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ROBERT PATTINSON ON STATUTORY RAPE

POSTED BY Jame Gumb | WEDNESDAY AUGUST 26 AT 10:03 PDT 
General - Movies

By Robert Pattinson*

When it comes to celebrities speaking out on political issues, many think we should simply shut up and act. However, I feel it is more important to be true to myself than to satisfy any preconceived notation of what a celebrity can and cannot say.  So today I speak to you not as Twilight’s Robert Pattinson, the actor adored by millions of teen and pre-teen girls alike. Instead, I speak to you as Robert Pattinson, an individual who can no longer remain silent while a terrible injustice goes unchallenged from New York to New Zealand. Of course, I’m talking about so-called “statutory rape” laws. Governments continue to enforce these draconian mandates from a bygone, puritanical era, and I for one think it’s high time we put a stop to it.

The original purpose of these outdated, sexist laws was to protect the virginity of young, unwed girls. The thinking at the time was that if an unwed girl lost her virginity her family would not be able to find her a willing spouse. Clearly society has evolved beyond the point where we treat a young girl like a head of cattle that is to be bought and sold. We no longer expect a girl’s family to "find" her a husband or pay the groom a dowry. So why do we still act like a 16-year-old girl’s virginity is so special?  It isn’t! Trust me.

Another problem with the idea of statutory rape is the arbitrary nature of the so-called “age of consent.” In some jurisdictions, such as California, the age of consent is a staggering 18-years old, which is well beyond a typical girl’s “celebrity crush” phase. In more progressive areas such as Arkansas and Albania, the age of consent can be as low as 14. Now, am I to believe that a random 14-year-old girl in Arkansas is somehow more mature and better able to choose a sex partner than a hypothetical 16-and-a-half year-old girl from Santa Monica who, as it happens, lives twenty minutes away and is totally obsessed with vampires? Who in the hell decided that?  Hitler?



While their sexist and arbitrary nature is evident, perhaps even more disturbing is the effect these laws have on our personal liberties. Western democracies have long prided themselves on the individual freedoms granted to their citizens. The United States goes as far as to call these rights inalienable. In the U.S., an citizen can walk into a gun store and walk out with a fully-automatic weapon. He can speak his mind freely, even if his views are considered to be offensive or pornographic. He can join any religion or group he wishes, including any number of racist and radical organizations. But if that same individual has consensual sex with a 15-year-old girl sporting a chest so big she could totally pass for 19 (assuming her mouth is closed and you can‘t see her braces), they‘ll lock him up and throw away the key. So much for the land of the free.

I know for many the knee-jerk reaction will be to dismiss what I’m saying because I’m an actor, not a scholar or a pundit. To those people I ask that you attack my argument, not my career choice. I also know that many people will argue that these laws are in place to protect children. I ask them to remember that we are not talking about children. What we are talking about is consensual sex with pubescent and post-pubescent girls who will probably just end up losing their virginity to some 17-year-old scuzzball at the bowling alley anyway. So why not level the playing field? There’s already grass on it.

This editorial is dedicated to Roman Polanski.

* Not so much.

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  1. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 02:39 pm CLEARLY you were not raised by a loving mother, or you would not have become a mysogynistic pig. STFU, Matthews.
  2. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 02:44 pm Using his name for your crap is in bad taste!
  3. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 02:44 pm Take this crap down, this is NOT Robert Pattinson!
  4. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 02:44 pm hope rob pattinson's lawyers kick your ass in court over this shizz
  5. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 02:52 pm i believe he is right i dont agree...but he is right
  6. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 02:54 pm wow how badly do you need the money someone is paying you to write this crap someone should and hopefully will sue the ass off you that is so not how the real rob would talk about something like a young girls virginity thats just cruel.
  7. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 02:55 pm You suck! This site must be desparate and have to use Robert Pattinson's name to get some attention. Very, very sad.
  8. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 03:14 pm Wow... I hope you have fun dealing with Rob's lawyers. This is ridiculous. Not funny. At all.
  9. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 03:23 pm If this was an attempt at humour it failed miserably. If it was a cheap grab for hits and traffic - then you'll get your wish. I hope he sues - there will be plenty of stupid people who think he actually said this, which is defamation of character.
  10. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 03:27 pm your sick using his name on a sensitive subject like that that is just so low what a disgrace
  11. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 03:34 pm Pathetic - anyone with a brain know's he would not even come close to associating himself with this or you...and just so you know...this link and it's content has been sent to his agent..hope he sues you're ass...
  12. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 03:47 pm Sure am glad you feel that way cuz I'm 40 and you are just hours older than my oldest daughter... So I should not feel guilty for wanting 'consensual sex' with a 23yr old man...yay! But, you know what they say about older women ;o)~ Seriously though, here in California if you are under 18 and have 'consensual' sex with someone over that age of 18 noone else can press charges against that person for rape. Example: if a girl of sixteen becomes pregnant by her 18-19yr old boyfriend, her parents can not decide to press charges against him for rape because, well...you can't rape the willing. The law was put in place to protect children involved in actual 'rape' cases. Not to keep minors from having sex with their boy/girlfriend.
  13. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 03:52 pm WOW! What a tosser. I've forwarded this to Mr. Pattinson's representation. FUCKING ASSHOLE.
  14. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 03:54 pm You, Mr. Matthews are what we call a FUCKING JERKOFF
  15. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 03:57 pm LOL. Robert is kewt!
  16. MIKE TYSON Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 04:02 pm I can think of a few other rape laws that should be repealed while we're at it.
  17. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 04:44 pm OMG,If I were you,I would delete this before a big law suit falls on your lap!That isn´t cool man,don´t use Rob name like that!
  18. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 04:57 pm Mike~ take a chill pill dude, that was years ago...time served.
  19. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 05:10 pm Oh. Are we really that uptight people? Jezus. No wonder politicans make a habit of getting arrested for doing in secret what they prosecute in public. Beware the soapbox people and lighten up. Has some valid points there too. Not PC, but valid.
  20. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 05:33 pm You should just use Pauly Shores name. I think that would have gone over much more successfully. I do think you should at least include Woody Allen in the dedication, though.
  21. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 05:33 pm You should just use Pauly Shore's name. I think that would have gone over much more successfully. I do think you should at least include Woody Allen in the dedication, though.
  22. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 06:02 pm Joking or not... Rape is a serious topic and should never be used for something so flippant as 'hits to your site. You should be ashamed of yourself. I hope you get sued.
  23. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 06:45 pm Dude take this shit down quick. I like screenjunkies and i don't want to see you shut down for posting an article that isn't even in the slightest bit funny. I wouldn't mind if it was witty but its really poorly written and just poking for fun at Robert Pattinson for the sake of it
  24. Says:
    August 26th, 2009 at 06:50 pm Take this sh** down. I hope Rob sues your a**. THis is defamation of his character. You had better think next time before you pull this sh** again. Rob would never say that. Take this sonofab****in article down. You press people have sunk to a new low.
  25. Says:
    August 27th, 2009 at 12:50 am Dude, I agree with some of what you said but did you have to use Rob Pattinson? I mean he seems like a decent guy and this is kinda out of characterfor him, I am sure there is some other celeb you could have used. Now onto what you said...as twisted and sick as it was to read, some of it was true. BTW, I am a female AND a mother, so no one get your panties in a wad.
  26. Says:
    August 27th, 2009 at 08:05 am Roman Polanski was 44 years old and had sex with a 13 year old girl after giving her champagne and Quaaludes... he drugged her then had sex with her we call that many things in this country I know the word petafile comes to mind... there’s no way I think that Robert Pattinson wrote this and I hope his lawyers tear you apart.... there's one thing of a few years difference and it being consensual and another to be drugged and raped by some one over twice your age
  27. Says:
    August 27th, 2009 at 11:02 am I personally think you are very clever and funny. I am amazed at the idiots that have responded so vehemently. Stupid stupid people. lighten up and think before you respond.
  28. Says:
    August 27th, 2009 at 11:09 am Yeah guys. I would never expect Robert to say such things. Cam Gigandet however....
  29. Says:
    August 27th, 2009 at 11:10 am by the way. There is a HUGE difference between STATUTORY RAPE and RAPE. Statutory rape is illegal sexual activity between two people when it would otherwise be legal if not for their age In accordance with the FBI definition, statutory rape is characterized as non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is younger than the statutory age of consent. Rape is a violent crime based on HATE. Idiots
  30. Says:
    August 27th, 2009 at 11:19 am Couldn't you all have picked a less attractive celebrity? Robert Pattison HAS NO FLAWS.
  31. Says:
    August 28th, 2009 at 12:14 am Pattinson's lawyers can't do anything, quit being teenage crybabies. Satire is protected speech, morons.
  32. Says:
    August 28th, 2009 at 12:16 am SATIRE IS PROTECTED SPEECH. THE SUPREME COURT ALREADY HAS THIS ONE. STOP BEING STUPID.
  33. Says:
    August 28th, 2009 at 06:14 am Man, you Twifans are fuckin' dumb. 1) it's a joke 2) it's protected free speech 3) you're all sad little people with no lives That is all
  34. Says:
    August 28th, 2009 at 07:18 pm HAHAHA the retarded Twilight fans comments were funnier the the actual story!
  35. Says:
    August 29th, 2009 at 08:48 am The story was weak. The reactions were priceless
  36. Says:
    September 20th, 2009 at 02:17 pm so i am a female and i agree with u! it is a law that allows innocent people to suffer! every girl goes threw the stage of craven a older guys attention. girls these days are built like 23year olds. they will lie just to have sex with a older guy and not give a damn if the guy is charged statutory rape and goes to jail. so all of you other women who posted comments talking shit about his opinion,cut the bullshit and think back to when you were 15! you lied,and craved that attention from a older guy
  37. Says:
    November 1st, 2009 at 03:05 am I think this is all totaly wrong. Bcuz let me tell u a liltle story i was 14 years old female when a 27 year male started flirting with me then he would start touching my boobs and make me feel special like i was the only girl in the world. I was still 14 years old oh and did i mention that he mad me feel so bad about wearing a condom that i decided we did not need 1 only to find out that he was sleeping with many other girls without a condom aswell. Im am 20 years old now and every time i think about this which is every day i might add i feel like i did not have a choice sure i said yes but i was 14 and he was 27 you dont really have a choice cuase an adult knows exactly what 2 say 2 get 2 believe them. I was a virgin at the time 2 and i feek sick 2 my stomach knowing that he was my first and it even brings me 2 tears knowing what i did with him i wish i could just 4get. So that law is there to punish ppl like him who not only did this to me but other young girls aswell but apparently there crazy and its not his fault so the family says anyway. So fuck you because i believe the only reason you say shit like that is probably cause your some old guy who wants to do it with someone under age and you wish it wasnt against the law. OH and he knew exactly how old i was he was my sister husbands brother he knew.
  38. Says:
    November 15th, 2009 at 08:58 am You wouldnt feel that way if you actually WERE the only one. You are just saying you felt like you didnt have a choice because you were just another number.
  39. Says:
    December 7th, 2009 at 04:26 am Disgusting
  40. Says:
    December 9th, 2009 at 06:53 pm "You wouldnt feel that way if you actually WERE the only one. You are just saying you felt like you didnt have a choice because you were just another number." You're a cruel person to say that in response to someone who's clearly speaking from the heart about a serious subject matter. Her point, which I think you're really actually aware of, was not about jealousy it was about a pattern of behaviour. Good job btw on this story it brought about all these niceties. It truly wasn't even funny. Fail. Oh, and Roman Polanski drugged and used alcohol, so that's straight up rape and coercion by definition.
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