Dear Tell All: My girlfriend and I have been obsessing over the Woody Allen scandal. We've read the letter from his daughter Dylan, claiming he molested her in the early 1990s. We've read the rebuttal from Woody, arguing that he did no such thing. And we've read the many blog posts taking one side or another.
To me, it's pretty clear that Allen didn't do what Dylan claims. His essay in The New York Times was persuasive in laying out the argument that his ex-girlfriend Mia Farrow implanted the idea of molestation in her 7-year-old daughter. He provided an explanation of why she would do such a thing: boiling anger at him over the nature of their breakup. He also explained that Farrow has a history of unethical behavior.
Plus, the circumstances of the alleged crime don't point to Allen's guilt. He was at the home of Farrow, his sworn enemy, to visit his kids, and there were a half-dozen people around. As Allen wrote, "that I would pick this moment in time to embark on a career as a child molester should seem to the most skeptical mind highly unlikely."
Well, highly unlikely to me, but not to my girlfriend. While we normally agree on political and philosophical matters, she is firmly on Dylan and Mia Farrow's side. The first time we talked about the issue she just about bit my head off. I tried to continue the conversation in a civil manner and got accused of sexism, lack of compassion, gullibility, you name it. I fought back, sticking to the known evidence to counter her irrational insults. That just made things worse, and it's put a chill in our relationship.
So I appeal to a higher authority. Tell All, can you settle this argument for us?
A Chauvinist Pig, Apparently
Dear Pig: Most of the bloggers furiously attacking Woody Allen don't know what they're talking about. Then again, neither do most of the bloggers furiously defending him. Allen was never charged with a crime, much less convicted, so he deserves the presumption of innocence.
My advice: Change the subject and get on with your lives.
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