PART I
MEN ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
WHO HAVE A RECORD OF ANTI-CATHOLIC OFFENSES
ENTERTAINMENT:
Ben Affleck—After speaking out against Weinstein, the Oscar winner became the subject of his own sex assault narrative when a Twitter user unearthed a clip of Affleck grabbing the breast of then-MTV VJ Hilarie Burton during a 2003 taping of Total Request Live. Affleck has apologized for “acting inappropriately” towards Burton. (Flare, 11/26/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: Starred in “Dogma,” anti-Catholic movie, said film is intended to “push buttons.” (Catholic League, 11/19/2004) The plot was an irreverent look at Catholicism, one that maintained that Mary and Joseph had sexual relations; Mary gives birth to a daughter who works in an abortion clinic. God (played by Alanis Morissette) and the apostles (a foul-mouthed 13th is introduced) are also subjected to director Kevin Smith’s brand of humor. (Catholic League, 10/6/2014)
Woody Allen—Accusations of child molestation. (Breitbart, 10/25/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• Starred in “Picking Up the Pieces,” an anti-Catholic movie that thrashes Catholicism from beginning to end. The plot revolves around a butcher (Allen) who slices up his wife and buries her in the desert. One of the hands is found (giving the finger) by a blind woman who brings it to a priest. The woman, now cured of her blindness, insists that the hand belongs to the Virgin Mary. The priest, who is having sex with a prostitute, advertises the hand to the faithful as a cure for all types of maladies; one of the “miracles” results in enlarged breasts for a woman and an enlarged penis for a dwarf. (Catholic League, 5/24/2000)
• Has said he doesn’t have “any respect for any of the major religions.” (Catholic League, 7/26/2000)
Alec Baldwin—Bullying and sexist behavior toward women. (Breitbart, 10/25/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: In a burst of anger directed at a photographer Baldwin disliked, he said, “You must have been raped by a priest.” (Catholic League, 9/18/2002)
Louis C.K. —Accused by several women of sexual misconduct. He says the allegations are true and has apologized. (AP, 11/24/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• Accused Pope Benedict XVI of “f***ing boys” (Catholic League, 5/18/2015)
• YouTube mockumentary called “Louis C.K. Learns About the Catholic Church.” It features a priest who tells him that the purpose of Catholicism is “boy f***ing,” not faith. He takes him through a crash course in this perverse theology. (YouTube, June 21, 2007)
• Mocked Christianity in a short segment of his “Louie” show, in which he has a fictional debate with a woman from “Christians Against Masturbation.” He defended the act. For obvious reasons, the clip has now gained much media attention. (People, 11/10/2017)
David Letterman—Admitted on Oct. 1, 2009 that he had been sexually involved with female staffers on his show. (People, 10/19/2009)
Offensive Catholic fare: A sampling of Letterman’s anti-Catholic bigotry excerpted from Catholic League news releases:
• On Good Friday (2015), David Letterman joked about the pope’s physical exam, saying his weight gain may be a function of “a little too many Communion wafers.” (4/7/2015)
• On Holy Thursday (2015), Letterman made ten jokes about the pope’s physical exam; all the comments were attributed to the attending physician. The joke listed as #1 was: “I know you don’t use it, but I still have to take a look at it.” (4/7/2015)
• Letterman began by saying Pope Francis is thinking about lifting the celibacy requirement. “That’s right, the pope is saying that priests can be in a marriage with a woman and have sex.” He added: “So if a priest sees someone out there in the crowd that he likes, he might send over some Communion wine.” [Letterman is shown pointing and winking at someone.] Off camera, band leader Paul Shaffer replies, “That little lady over there.” To which Letterman replies, “Priests having sex, can you believe that?” (7/17/2014)
• Letterman mentioned Pope Francis’ appearance at World Youth Day in Brazil by saying, “And I’m telling you if there’s anything the kids can’t get enough of, it’s a 76-year-old virgin. Come on! World Youth Day. Or as the Vatican calls it, salute to altar boys.” (7/24/2013)
• After twice saying the pope has “a chronic neck problem,” Letterman let loose with, “He’s got a chronic neck problem and apparently the chronic neck problem is for looking the other way so many times.” He then said the Vatican “is already holding auditions to see who might be the next pope and we have one of those auditions that’s going on.” Footage was then shown of acrobats taking off their shirts and then performing for the pope; he looks on while rock music is played. Letterman said that besides looking for someone who is a biblical scholar and at least 60 years old, the Vatican is looking for “a guy who is good at transferring creepy priests.” (2/14/2013)
• Letterman said he was “stunned” and “fascinated” by Anthony Weiner’s predicament. He then said the following: “Honest to God, is this the kind of behavior you’d expect from a congressman? No. In simple terms, no. It is not the kind of behavior you’d expect from a congressman. It is the kind of behavior you’d expect from a priest.” (6/15/2011)
• When the “Opie and Anthony” show graphically described a couple having sex in St. Patrick’s Cathedral on August 15 (2002), a holy day in the Catholic Church, Letterman made reference to it in a couple of monologues, including a joke about people having sex in St. Patrick’s Cathedral and then getting ordained. He also made reference to a priest molesting an altar boy in the Cathedral. (8/21/2002)
Bob Weinstein—Accused of sexually harassing a former employee. (Breitbart, 10/25/2017)
Harvey Weinstein—Accused by dozens of women of sexual harassment or sexual assaults, including rape. Fired by The Weinstein Co. and expelled from various professional guilds. Under investigation by police departments in New York, London, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. (AP, 11/24/17)
Offensive Catholic fare: Long history of making anti-Catholic movies:
• In 1995, Harvey Weinstein and his brother, Bob, offered us “Priest,” a film featuring nothing but miscreant priests.
• In 1999, we were treated to “Dogma,” where the audience learned of a descendant of Mary and Joseph who works in an abortion clinic.
• In 2002, they released “40 Days and 40 Nights,” a film that ridiculed a Catholic for giving up sex for Lent.
• Also opening in 2002 was “The Magdalene Sisters,” a movie that smeared nuns.
• In 2003, “Bad Santa” opened for the holidays; Santa was cast as a chain-smoking, drunken, foul-mouthed, suicidal, sexual predator.
• In 2006, “Black Christmas” made a predictably dark statement about the holiday.
• “Philomena” was released in 2013. It is a tale of malicious lies about Irish nuns and the Church (Harvey lobbied hard for an Oscar, but came up empty). In real life, Philomena Lee was a teenager who abandoned her out-of-wedlock son, and who, because of the good efforts of the nuns, was adopted by an American couple. (Catalyst, 11/2017)
MEDIA
NPR news chief Michael Oreskes—Accused of inappropriate behavior or sexual harassment by at least four women. He was ousted from NPR. (AP, 11/24/17)
Offensive Catholic fare: Under Oreskes’ leadership, AP ran a story in 2010 on 30 Catholic priests accused of abuse who were transferred or moved abroad. AP put some money into this investigative report, which spanned 21 countries on six continents. In 2007, however, when AP ran a report on widespread abuse in public schools, and the “passing the trash” policy of moving abusive teachers around to different districts, it did not name names, nor did it show the same investigative fervor when it was stonewalled in a number of states. (Catholic League, 4/15/2010)
NPR Chief News Editor David Sweeney—Left NPR in late November amid allegations of sexual harassment by at least three female journalists. (AP, 11/24/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: Sweeney has been with NPR, in various management positions, since 1993. During that time, NPR has had a long record of anti-Catholic content, including mocking the Eucharist, sexualizing Jesus, criticizing the Catholic faith of Pope Benedict XVI and other Catholic public figures. (Catholic League, 5/16/2017) A sample:
• On May 27, 2012, Barbara Bradley Hagerty did a piece that was posted on the website of National Public Radio (NPR) titled, “Just Doing His Job Is Catholic Official’s Defense.” Here is how she opened her story: “A clergy sex-abuse trial in is [sic] reaching a crescendo in a Philadelphia courtroom. One defendant is James Brennan, a priest accused of trying to rape a minor, which is not that unusual.” [Emphasis added.] (Catholic League, 5/30/2012)
• On Jan. 7, 2008, the Utah NPR station, KCPW, aired a skit lampooning Mike Huckabee that trashed Jesus. On the show, “Fair Game with Faith Salie,” the following was said: “Tired of bland unsatisfying Eucharists? Try this Huckabee family favorite. Deep-Fried Body of Christ—boring holy wafers no more….Mike likes his Christ with whipped cream and sprinkles.” (Catholic League, 10/26/2010)
• On July 5, 1997, NPR mocked the Eucharist when host Scott Simon and musical satirist, Tom Lehrer, got together. Lehrer sang “The Vatican Rag.” Here are some of the lyrics: “Try playing it safer, drink the wine and chew the wafer”; “Two, four, six, eight, time to Trans-substantiate.” (Catholic League, 10/26/2010)
PBS and CBS host Charlie Rose—Accused by several women of unwanted sexual advances, groping and grabbing women, walking naked in front of them or making lewd phone calls. He has apologized for his behavior, but has questioned the accuracy of some of the accounts. (AP, 11/24/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: PBS has a long history of bias against the Church when it comes to the reporting of sexual abuse:
• “Secrets of the Vatican” marked the 48th time PBS has addressed sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Though this problem is practically non-existent in the Catholic community these days, and is rampant in the public schools, as well as in the Orthodox Jewish community, PBS has devoted a combined total of ZERO episodes on both. (Catholic League, 2/25/2014)
• A dissident Catholic, Jason Berry, was a co-producer of this show; he was also featured in Alex Gibney’s film, “Mea Maxima Culpa.” Indeed, this hit job was nothing more than a retread of Gibney’s propaganda: a New Orleans reporter who previewed it said, “this film reminded me of ‘Mea Maxima Culpa.'” These guys can’t go to the sewer too often. (Catholic League, 2/25/2014)
Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner—Accused by one man of sexual harassment. He says he did not intend to make the accuser uncomfortable. (AP, 11/24/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: Rolling Stone published Sabrina Rubin Erderly’s article, “The Catholic Church’s Secret Sex-Crime Files,” (9/6/2011) a hit piece on the Philadelphia Archdiocese based partly on the since exposed lies of Daniel Gallagher. After she was shown to be a fraud with the University of Virginia gang rape story, “A Rape on Campus,” (11/19/2014) Rolling Stone referred to it as an isolated incident. According to the New York Times, which conducted interviews on this story, publisher Jann W. Wenner insists that Erdely’s dishonesty “represented an isolated and unusual episode.” (Catholic League, 4/6/2015)
Leon Wieseltier—Accused of sexually harassing numerous women. Removed from the masthead of the Atlantic magazine. He has apologized for his behavior. (AP, 11/24/17)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• When Pope John Paul II in 2000 issued his historic apology for mistakes and errors in Christian history, Wieselter pointedly rejected the pope’s gesture of reconciliation, saying he could not accept the pope’s apology. (Catholic League, 5/26/2000)
• Wieseltier trashed Mel Gibson’s, “The Passion of the Christ,” calling it “a repulsive masochistic fantasy, a sacred snuff film.” (Catholic League, 3/5/2004)
POLITICS:
U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.)—Accused of sexual harassment toward staffers in his office, and has settled one claim of harassment. He has denied the allegations, even the one he settled. (AP, 11/24/17)
Offensive Catholic fare: Sponsored legislation that would have made religious pronouncements against homosexuality a hate crime. (Catholic League, 4/20/2009)
U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.)—Accused of forcibly kissing a woman while rehearsing for a 2006 USO tour; Franken also was photographed with his hands over her breasts as she slept. Franken has apologized, while maintaining that he remembered the rehearsal differently. (AP, 11/24/17) Subsequently, several more women have come forward accusing Franken of having groped them while posing for pictures with them. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/30/17)
Offensive Catholic fare: Franken has a history of mocking priests, and indeed the entire Catholic Church, for sexual offenses. (Catholic League, 11/16/2017) Here is a sampling of his virulent anti-Catholicism:
• He has mocked the Eucharist
• He has ridiculed the crucifixion of Jesus
• He has slandered all priests as molesters
• He has belittled practicing Catholics (e.g., Knights of Columbus)
• He has disparaged the Church’s teaching on embryonic stem cell research
• He made crude jokes about a dying woman, Terri Schiavo, and then misrepresented her condition by passing her off as already dead
• He once called New York Archbishop John Cardinal O’Connor “an a**hole.” (Catholic League, 10/27/2008)
PART II
ENABLERS OF MEN ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
WHO HAVE A RECORD OF ANTI-CATHOLIC OFFENSES
ENTERTAINMENT:
Matt Damon confirmed to “Good Morning America” that both he and Ben Affleck knew about Harvey Weinstein’s alleged harassment of Gwyneth Paltrow in the late 1990s. (Flare, 11/26/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• September 23, 2010, on NBC’s season premier of “30 Rock” Damon and Tina Fey did a skit in which they were playing characters who are romantically involved and trying to get to know each other better. After they agreed to each tell something about themselves that the other does not know, Damon made the crack that “I was touched by a priest—it’s fine.” (Catholic League, 11/15/2010)
• In 1999, Damon and Affleck both starred in the anti-Catholic movie “Dogma.” The plot was an irreverent look at Catholicism, one that maintained that Mary and Joseph had sexual relations; Mary gives birth to a daughter who works in an abortion clinic. God (played by Alanis Morissette) and the apostles (a foul-mouthed 13th is introduced) are also subjected to director Kevin Smith’s brand of humor. (Catholic League, 10/6/2014)
Alec Baldwin: Was close friends with James Toback, working together on many films, and was at first silent on abuse allegations against Toback. Then he claimed not to know anything about them. Then he defended Toback’s character. (NY Daily News, 10/31/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: In a burst of anger directed at a photographer Baldwin disliked, he said, “You must have been raped by a priest.” (Catholic League, 9/18/2002)
Sarah Silverman: Criticized Louis C.K. for his sexual abuse of women, but also blamed “the culture that enabled it.” (Washington Post.com, 11/17/2017) This is astonishing, given that she has played a significant role in contributing to the debasement of our culture.
Offensive Catholic fare: Has a long history of anti-Catholic rants, including:
• A Christmas morning tweet (2015), “Merry Christmas! Jesus was gender fluid.”
• Mocked Christians’ “filthy foreheads” on Ash Wednesday (2015)
• Acted out a skit (2014) in which Jesus endorses abortion, refers to himself as “Jesus F***ing Christ” and rubs her sexually
• Defamed Pope Benedict XVI as having had “involvement in the Holocaust.”
• Portrayed herself (2007) as having sex with God (Catholic League, 12/28/2015)
Bill Maher: On his November 17, 2017 HBO show, “Real Time with Bill Maher,” commenting on Al Franken, Maher said, “He did a bad thing, and the condemnation has been universal, which he deserves. What he doesn’t deserve is to be lumped in with Roy Moore, or Kevin Spacey, or Harvey Weinstein. Or Donald Trump!” (deathrattlesports.com, 11/20/2017) On that same show, Maher proved once again what a coward he is. He had ample opportunity to discuss the pathologically sick acts of Louis C.K., but just like the week before, he never addressed him by name, opting to make light of his conduct. (Catholic League, 11/20/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: No one has been more obscene, and more relentless, in attacking the pope, cardinals, bishops, and priests than Bill Maher. Here are some particularly egregious examples:
• November 17, 2017, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO]: “Since this is our last show before Christmas, let’s never lose sight of the true meaning of the season. It’s not about presents and fruit cake and putting up extra lights to show you love Jesus more than your neighbor. It’s about a teenage virgin getting knocked up by God.”
• November 10, 2017, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO]: Criticizing statements by Alabama state auditor Jim Zeigler comparing Senate candidate Roy Moore’s alleged behavior to Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus, Maher said, “Using Jesus to justify child molestation? I mean, even Catholics went, ‘Tried it, doesn’t work.'”
• August 11, 2017, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO]: “Criticism of religion is not the same thing as bigotry. I went through this with the Catholic Church ten years ago. They wanted to throw me off television, and they were like ‘You’re anti-Catholic.’ I’m not anti-Catholic, I’m anti child-f***ing….”
• January 16, 2015, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO]: After Pope Francis implored us not to insult other people’s religions, Bill Maher responded during his show by saying, “He’s dead to me now. Oh yeah, F*** the Pope.”
• May 16, 2014, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO]: “This week Pope Francis said he would baptize aliens if they came to Earth. I love you, Frank, but that is some Mitt Romney-level crazy pope. I’m pretty sure any beings advanced enough to travel hundreds of light years aren’t that interested in getting sprinkled with magic water. Besides, given the past history of fondling and groping, the last thing the Church needs is a 50-foot-priest with six arms.”
• July 19, 2013, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO]: “This is World Youth Day for the Catholic Church…I mean this is a big jamboree—look at that! This is where all the kids in the world get together with priests. What could go wrong?”
• May 10, 2013, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO]: “I think the reason why more rapists go into the military is the same reason why predators go into the Catholic Church: it’s a place they know they can get away with it.”
• March 22, 2013, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO]: After labeling Pope Francis a “virgin bachelor,” Maher opined, “What other business could you be in where your company gets caught running a child sex ring since forever and you still keep your customers?”
• February 15, 2013, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO] on the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI: “Pope Benedict told Vatican Radio…he was going to resign because the Church needs a fresh, young face, somewhere other than a priest’s lap.”
• February 11, 2013, “Conan” [TBS]: “98% of Catholics use birth control and the only ones who don’t are the priests. They would if altar boys could get pregnant.”
• October 12, 2012, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO] on the vice presidential debate between Congressman Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden: “I have not seen an old Catholic guy give it to a young Catholic guy like that since I was an altar boy.”
• May 2003, “Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home,” Maher’s Broadway show: “What’s the reason for this insanity?” Maher had been discussing Islam. “One word: religion. The Catholics got away with f***ing kids.” When the audience gave a mixed reaction, he said, “Oh come on! Get the rod out of your a**!” He then impersonated an altar boy saying to a priest, “Put some more lotion on, Father,” and said, “Holy lubricant, Father!”
• August 9, 2000, “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher” [ABC] on sex abuse: “Look, it’s a fact of life. Priests, a lot of times, molest boys, okay? They are celibate and it’s a magnet for homosexual pedophiles.”
• March 20, 2000, “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher” [ABC] on the Annunciation: Maher commented that the Archangel Gabriel didn’t tell Mary she was pregnant with Jesus, he showed her his “horn had turned pink.”
• March 9, 2000, “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher” [ABC] on the celibate priesthood: “Priests are supposed to be celibate. They’re not having sex with women….Just with the boys.” (Catholic League’s special report, Bill Maher’s History Of Anti-Catholicism, 1998-2017, on the Catholic League website)
Chelsea Handler: Told Maher, “I agree with you on Al Franken. I’m sorry, he’s not a predator. Anybody who knows him knows that’s not true. He made a mistake, absolutely, but he’s not a predator.” (Deadline, 11/17/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: Constant thrashing of Pope Francis:
• June 4, 2014, on Pope Francis urging married couples not to see dogs and cats as substitutes for children: “And like you would know about having children—you’re a gay priest.” (Catholic League, 6/5/2014)
• November 8, 2013, on Pope Francis being on Forbes list of most powerful people in the world: “That’s interesting since he’s never had penetration. How can he be that powerful?” (Catholic League, 11/11/2013)
• December 3, 2013, on Francis having once been a bouncer: “I’m thinking that he’s so liberal—he’s right around the corner from taking confession through a glory hole.” (Catalyst, January-February 2014)
Howard Stern: On his SiriusXM show, Stern recalled a 2014 interview with Harvey Weinstein in which he asked the producer whether he ever used his position to engage in sexual activity with women. Weinstein denied it. On his show, Stern said he never bought Weinstein’s claim, declaring: “I knew he was lying. I knew it.” (People, 10/20/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• In June 2001, porn star Rebecca Lord complained on the “Howard Stern Show” on E! Entertainment about the Catholic Church being critical of her line of work. At that point Stern jumped in saying, “Catholic priests are having sex with young boys.” He added that those who work in the pornography industry were healthier than Catholic priests. In an angry voice, Stern charged that priests show boys pornography so they can molest them. (Catholic League, 7/2/2001)
• On Ash Wednesday, 1997, on his radio talk show, Stern did a mock blessing with cigar ashes. (Catalyst, April 1997)
• On September 24, 1996, referring to priests as “fakes” preoccupied with abortion, Stern opined “Meanwhile they’re out getting oral sex from guys.” (Catalyst, November 1996)
Seth MacFarlane: Announcing the Oscar nominations for best supporting actress in 2013, he cracked a now infamous joke: “Congratulations, you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein.” MacFarlane has explained that he made the quip after his Ted co-star Jessica Barth told him about Weinstein’s attempted advances two years earlier. (BBC News, 10/12/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• MacFarlane has offended Catholics numerous times, from repeatedly mocking the Eucharist, to slandering gay priests, to promoting dishonest myths about the Inquisition. On the January 25, 2016, “Real Time with Bill Maher” [HBO], Maher told MacFarlane: “…you’re so lucky that you do cartoons because the things you get away with in cartoons—I’m so jealous of …” The example he chose, predictably, was the repugnant December 7, 2014 episode of “Family Guy”(MacFarlane is the creator). Titled, “The 2000-Year-Old-Virgin,” it defiled Jesus. “I saw your show, it was a repeat, I know,” Maher recounted. “Jesus was f***ing Peter’s wife, but it was a scam. He was f***ing a lot of people’s wives—and this was your Christmas show.” Maher, MacFarlane and the “Real Time” audience then shared a good laugh. (Catholic League, 1/25/2016)
• In the October 19, 2008 episode of FOX’s Family Guy one character, a Nazi officer asked if the character “Mort” is “a real priest.” Another character, Stewie, replies, “Yeah, yeah, I can vouch for him, he’s real. He’s molested me many, many times.” (Catholic League, 10/21/2008.)
Whoopi Goldberg: On an episode of “The View” (November 17, 2014), defended Bill Cosby, accused by some 20 women of raping or otherwise sexually assaulting them. Questioning lack of evidence in some cases, she said “we’ll wait and find out what happens.”(Catholic League, 12/4/2014) She also defended Roman Polanski, saying of his admitted rape of a 13-year-old girl, “I don’t believe it was ‘rape-rape.'” (Catholic League, 11/1/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• Blasted the Church for excommunicating a nun who allowed abortion (Catholic League, 12/22/2010)
• Walked out of “The View” because Bill O’Reilly criticized Muslims, despite her constant bashing of Catholics (Catholic League, 11/15/2010)
• Bashed Catholic Church teaching on communion and abortion (Catholic League, 11/23/2009)
• Called the Church “intolerant” and accused it of writing new sins (Catholic League, 2/18/2009)
Rosie O’Donnell: Said Weinstein allegations didn’t surprise her and that she had known him and known “of him” for a long time; also said she knew about Kevin Spacey’s behavior. (E! Online, November 2017; Hotair.com, 10/30/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: Inveterate Catholic basher. Just a few examples:
• Ridiculed Eucharist many times, said celibacy was “not normal,” said Catholics don’t read the Bible, misstated facts about the pope and sexual abuse, supported partial-birth abortion, said radical Christianity is akin to terrorism (Catholic League, 7/26/2007)
• Blasted Pope Benedict XVI, lied about sex abuse scandal (Catholic League, 11/7/2006)
Jane Fonda: Admitted in an interview with Christiane Amanpour on October 12 that she “found out about Harvey about a year ago.” She added that she was “ashamed that I didn’t say anything right then” but said she stayed silent “because I guess it hadn’t happened to me and so I didn’t feel it was my place.” She said that her knowledge of Weinstein’s alleged behavior came from Rosanna Arquette—one of the 13 women who came forward with sexual harassment allegations against Weinstein in the New Yorker. (People, 10/20/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: Portrayed an anti-Catholic woman in the offensive movie “Agnes of God.” (Catholic League, 6/5/1997)
Harvey Weinstein: Organized a petition, signed by more than 100 prominent filmmakers, actors, producers, and technicians defending the rights of admitted child rapist Roman Polanski. Weinstein referred to the rape—in which Polanski plied the child with alcohol and drugs, and then raped her orally, vaginally, and anally—as a “so-called crime.” (Catholic League, 11/1/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: Long history of making anti-Catholic movies:
• In 1995, Harvey Weinstein and his brother, Bob, offered us “Priest,” a film featuring nothing but miscreant priests
• In 1999, we were treated to “Dogma,” where the audience learned of a descendant of Mary and Joseph who works in an abortion clinic
• In 2002, they released “40 Days and 40 Nights,” a film that ridiculed a Catholic for giving up sex for Lent
• Also opening in 2002 was “The Magdalene Sisters,” a movie that smeared nuns
• In 2003, “Bad Santa” opened for the holidays; Santa was cast as a chain-smoking, drunken, foul-mouthed, suicidal, sexual predator
• In 2006, “Black Christmas” made a predictably dark statement about the holiday
• “Philomena” was released in 2013. It is a tale of malicious lies about Irish nuns and the Church (Harvey lobbied hard for an Oscar, but came up empty). In real life, Philomena Lee was a teenager who abandoned her out-of-wedlock son, and who, because of the good efforts of the nuns, was adopted by an American couple. (Catalyst, November 2017)
Martin Scorsese: One of more than 100 prominent filmmakers, actors, producers, and technicians who signed a petition defending the rights of admitted child rapist Roman Polanski. (Breitbart, 10/15/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: A scene from “Boardwalk Empire” (executive producer, Martin Scorsese) in November 2010 that was particularly vile: several middle-age men are sitting around watching old movies. What they find terribly amusing is a shot of a nun on her hands and knees being penetrated from behind, and another which shows a man performing cunnilingus on her. There is nothing left to the imagination—this was graphic pornography. (Catholic League, 11/12/2010)
Stephen Frears: Signed Polanski petition. (Breitbart, 10/15/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: Director of anti-Catholic movie “Philomena.” Released in 2013, it is a tale of malicious lies about Irish nuns and the Church. In real life, Philomena Lee was a teenager who abandoned her out-of-wedlock son, and who, because of the good efforts of the nuns, was adopted by an American couple. (Catholic League, 3/13/2014)
Terry Zwigoff: Signed Polanski petition. (Breitbart 10/15/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: Directed the extremely vulgar Weinstein movie, “Bad Santa” (2003). Santa in “Bad Santa”…is a chain-smoking, drunken, foul-mouthed, suicidal, sexual predator. He is shown soiling himself in Santa’s chair, vomiting in alleys, having sex with a woman bartender in a car, and performing anal sex on a huge woman in a dressing room. And his commentary in front of kids is replete with the “F-word.” (Catholic League, 11/20/2003)
John Landis: Signed Polanski petition. (CNN 10/1/2009)
Offensive Catholic fare: In 2004 the Bravo Network aired a Halloween special, “The 100 Scariest Movie Moments” hosted by John Landis. In commenting on “The Exorcist,” he said, “It took a completely unbelievable situation and made it seem realistic, that the devil would take over a young girl and the Catholic Church would be the good protecting us from evil—when they weren’t molesting young boys….” (Our emphasis.) (Catholic League, 2004 Report on Anti-Catholicism)
Other Celebs Who Have Defended Roman Polanski Publically (IMDb)
Woody Allen
Offensive Catholic fare: In 2000, Allen starred in the movie “Picking Up the Pieces,” that thrashed Catholicism from beginning to end, featuring, among other things, a priest who is having sex with a prostitute. (Catholic League, 5/24/2000)
Pedro Almodóvar
Offensive Catholic fare: Films depicting a predatory homosexual priest (Catholic League, 11/19/2004) and a pregnant, HIV-infected nun. (Catholic League, 11/17/1999)
Costa-Gavras
Offensive Catholic fare: Directed “Amen,” a film that scapegoated the Catholic Church about a German SS officer who allegedly tells a priest what was happening to the Jews during the Holocaust and the subsequent refusal of Pope Pius XII to do anything about it. (Catholic League, 2/14/2002)
MEDIA:
New York Times: Sharon Waxman, a former reporter at the Times, writes in The Wrap how she had the story on Weinstein in 2004—and then he bullied the Times into dropping it. Jonathan Landman, Waxman’s editor at the Times, asked her why it mattered. After all, he told Waxman, “he’s not a publicly elected official.” (The Weekly Standard, 10/9/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: There are numerous instances of New York Times anti-Catholic bias, from its maligning St. Junipero Serra (Catholic League, 10/7/2015); some of its coverage of the Irish “mass grave” hoax (Catholic League, 11/2/2017); double standard on art “censorship”(Catholic League, 10/6/2017). Most flagrant has been its treatment of sexual abuse of minors:
• Maligning the record of Church leaders like Cardinals Dolan and Egan (Catholic League, 10/17/2016; Catholic League, 3/6/2015)
• Failure to cover sexual abuse in other religions, i.e. Orthodox yeshiva’s $2.1 million settlement of child sexual abuse case (Catholic League 10/26/2016)
• Hiring Mark Thompson while ignoring his connection, as a BBC executive, to Jimmy Savile, who, according to MailOnline, was “a ‘classic’ child abuser, targeting vulnerable youngsters at schools, hospitals and children’s homes….He plied them with treats—under the noses of teachers, doctors and BBC managers—and took them for rides in his Rolls-Royce….Savile sexually abused them in his car, his BBC dressing room, on hospital wards and in the bedrooms of girls at Duncroft boarding school in Surrey.” Former BBC chief Mark Thompson says it’s all news to him, though the evidence does not support his contention. (Catholic League, 12/19/2012)
Jill Abramson, former executive editor at New York Times: Once served as deputy to Michael Oreskes, she recently confirmed to the Washington Post a description of his questionable interactions with a young female employee then at the Times. Abramson said she wished she had said something about Oreskes’ conduct. (New York Times, 10/31/2017) Contrast that with the book Abramson co-wrote in 1995, “Strange Justice: the Selling of Clarence Thomas” which savaged Thomas and embraced unquestioningly all of Anita Hill’s allegations against him. (Tod Lindberg, Commentary, 2/1/1995)
Offensive Catholic fare: Abramson was one of the judges who awarded the $10,000 Worth Bingham Prize for 2002 to the staff of the Boston Globe for its continuing series of stories on the clergy sexual abuse scandal. (Boston Globe, 2/4/2003)
Tina Brown: Used to run Talk, Weinstein-funded and co-founded magazine. She is “dear” friends with Charlie Rose, stating: “I didn’t know anything about it, actually, and at the time….I was so exercised and energized about what had just happened to Harvey that I was focused on him—I wasn’t looking around for everybody else that I knew for, well, what’s happening now.” (W Magazine, 12/3/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• We asked her to make a statement condemning the Weinsteins suing us for “inciting violence,” which she never did. (Catholic League, 7/17/1999)
• When Brown was with the New Yorker, she was approached by one of her writers, Paul Wilkes, who suggested a profile on a Massachusetts rabbi. When Wilkes described the rabbi as “a seeker of truth,” Brown’s “eyes glazed over.” She then told Wilkes, “How about a profile of Bruce Ritter?” Father Ritter, who had recently died, left Covenant House after charges of pedophilia were made. (Catholic League, 12/26/1999)
Barbara Walters: In a 2013 interview on “the View,” as Corey Feldman told of the culture of pedophilia in Hollywood, Walters told him, “You’re damaging an entire industry.”(Daily News, 10/17/2017) She also made headlines in 2014 for defending Woody Allen amid resurfaced molestation allegations. (foxnews.com, 10/17/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• Co-Producer and moderator of “The View.” She did nothing to stop anti-Catholic assaults by hosts. (Catholic League, 11/12/2005)
• Admonished hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg for walking off set during a comment Bill O’Reilly made about Muslims but not for their many anti-Catholic rants (Catholic League, 11/15/2010)
• Defended Goldberg’s anti-Catholicism and suggested prostitution should be allowed by Church (Catholic League, 7/26/2007)
• Mocked sexual teachings of Catholic Church (Catholic League, 11/12/2005)
Joy Behar: When it came to Bill Clinton’s victims, she called them “tramps.” Now, she defends Al Franken, saying he shouldn’t resign. A picture of her with Al Franken grabbing her breast surfaced. (100percentfedup.com, 11/20/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• Blasted the Church for excommunicating a nun who allowed abortion (Catholic League, 12/22/2010)
• Walked out on Bill O’Reilly due to Muslim statement despite constant bashing of Catholics (Catholic League, 11/15/2011)
• Mocked Catholic school which did not allow lesbian family (Catholic League, 3/16/2010)
• Bashed Church teaching on communion (Catholic League, 11/23/2009)
• Referred to her Catholic years as being “brainwashed” (Catholic League, 6/3/2009)
• More than once bashed all priests as pedophiles (Catholic League, 2/18/2009)
• Mocked Baptism and the crucifixion. She accused Catholics of not reading the Bible and suggested the Church is superstitious. To top things off, she insulted nuns and defended anti-Catholicism. (Catholic League, 7/26/2007)
• Called all priests drunks (Catholic League, 11/7/2006 )
Cokie Roberts: Talking about allegations of abuse against Rep. John Conyers, said, “I mean, we all talked about for years, ‘don’t get in the elevator with him,’ you know, and the whole every female in the press corps knew that, right, don’t get in the elevator with him.” (Newsbusters, 11/28/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: In 2012, Steve and Cokie Roberts attacked Vatican efforts to reform the LCWR, an organization of liberal nuns: “Really? Women religious in America will now have a bishop grading their morals? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Given the sex-abuse scandals— in which many Roman Catholic bishops looked the other way at best and moved child molesters from parish to parish, perpetrating evil, at worst— you would think that a ruler rap on the hierarchical knuckles would be in order.” (News Tribune, 4/27/2012)
POLITICS:
Bill and Hillary Clinton: Harvey Weinstein has long been a major contributor and fund-raiser for Bill and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns. He also donated $10,000 (the maximum allowed) to Bill Clinton’s legal defense fund in response to the Monica Lewinsky scandal and subsequent impeachment. Now Lena Dunham and Tina Brown say that they warned top people in Hillary’s presidential campaigns about Weinstein’s sexual sleaziness and misconduct.
Brown said she cautioned members of Clinton’s inner circle during Hillary’s 2008 presidential campaign. “I was hearing that Harvey’s sleaziness with women had escalated since I left Talk in 2002 and she was unwise to be so closely associated with him,” Brown said.
Dunham, a vocal Clinton supporter, said that in March 2016 she told Kristina Schake, the Clinton campaign’s deputy communications director, “I just want to let you know that Harvey’s a rapist and this is going to come out at some point.” She recalled adding, “I think it’s a really bad idea for him to host fund-raisers and be involved because it’s an open secret in Hollywood that he has a problem with sexual assault.” Dunham said Schake seemed surprised, and said she would tell campaign manager Robby Mook. Dunham said as the Democratic National Convention approached in summer 2016, she also warned Adrienne Elrod, a spokeswoman for Hillary who was leading efforts with celebrity campaigners. But Dunham saw no evidence that the campaign had responded to her warnings, and weeks before Election Day Weinstein hosted a star-packed fund-raiser for Clinton.
Days after the election defeat, Bill and Hillary had dinner with Weinstein, lawyer David Boies and their wives. (New York Times, 12/6/2017)
When the Weinstein scandal broke in October, it took Hillary five days to issue a statement condemning him. (foxnews.com, 10/16/17)
Offensive Catholic fare:
• In 2016, Hillary’s presidential campaign leaders were revealed in a WikiLeaks document to have been engaged in anti-Catholicism. Jennifer Palmieri, communications director, mocked Catholics with left-wing activist John Halpin, who called Catholicism a “bastardization of the faith” and said it had “severely backwards gender relations.” (Catholic League 11/21/2016)
• John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, plotted with a left-wing friend to start a Catholic “revolution” and admitted to creating phony Catholic groups intended to sabotage the Church from within. Hillary refused to address this and refused to sanction or fire these staff members. (Catholic League, 11/21/2016)
• Speaking about abortion, candidate Hillary Clinton said that “religious beliefs” must change in order for progress to be made (Catholic League, 11/21/2016)
• President Bill Clinton nominated anti-Catholic homosexual activist James Hormel as Ambassador to Luxembourg, who refused to distance himself from the anti-Catholic Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (Catholic League, 3/30/1999)
• President Bill Clinton instituted extreme pro-abortion policies, including allowing federally-funded family planning clinics to give abortion counseling, funding fetal research, allowing U.S. funding of overseas abortions, and trying to reverse the Hyde Amendment. Because these policies were put in place on the 20th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, it was seen as a direct attack on Catholics and pro-lifers. (Catholic League, 3/27/1995)
• President Bill Clinton hired as Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders, who pushed for widespread condom distribution among teens and said pro-lifers were not Christians and had “slave-master mentalities,” saying they should get over their “love affair with the fetus.” Her antipathy towards Catholicism included accusing the Church of being “silent” about the Holocaust, blaming the Church for slavery and the plight of Native Americans, and calling it a “celibate, male-dominated” institution. (Catholic League, 3/27/1995)
• President Bill Clinton’s State Department spokeswoman Faith Mitchell suggested the Vatican’s opposition to Clinton-backed Cairo conference, which sought to redefine the family, was because “the conference is really calling for a new role for women.” The Cairo conference was an anti-Catholic event that required later White House discipline. (Catholic League 3/27/1995)
• President Bill Clinton’s Ambassador to the Vatican admitted he was “embarrassed” about the “ugly anti-Catholic bias” in the Clinton administration (Catholic League, 3/27/1995)
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo: Despite William Hoyt’s history of sexual misconduct while in the state Assembly, Cuomo hired him as a regional president of Empire State Development Corp. in 2011. Now Cuomo is named in a lawsuit for having allegedly shown “deliberate indifference” no less than six times, to complaints that Hoyt had sexually manipulated, harassed and assaulted a female state employee. (nypost.com, 11/18/2017)
Offensive Catholic fare: In January 2014, Cuomo declared that pro-life activists, along with defenders of traditional marriage “have no place in the state of New York,” thus attacking the religious freedom of faithful Catholics. (Catholic League, 1/23/2014)
