes me sick.
The only thing Kate Harding wants her readers to know is that Roman Polanski raped a child. She wants people to base their opinions on this case on the facts, and not bleat out feebly that, "Roman Polanski's movies are bomb, yo, lay off."
I hope Polanski gets a trillion years in jail, along with the rest of the rapists. I don't care if he is an old man.
What surprised me the most was when Harding went really detailed in describing how Polanski raped the 13-year-old. The description was so lurid and vivid that it completely startled me.
Harding wants to have Polanski arrested because no matter how rich and famous he is, he still raped a child and that's immoral and should not be tolerated. She insists that when an ordinary man in public is guilty of the same action, no one would accept this kind of conduct. In the same way, just because everyone likes his movies and he's well known, he committed a crime. Roman Polanski raped a girl underage and should be arrested no matter how many years it has been since the incident, and no matter rich and famous he is now.
Evidently, Harding just wants Polanski put in jail for the reprehensible thing that he did all those years ago. Period. Yes,it was wrong what he did to her and most of us would agree,but the way she tries to go about her argument is preachy and tries too hard to try and make Polanski look like the bad guy. I'm not trying to defend him by saying that he's been carrying this mental stigmata this whole time or try to be an apologist for him in the fact that he committed an illegal act on a young girl because rape is rape, but she just seems to have it in for this guy.
Wow, I have to applaud to Kate Harding for certainly getting to the point bluntly of how negative and ethically bad rape is (as she was implying). She wants the rapist in jail, obviously, and is pushing her point to make it even worse. Sure, when we hear something like "Oh the girl got raped", people are usually like "oh, that's too bad". But Harding added detail, clear vivid explicit detail. This worsens the effect it has on people, and makes them even more ashamed of rape, especially the rapist.
There are so many clues in the titles and subtitles that tell us where this article is going. It's pretty straight forward. Kate Harding gives us some information about what other people think about the situation and she gives her opinion on their remarks.
Honestly, i agree with her on this particular issue. What's wrong is wrong. There's no way around it. He even admitted to committing the crime! I can see how people could take her words as offensive; a lot of people aren't used to hearing people state their opinions in such a blunt way. However, sometimes, that's the only way you can get through to people so i have no issues with it.
Harding wants us to believe that what Mr. Polanski did was wrong. She wants him to be punished by the government. It surprised me that this wasn't resolved years ago but I guess if he ran away, theres nothing the government could do about it.
I am not surprised by this article. Most people would be against the rape and drugging of a thirteen year old girl. She was right to further announce and make clear the seriousness of his crime. Whether or not he is a famous movie producer, this doesnt give him a free ticket to avoid our constitution. I agree with her that what he did was wrong and needs to be punished whether it happened yesterday or over forty years ago. Things like this cant just slip through the law enforcements fingers. What does that say to our future generation? That its ok to get away with rape if your famous and have money? People are blind to the truth. Some people dont want to face the the ugliness of truth so they piece together as many positive things as they can to try and cover up that negative piece. Sadly, this works and is in action everyday. Kate Harding wants people to understand the seriousness of rapping and importance of prosecution of the law.
From how Kate Harding had written this article, she clearly wants Polanski to be put into jail. Rape is a serious crime, and the poor girl was only 13 years old too! Although he has made great movies and everything, he still committed a crime. What had surprised me was that there are people out there who doesn't want him to be put into jail. No matter how long the crime has been, it was still a crime.
It seems to me that Kate Harding wants readers to believe that Polanski was a criminal from beginning to end. You can never get away. She was trying to have us believe that Polanski should be punished for what he did no matter what everyone else thought with intense details. It's not really surprising what she said in this article though. His Oscar award winning movies won't save him at all and "Age does not matter." He raped a child, therefore he needs to face the consequences. Raping a child is never okay. It is disgustingly wrong. I agree with Kate Harding. He should be put in jail pretty much forever. This should've of been settle 30 years ago, instead of after.
what surprised me was how she put in what people said about it and how after the quotation was done she put her little 2 cents in to persuade the reader to think a certain way
Kate Harding is saying that she thinks Polanski should be arrested and sent to jail. She thinks rape is just plain wrong. He also skipped out on his punishment by fleeing to Europe.
It's pretty much clear that Kate Harding wants Polanski to be arrested and allowing him to be free is a crime. Harding still believes that he should face the punishment for raping the child .
It appears like Kate harding thinks that Rape is wrong. I also think from this blog that she did that she very sarcastic and maybe in a bad way. It also seems tome that she likes to describe things in such a lurid manner, so that way you'll be on her side.
I think that she is right and that her way of writing is amazing. I also think that everything she wrote was true and to the point. The fact that he raped a child is a serious matter that he should go to prison for. If he doesn't go to jail for drugging then raping a 13 year old girl their really is something with our judicial system. Even if he did live in exile for 30 something years he should go to prison cause RAPING a MINOR is still against the law.
The tone of the first paragraph makes it very clear what direction she is going through with this article. It's more like pointing the finger at Roman Polanski by saying: "Roman Polanski raped a child," and repeating it in similar ways. I'm not saying that I don't agree with this article. What that man did to this little girl is very wrong and gross, but stating out the facts in the first paragraph makes you not want to read it or hear anything about it. I hope that after reading this article, more people will now believe that not only weird guys molest, rape, etc; but movie stars are messed up, and directors and people who are well-known. Roman Polanski should go to jail for the rest of his life..
The blog is pretty exciting in a weird and nasty way.Harding wants us to be in her side by putting a lot of info out there. Wants to make him be in prison even though it was a long time ago. That he shouldn't be living a good life because he rapped her when she couldn't do anything.He should go to jail even though he is old for is age but then why if he is going to die anyways. But still he should get a sentence for doing a crime.
Its pretty clear in the article that Kate Harding wants Polanski in jail. What really surprised me was that a lot of other directors thought everyone should just forget about it. Rape is something that shouldn't be forgotten. It's not like he was young and made a mistake, he was 44. I don't think he should be let off free, he deserves to be in jail.
It was incredible how detailed Harding made the story of how he raped her. It was so cutthroat, straightforward. She obviously wants her readers to realize that he shouldn't be forgive for what he did to that girl although he has done some great things in his life. She wants everyone to know that regardless of how crappy his life has been, he should still be punished for his crime. Harding definitely has a strong position on how she feels about this guy, and she wants him to just be arrested already.
Threw this article Harding to me, seems like a very straight forward women. I truly believe she think Polanski should be out in jail. I think she was right for plainly stating the wrong, Polanski did. She was very detailed in how she described how the the thirteen year old was raped my this man. She was right to plainly state the wrong this man did.
i think kate want polanski to be arrested but its just all the media thats making her be like ok just let it go, because she doesnt want to look back to it, and its hard to be in that position. But yea i do think what polanski did was wrong and i dnt think anyone should back him up for this. there is no excuse for him raping a child.
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