Roman Polanski Voiced His Opinion On the #MeToo Movement

The #MeToo movement, the social media campaign that became a rallying cry for victims of sexual harassment and abuse, has produced myriad responses and reactions from different people and industrie around the world. While most of them have been positive, with many supporting the victimized women and finally realizing that this issue permeates all walks of life, others have attempted to discredit them and belittle the attempt at progress toward equal rights for women and workplace protection.

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One such dissenter is Roman Polanski. The director, notorious for fleeing the United States in 1977 after being charged with drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl, touched on the social movement during a recent interview with the Polish edition of Newsweek. "Everyone is trying to sign up, chiefly out of fear," he said, according to the Associated Press. Polansky went on to label the movement as "collective hysteria" and "total hypocrisy." The exiled director even compared the entertainment industry to North Korea, likening the way they responded to sexual misconduct allegations to how the latter mourns dead leaders. "You can't help laughing," he said. It's doubtful anyone expected an opinion on such an imperative social landmark from Roman Polanski, especially given his history. It's even more doubtful that anyone is surprised by his dismissive tone.