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'My Rape Is Being Used To Attack' Quentin Tarantino -- 'And I Really Don't Like That'

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Samantha Geimer does not want anyone twisting her words.
The woman who was raped by Roman Polanski in 1977 when she was just 13 years old found herself in the spotlight again this week after an old Quentin Tarantino interview was unearthed in which he flippantly defended Polanski.
Related: Uma Thurman Defends Tarantino As She Releases Kill Bill Crash Footage
Geimer naturally had something to say about that, but now she says her words were misconstrued by many.
She clarified to IndieWire:

“I did not call him out or slam him. When asked, I said he was wrong, as in incorrect, about what happened. I thought he knew better now, 15 years later, and did not expect that he would repeat that, because he would only make himself look bad. Okay, I said, “like an ass.” But the sentiment was that he certainly knows better. The wording that he assumed I wanted to be “raped,” I don’t know where that came from, but he never said that. What I was really trying to say to those who called is, I don’t care. I don’t care what anyone says, I’m not upset, this and worse has been happening to me for years. And mostly, I am aware that my rape is being used to attack him and I really don’t like that.”

Geimer says she never expected to speak to Tarantino on the phone but made the most of his personal apology:

“I think he realizes that the things he said to be shocking involve an actual person ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ me ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ and he wasn’t thinking about that at the time. He felt bad about it. While I had him on the phone, I made him talk to me about some of his movies. Ha, ha. Didn’t want to waste that opportunity. He is sincere in his apology and I told him I felt my rape was being used to attack him by people who don’t care about what happened to me, and I do take offense to that.”

Ha! She asked movie questions! She also apparently tried to get a scoop about his upcoming Sharon Tate film, which she thought sounded in bad taste:

“I asked him about his upcoming movie, because I heard it’s about Sharon Tate’s murder. I was like, “That’s just freaking me out. I don’t know why. It sounds awful.” He said, “No, that’s not what it’s about. It’s about that time period and that year.” Although it certainly has nothing to do with me and I’m not sure quite sure why, but I was thinking, “Don’t make a movie about that!” I was happy that he could put my mind to rest on a completely random thing like that.”

Cannot blame her a BIT.
But ultimately Geimer says the apology did make a difference, just as the one from Polanski did many years later. She says:

“I think apologies go a long way to help the person who was wronged and the person that is apologizing. I often say I don’t need them, but in truth, they always have a positive impact…
Talking to Quentin, I know he just wasn’t thinking and I didn’t take it personally the way he was talking on Howard Stern. But then once I saw it in writing the next day, I realized, it did make me feel better. So, apologies ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ I think you should take them, even if you don’t want them.”

As for people being offended on her behalf, she’s sick of it.
In her opinion people should spend less time policing jokes and gaffes and more time fighting for real change:

“I am one of those people who thinks that you can have humor about anything. I have a good sense of humor, and when people make jokes about me, I laugh. I think that people should just take their indignation and not watch people they find offensive. If you don’t think it’s funny, you don’t think it’s funny. You don’t have to apologize for making a joke unless you really screw it up. Apologies should be sincere. I don’t think we should apologize for stuff we don’t feel sorry for. All this nitpicking and attacking people is missing the point. It’s like, hey, could we have some equal rights over here? How about equal pay? Perhaps stop sexually harassing people at work? Instead, it’s all, “Quentin Tarantino made shitty jokes!” No, women, focus. It’s not all about celebrities and taking people down. Let’s be positive and move forward.
I think being spiteful and taking people down you don’t like them isn’t helping anybody. We all see what’s happening. If you’re not doing something positive, if you’re not making a difference, stop pretending you are. Just be like, “I hate that guy.” [laughs] I’m in a weird spot. I’ve been in this weird spot my whole life. People are like, “We hate Roman because of what he did to you.” I’m fine, I don’t want anybody to hate anybody, and you actually don’t give a shit about me. What bothers me is that people are attacking somebody else at your expense. Let’s throw your rape out there to attack Quentin Tarantino. That hypocrisy bothers me because I’m in that spot where that happens to me. This is just the way it goes, in my life anyway, and we all say stupid things.”

What do YOU think of Geimer’s take?
[Image via ITV/FayesVision/WENN.]

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Feb 09, 2018 18:12pm PDT