The horrific shooting in Parkland, Florida, gave Hollywood the perfect excuse to gloss over its own sins in favor of bashing the NRA and going super-preachy and elitist… while being surrounded by armed security on all sides. The #MeToo movement in Hollywood is dead by irony, and the Academy killed it with an assist by Kobe Bryant.

Yes, Kobe Bryant, retired basketball player, won an Oscar last night.

Kobe Bryant accepts #Oscar for Best Animated Short: “As basketball players, we’re really supposed to shut up and dribble. But I’m glad we do a little bit more than that.” https://t.co/ngE1Rr2OFV #Oscars pic.twitter.com/NBmZpxIcUE

— ABC News (@ABC) March 5, 2018

While I don’t doubt the quality of the short (Glen Keane is a former Disney animator), the winning of an award by Kobe Bryant sent eyebrows into the stratosphere.

Kobe Bryant joins a long line of men who have both won an Oscar & have been accused of rape. #MeToo #Oscars

— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) March 5, 2018

Accused rapist Kobe Bryant just won an Oscar and yup, people are pissedhttps://t.co/H9eJDdabKt

— Mashable (@mashable) March 5, 2018

Hollywood: TIME'S UP
Also Hollywood: Congratulations to Oscar winner Kobe Bryant!!!

— Caroline Framke (@carolineframke) March 5, 2018

So Harvey Weinstein gets kicked out of Hollywood and Kobe Bryant gets two jerseys retired and wins an Oscar in the same #metoo year. Simply amazing.

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) March 5, 2018

It’s amazing. They didn’t let Casey Affleck present an award this year over a sexual harassment claim from 2010. Yet Kobe was charged with rape and just won an Oscar this year.

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) March 5, 2018

Time’s Up, everyone! Kobe Bryant here’s your Oscar. #oscars2018

— hopeless business (@hamsinthewest) March 5, 2018

So, we’re now back to the “quality of the art” argument that has allowed Roman Polanski and Woody Allen to survive in Hollywood to thunderous applause all these years.

This is the same Kobe Bryant who admitted to having sex with a 19 year old (he was married) in 2003 what he claimed was a “consensual” act.

The following statement by Kobe Bryant was issued after sexual assault charges against him were dropped:

“First, I want to apologize directly to the young woman
involved in this incident. I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year. Although this
year has been incredibly difficult for me personally, I can only
imagine the pain she has had to endure. I also want to apologize to
her parents and family members, and to my family and friends and
supporters, and to the citizens of Eagle, Colo.

“I also want to make it clear that I do not question the motives
of this young woman. No money has been paid to this woman. She has
agreed that this statement will not be used against me in the civil
case. Although I truly believe this encounter between us was
consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this
incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery,
listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now
understand how she feels that she did not consent to this
encounter.

While the criminal charges were dropped, the civil case went forward and was eventually settled for an undisclosed amount. And Kobe Bryant went on his merry way, in a case that in today’s Hollywood, sounds all too familiar. Behave potentially criminally, harm someone, pay up, sweep it under the rug, let the fans make apologies for you. And if it’s long enough ago (as in, more than 10 years), all will be forgiven.

That woman was a gold digger. Who accepted 2.5 million in a civil suit. She just didn't want to pursue criminal proceedings against Bryant. Because it would drag her name through the mud.
I think its time the World knew her as well as it knows Kobe.

— Zak Haan (@hanzak95) March 5, 2018

She willingly got fucked in the ass by Kobe, she should be thanking him. lol

— Julian Knight (@julesdagod) March 5, 2018

https://twitter.com/Divashouse/status/970498792238796800
#TimesUp? #MeToo? Ha. Hollywood protects its own, and discards those like Harvey Weinstein only when normal, sane people pay attention to what happens behind the curtain. The stars have finished their virtue signaling on sexual assault and abuse, and patted themselves on the back for changing absolutely nothing. Remember, the Academy voters gave Kobe Bryant that Oscar, and with that vote, they’ve told the public at large that they’re done caring. It’s back to business as usual in Hollywood.