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HANDS UP ANYONE WHO'S MADE MISTAKES IN THEIR LIFETIME

posted 10 years ago by faithisagoodthing
11 replies | jump to latest

Reading the various messages on this board, I felt I needed to undertake this thread. I'm a strong supporter of Franco, but I never saw this coming.

Extremely, disappointing but he did nothing WRONG in accordance with the law, just an idiotic mistake but who hasn't (even the haters, must have done something wrong once in their lives), and hopefully, it will not affect his career in the long run.

However, we all must remember the following:

Proverbs 28:13
"Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."

or

Matthew 7:1
"Judge not, that you be not judged."

What we can all learn from this experience though:

1. James Franco does in fact manage his own Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Accounts, no PR team behind it and he's a fast texter.

2. He likes beautiful blondes, this one just happens to be 17 yrs old (who knew how to ask the right questions and get evidence) BUT still legal = hopefully, his first and LAST (YIKES).

IMPORTANTLY: Nothing actually happened in the END.

NOTE: Not sure why, a grown man would be interested in a 17 yrs old BUT that's his choice (in a legal State), as long as they're all in consenting agreement.

3. All this questions about whether he's straight/gay/bi - well this gives a clearer picture. Importantly, it's none of anyone's business what his preferences are (as long as they're legal) but the outcry from this story is insane. He's not the first celebrity to do this in history.

Might NOT be right (in my BOOK) but it happens in all walks of life.

4. Clearly, no one is perfect NOT EVEN A FRANCO (I know SHOCKING), but the type of names he's being called across the internet is shocking.

5. Remember, with some people it depends on your definition of an old guy. He's only 35 yrs old (36 soon), so to me that's not old and he is certainly not creepy but very talented (who lost his way slightly on this occasion, even for a smart man it happens).

What's more note the following stars with age gap relationships (past or present):

1. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes - 16 yrs
2. Aaron Johnson and Sam Taylor-Wood - 26 yrs
3. Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn - 35 yrs

UPDATE: Just to be a zillion times clear, I am in no way shape or form stating James Edward Franco is in the same league as Woody Allen (situation is truly sick - but he has NEVER been convicted legally) BUT just used Allen's experience to DEMONSTRATE the age gap ONLY PEOPLE.

Interesting note:

Charlie Chaplin was 54 when he married Oona O'Neill, the 17 yrs old daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill. They had eight children and remained together for 34 years, until his death, in 1977.

Brian Austin Green started dating Megan Fox when she was 18 yrs old. He was in fact about 30 yrs old. Now, they're happily married with two children, plus his other son from a previous relationship. She also has admitted that she chased him at the start, whilst he wasn't initally interested, but somehow, they have come through and it seems to be working.

Oh, Green Mile actor Doug Anthony Hutchison at age 51, just married 16-year-old Courtney Alexis Stodden.

Whilst, Bradley Cooper at 39 yrs old has a girlfriend Suki Waterhouse who is 22 yrs old.

Will continue..

4. Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow - 29 yrs
5. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall - 25 yrs
6. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones - 25 yrs
7. Harrison Ford and Callista Flockhart - 22 yrs
8. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher - 14 yrs
9. Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer - 13 yrs
10. Elvis and Priscilla Presley - 10 yrs (Elvis met her when she was 14 yrs old) but people STILL consider him THE KING.
11. Rosie Huntington-Whitely 25 yrs is currently dating Jason Statham - 45 yrs -20 yrs age gap.

As you can see from the list above, men and women have been going out and marrying older/younger people since TIME BEGAN i.e. Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas -26 yrs age gap.

Clearly, this particular Franco is no different in showing interest with benefits. Although, his text game is fast and straight to the point (no wonder, he can do so many projects), AGAIN, he didn't do anything legally wrong.

I still believe in James Franco as an outstanding actor/director, with many more talents (reminder - no jokes concerning 17 yrs olds or underage girls etc. HERE).

Seriously, the media (as always when it concerns James Franco) went into overdrive on this but it's OK for someone like Hugh Hefner (FUNNY, Franco played him in Lovelace), to build his profile on young women and marry them.

God, I pray Franco learns from this experience = WOW, and stays focus on achieving his goals (which will still come).

Anyway, I thought I should add something to this news..... Keep moving forward Franco!!!!

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[–] LindsayofGirona 10 years ago

His behavior was pathetic, not merely a mistake. Was it a mistake to flip his finger at her as well?

I don't buy your "authority of the many" argument, either. Just because others are guilty of the most casual seduction of minors around 20 years their junior doesn't make his behavior any less reprehensible or pitiful.

As a practical matter, sexual misconduct is also relatively tough to efface from other people's minds. Once it's there, it tends to stay put. Franco now realizes he's put some of his marketability - particularly to female moviegoers - at risk.

Too late now. He's now stuck with a tainted brand.

[–] faithisagoodthing 10 years ago

Hey, call it what you want i.e. pathetic, idiotic, mistake the list could be endless.

I haven't seen anything about him flipping his finger at her but she will get her 15 minutes of fame or longer (history books), so no matter (she did warn him, but he wasn't thinking with his head on his shoulders).

Well, concerning your second paragraph, that's your entitled opinion but as you can see, I clearly stated that I didn't ACTUALLY approve of his behaviour (I again, stressed disappointing and see my NOTE paragraph) BUT Sh*t happens, and this clearly DID.

Completely 100% agree, that's why I was shocked that this actually happend.

However, I am still hopeful that his general reputation/box office pull will not be affected in the long run, as legally he STILL didn't actually break the law just STUPID (if the movie is great, people will still watch in some format).

For example: He's currently giving excellent performances in the production play Of Mice and Men, see how the ticket sells go from now on.

Yep, unforntately, "He's now stuck with a tainted brand" = 100% AGREE with YOU but Franco has to make the BEST of it NOW.

To me, and I'm sure others will STILL see his GREAT points, seriously outweigh his BAD ones, especially, when it still falls under the legal system as lawful.

Time will tell......

[–] Jitterbug88 10 years ago

What disturbs me the most about this is how quick so many people are to just brush this off and ignore the fact that he's attempted to lure a young, vulnerable, impressionable young woman...a child, according to some laws, with his fame and power. If he were just some random 35 year old who walked onto the set of To Catch a Predator, after chatting with a teenager online, intending to have sex with her, and telling her "don't tell anyone", I'm sure people would be disgusted and outraged. I for one, am disappointed in him. I thought he was a decent guy, based on interviews I've seen. He's an adult, he knows what's right and wrong. He (and his online followers) seem to think that's what he did is appropriate, due to technicalities. How would he feel if he had a teenage daughter, and found out some 35 year old actor was trying to seduce her into coming to meet up at a hotel?

And by the way, comparing him to Woody Allen isn't helping him in any way. Woody Allen is a known pedophile who molested his SEVEN year old daughter.

But I guess in Hollywood, it's perfectly acceptable to be pedophile, as long as you're famous and people like your work: "Whateves, everyone makes mistakes."

[–] LindsayofGirona 10 years ago

I haven't seen anything about him flipping his finger

It was in one of the widely circulated instagram photos - the last one I believe

that's why I was shocked that this actually happend

We should never be shocked about the behavior of people we don't know. Just because some people are more visible, have access to greater PR resources - doesn't mean we actually know anything about them. We "know" what they want us to know.

Except in this case. We know something Franco didn't want us to know.

he STILL didn't actually break the law just STUPID

Behavior that doesn't break the law can still be morally offensive. For me and for many others, Franco is now laboring under a tainted brand. On the bright side, there are also some men, and even a few women, out there who think a 35-year-old actor hitting on underage fangirls is quite the "rakish" (as opposed to pathetic and idiotic) thing to do.

I'm sure others will STILL see his GREAT points, seriously outweigh his BAD ones

To take a far more extreme example for illustrative purposes, the same can be said of murderer Caravaggio. He had his good points and his bad.

Unless you are a relative of Franco's, I see no reason why you should have such an emotional stake in defending Franco's honor. He doesn''t know you and isn't gonna sleep with you just for being his cheerleader.

Well, then again, he just might.

[–] ejsullivan61 9 years ago

It had nothing to do with wanting to get into his pants, it's just pathetic the way people love to judge famous people based on their own ignorance and intolerance.

He made no "mistake", if he went to Scotland to be with her it would NOT be "illegal" because there the "age of consent" is actually 16.

So take your "moral high-ground" and shove it.

[–] ejsullivan61 9 years ago

Actually, in Scotland, where the girl is really from, it IS LEGAL for a 17-year-old to MAKE HER OWN DECISIONS about sex.

Just because the Yanks think that 18 is some "magical" number that makes a person a "adult" doesn't mean the rest of the world has to hold the same archaic mindset. Some people are very mature at 17 while some people at 35 still act like idiots.

Age is just a NUMBER, there's nothing "magical" about it.

[–] ingve1974 9 years ago

Most countries the legal age of conscent is 16 or younger. North American's are living in their own bubble. You can drive a car but not have sex? USA is synonymous with stupid.