Serb language, anyone?

[veronica_rich]

I know a lot of people's eyes pass this LJ - is anyone at all proficient in the Serb language (well, Serbian, I think there's more than one official language in the country) or have good knowledge of the country? I'm good at looking up info on newspapers/publications where I understand the language, but when it's something I can't read, I'm admittedly lost.

The reason I ask is this little item at Oh No They Didn't quoting Johnny Depp as defending Roman Polanski. It links back to an article here. This has aroused my curiosity and I'm wondering a few things:

1. What is the translation of this article? I don't trust Google translation and other online services to do much for me in an official sense, honestly.

2. Are his quotes on ONTD true and if so, in context? (Context is very important, not only for me as an editor, but for you as a reader. There's a big difference, for example, between saying "This is a good man" and "He acted like a douchebag when he did that, yes, but he is a good man now." The remark may not be true either way, but it represents two different thought processes for the speaker.)

3. Is this a reputable publication, or is it the Serb equivalent of the National Enquirer or OK! magazine? Makes a difference.

As I said, this has aroused my curiosity as a journalist. Much as I like Depp, I can live without his movies from this point forward (and yes, if it turns out he does support Polanski being acquitted/left free, I have no problem ignoring his projects in the future. I can separate art from person for almost anything else, but something like this is a real pisser for my enjoyment, sadly).*

*ETA: I was going to strikethrough on the last paragraph, but it'd be easier to explain. As a commenter noted, it seems by this remark I'm mostly concerned with Polanski serving his sentence. Actually, I'm not (and I hope the rest of this post reflects that) - the American justice system is highly flawed (as in, if it were up to me, child molesters would be locked away and never see daylight again - I'm much nastier and less forgiving than the courts on this point). I'm more annoyed by the idea someone might side with his actions in committing a crime and then escaping having to suffer any punishment for it - but mostly with the commission of said crime. I think if you're well over adult age and you fuck a 13-year-old - well, that's a crime for life, sort of like non-defense murder.

Comments

[mneiai.livejournal.com]

I really hope that it's just the translation that is making Johnny Depp sound like a creep.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

You and me both. Or an actual misquote/out of context remark.

[golden-helikaon.livejournal.com]

I hope that's just a mistranslation as well... There's something about Johnny that's put me off him recently anyway, but I really hope he didn't say something like that.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I think it's because he's too popular, maybe - I haven't been too enamoured with him for a couple of years, and I knew it wasn't for any *personal* reason of his. (Of course, I can also cite part of my aversion from the same source as my instinctive lip-curl when I see Keira, even though I have nothing against her and I like her movies: POTC J/E fangirls who were willing to tell real fans to fuck off in favor of their fictional heroes.)

[crevette.livejournal.com]

I hate to disappoint, but there are at least two Serbian speakers on ONTD confirming the translation.

Ah, well. Less money I have to spend.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

As a reporter, there's no way I'd take that as evidence. (Meaning, if I were an American entertainment reporter re-reporting this, I'd contact the paper in question to see if there's anyone who speaks English I could talk with, and I'd also contact a university or some other reputable translation service to translate the article for me, a source I can name.)

Personally, while I'd like to think it's not true, or taken out of context, I won't lose sleep if it is. I'd be far unhappier if Orlando was of this mind, actually.

[crevette.livejournal.com]

Here is the Youtube of him saying it in English.

so yeah, it's real.

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/43065534.html?#cutid1

[roguedemon.livejournal.com]

Has he signed the petition?

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Last I saw it was months ago and his name was not attached to it at that time. TBH, that doesn't make any difference to me - if it turns out he actually is defending the man beyond general vouching for him as a colleague, well, I'll keep my future movie dollars for JD. (I could understand if he said Polanski was a good director, a friend, a talented artist, etc. - but if he gets into commenting on specific events such as this and taking a dirty old man's side against a drugged-up little girl, that's going too far IMO.)

[roguedemon.livejournal.com]

I checked, he's not on it. I feel very strongly about this myself. However, I really need to have a better source than some garbled stuff from ONTD. I'd also like to know the context. Johnny is one of the few actors out there I like as a person, as opposed to just enjoying his work. I've followed him pretty closely and for some time now he has been a class act. So I will give him the benefit of the doubt until I hear more.

[crevette.livejournal.com]

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/43065534.html?#cutid1

Here he is saying it in English. Oy.

[roguedemon.livejournal.com]

I am disappointed. Yes.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's disappointing. Not him questioning the timing or the justice system (though I maintain if the criminal had done his time instead of fleeing 30-some years ago, this wouldn't be the big damn deal it is, so I don't really get blaming the authorities for this one, except that they should've done their job earlier), but JD's apparent blindness to what it is that rapists and child molesters DO. They don't always hang out in dark alleys waiting for women and children; some of them ARE married; some of them DO have children; and by god, some of them DO abuse their own children.

Will I boycott JD movies? I don't know. Even if I end up feeling extreme about this after more thought, the fact is that he does work with other actors and directors I like, and banning him means I wouldn't get to see them in those roles. It's not like boycotting Walmart - you can buy anything from Walmart somewhere else.

[crevette.livejournal.com]

It simply means that I won't be paying a red cent for anything he's in. I decide where I put my hard earned money--that's my right. I'll wait to catch his stuff for free on cable.

Will he care about the loss of my $9 movie ticket? Probably not. But my money, my choice.

[puffpastry.livejournal.com]

I'd be VERY hesitant to believe he said this to a Serbian newspaper or ANY newspaper. First of all, Johnny HATES being interviewed, and goes to great lengths to not talk to the press ever. He knows full well that his former bad-boy-getting-arrested reputation follows him everywhere he goes, and he's made terrible gaffes in interviews before (the whole "America is a big dumb dog" incident), and I'm sure he and all his publicists want to prevent it from happening again. So I doubt they'd let him comment on the arrest of a convicted child molester. I have a feeling the paper made up the quote because it would get attention, just like it's doing.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

My hope is there'll be more on this in the near future. I'd like to see it either verified, protecting the reporter's reputation, or denied, possibly protecting JD's.

[venusinchains.livejournal.com]

I can't help at all with anything more than first year Spanish, but I'd be interested in whatever you find out. I've been kind of dreading what he might say on this topic. It was during his filming of Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate that he met the mother of his children, right? (And he's made comments in the past that I've considered sexist, at best. The Worst Possible Outcome really wouldn't surprise me...)

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

If you revisit this entry, apparently he's made a statement about it and the video link has been posted herein a few places ...

[finding-neo.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I'm with Johnny on this one. The statute of limitations should have ran out decades ago on this matter. I forget the details of why Polanski was FINALLY arrested for extradition. There was an NPR story done on it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113284060

And the extradition has still been pushed up till "sometime" this year! http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/roman-polanski-extradition-delayed-until-next-year-swiss-officials-said.html

The only reason this is even on the books is because he fled before sentencing. He spent 42 days in a psych ward, as ordered, not prison. He's paid the girl a half million $$. The extradition order should be nullified and the case should be dismissed.

30 years is a long time to allow someone who did such a bad thing to be on the lam. Something tells me some hot shot lawyer or government official has axes to grind somewhere.

Sorry you can't threaten to stop seeing my movies.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I have two issues at work here. The lesser actually regards his sentencing and payment of social debt, because let's face it, the American justice system has rather large flaws. I'm really not dwelling on that part of it.

The part I'm looking at is the commission of the crime in the first place. It doesn't seem to be in dispute that he did have sex with the girl. For me, that's the breaking point. There is no repayment of that debt to society. Pedophiles rank somewhere below wife-beaters on the social strata for me, and I do not believe 95 percent of them can be rehabilitated.

If you'll read my post again, I make it very clear that context is important in this opinion, and that it has nothing to do with the justice system. It's one thing to say you feel someone is being persecuted by the law over and above what they were originally ordered to do. It's another to indicate you have no problem with someone being a pedophile. THAT is why I would like to know what's in the article.

ETA: I can see where you might have thought I was concerned with the justice system on this one (I've made an edit in the post, but left the original text with a strikehrough so it can be seen I made the change). It was my understanding Polanski had not satisfied his sentencing requirements. In either case, I'm less worried about the courts and more annoyed with the act of possibly siding with an admitted child molester. Perhaps that makes more sense ...

*sigh*

[captsparrow4evr.livejournal.com]

When I was in college (20+ years ago now), one of the most beloved Religion professors (and the campus minister) was accused of sexual harassment of a secretary. For three to four weeks, the campus was very divided. I knew the man personally and had great respect for him. Because I did not know the truth of the matter (not having been there), I had to take an attitude of neutrality though I found myself often as not defending the secretary. What Polanski did is reprehensible but Johnny Depp wasn't in the hot tub with them so he can only base his opinion on what he knows personally of the man. That said, I highly doubt that JD will be letting Lily Rose spend any great amount of time alone with the man.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

This is why I said much depends on context. I actually wasn't even interested in his views on the matter - or any celebrity's - but when they open their mouth and choose to make those views public, I figure that's how they want to be represented and they are making the choice to associate themselves with those issues. I'm not the reporter who asked him (that is, if he was actually asked and actually responded, even).

[pseudoblu.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the article, I have no idea what you're worrying about, but I can bug Mom to help me translate it or to check a translation or whatever.

[pseudoblu.livejournal.com]

Danas is a daily newspaper type thing (literally means "today") and Mom says they are reputable. The article itself doesn't talk about Polanski, the quote is a separate thing at the end so there's not really a context. The way ONTD bolded it was deceptive because Mom read it as him stressing on the "why now?" Something about a lot of money, Johnny has worked with him and from what he saw he is good character, has great kids, a good wife and that he's not out there preying on children, so why now after 30s years of knowing where he is?

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

It wasn't a worry so much as a curiosity, and this LJ sees enough global traffic that I hoped somebody trustworthy might show up and know what was what. (That, and another trustworthy f-lister actually mentioned you earlier as a possible source of help, so I know you're OK. *G*)

The way ONTD bolded it was deceptive because Mom read it as him stressing on the "why now?"

That's what interested me: What precisely was he saying? (If it's a problem he has with the criminal justice system, and he's questioning prosecutors' motives and timing, I can respect he has an opinion on that point and let it be.) This still doesn't answer the full questions I have, but it does shed some light and makes it somewhat easier to understand. Tell your mother that I thank her for her time!

[pseudoblu.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the video?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyx4E51ZCns

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I wish I could; I'm having viral issues with the laptop tonight (no worries, it's contained to this machine, I'm not going to transmit it elsewhere) and can't do anything until I talk to the IT guys at work tomorrow.

What is your opinion of it?

[pseudoblu.livejournal.com]

It's like Mom was saying, he's heavy on the why now. They knew where he was, he has a house there, etc etc. I could do a quick transcript if you want.

I don't feel I've lost respect for Johnny for it. It's a good question, one that I'd kind of wondered too. My issue is with Johnny seemingly thinking that child rapists can't have beautiful kids and long marriages, but I'm not sure he meant it that was, he was probably just trying to make the point that the guy isn't out there preying on kids in the street.

[roguedemon.livejournal.com]

I have to say that after seeing that I really hope that Johnny doesn't know the details of the case. When given all the facts, she took her n. Because after reading the transcript (of the victim's testimony) online I felt sick. I also read some excerpts from a very interesting interview Polanski gave years ago and the asshole wasn't repentant in the least.

Anyway, I'm not thrilled. I tend not to be into crossing people off a list because of a stupid remark, but I have to admit that one was really bad.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Let's face it: Johnny's very pretty, but not always so bright. This is a man who has been giving interviews since before I was a reporter (and that's been a while), and even I know there's absolutely no harm in the occasional well-placed "I can't comment on that part of it because I don't know."