Sean Connery: Just slap those nagging females

[smartestnumber5]

I just came across this 1987 video in which Sean Connery sticks by his earlier advocating of assaulting women--you know, because they're nags.

How the heck does a celebrity get away with this type of thing in a culture in which spousal abuse has long been a chronic and unending problem? (And why the heck didn't his wife divorce him after he said that?) How can women still think this guy is sexy after hearing they deserve to be assualted? (Maybe most women just never heard he said this--I sure never knew about it til now!)

ETA: And what's with Barbara Walter's little thing at the end where she says how long he's been married to his wife and that there haven't been any complaints? Are we supposed to think that means there isn't any abuse going on? Hey Barbara--maybe you should take a look at how spousal abuse usually works...most of the time, there aren't any complaints, just a ridiculous number of trips to the ER and unexplained bruising.

 

[mrsv98]

Well, it was news......20 years ago.

 

[smartestnumber5]

Well, it was news......20 years ago.

Barbara Walters just brought it up again in her 30 mistakes special. Don't know how this was a mistake of hers though.

I'm too young to remember--I was 4 then. But it shocks me that apparently he has never apologized or changed his position, and yet I hear women lusting after him all the time.

 

[NMAmy]

Well, it was news......20 years ago.

Yep. I remember hearing about it way back then.

 

[Hercules10]

Why you think he was such a popular 'Bond'?

Connery has always kinda held women in a low regard. Just the way he was brought up although I don't think he'd publicly agree to slapping the nags anymore for his own PR good.

 

[Blondie]

I remember watching that when it aired and everyone was talking about it back then.

It certainly changed my opinion of the guy, I can assure you of that. He's way at the bottom of my list now.

I don't think he'd get away with saying the same thing today, and he knows it. There'd be a couple of women waiting for him to leave the studio ready to kick his ***!

 

[mssocks]

I don't think it's okay for anyone to hit anyone else. That being said, I was an adult 20 years ago (oh crap, I'm OLD) when this came out during the pre-Oscar interviews. I remember it very clearly. I do not have an issue with what he said because his personal opinions are just that, personal opinions. And remember the age factor - raised in a different era. He never said he slapped his wife. It was always public knowledge they were and are very much in love.

He and Barbara were speaking hypothetically. The guys is in his eighties for heavens sake! I think he's hot and if he tried to slap me I could take him easily. No worries. No reason to drag his name all through the mud AGAIN.

 

[Imzadi]

He never said he slapped his wife. It was always public knowledge they were and are very much in love.

Yhat's not true. I do remember all the buzz about this back then. His wife said he DID slap her a couple of times, but only because she deserved it.

But the cops & society can't do much when the woman herself won't leave or press charges. Cops do through this all the time when they get a domestic violence call.

 

[mssocks]

Yhat's not true. I do remember all the buzz about this back then. His wife said he DID slap her a couple of times, but only because she deserved it.

But the cops & society can't do much when the woman herself won't leave or press charges. Cops do through this all the time when they get a domestic violence call.

So what part isn't true? HE didn't say he slapped her, you're saying SHE said it. And what was said that made you assume they were not in love? Do you know them?

 

[smartestnumber5]

And what was said that made you assume they were not in love? Do you know them?

Well I don't know about you, but generally slapping isn't behavior that I associate with love. He might love her--but apparently not enough if he hits her. And if she thinks she deserves to be hit apparently she doesn't love herself enough/have enough self-worth either.

 

[smartestnumber5]

. No reason to drag his name all through the mud AGAIN.

I'm not dragging anything. I'm just repeating what he said. If it's something he's sorry about or embarrassed about, I guess he should apologize for it. By not apologizing or by still standing by it, he's dragging his own name through the mud.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

so...i hope we can sue him for this. seeing as everyone is suing everyone for what they say.

i never really liked him anyway, this just adds to it.

 

[Feralpeg]

I remember it very well. I've always thought he is a great actor. That doesn't mean he is a good man. Being an actor is a job. There are nice people in the profession and not so nice people. It has not stopped me from seeing his movies. I enjoy them.

It was irresponsible for him to make the statement and I doubt that he could get off so easily if he were to say it today. However, some people just like to hear themselves spout off. I don't know if there is any substance behind it. I hope not.

 

[mssocks]

Well said Feralpeg

 

[maxiesmom]

and yet I hear women lusting after him all the time.

Count me as one of them. Put Dr No or From Russia with love on, and I am there! So it is probably the 007 character rather than the man himself.

I thought when this first broke that he said something about his wife being hysterical, and he slapped her to bring her out of it. Not sure, it was a while ago.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

ETA: And what's with Barbara Walter's little thing at the end where she says how long he's been married to his wife and that there haven't been any complaints? Are we supposed to think that means there isn't any abuse going on? Hey Barbara--maybe you should take a look at how spousal abuse usually works...most of the time, there aren't any complaints, just a ridiculous number of trips to the ER and unexplained bruising.

I would guess that the way the media watches and goes thru the trash of big stars these days, if there were ridiculous numbers of trips to the ER and unexplained bruising that it would have been reported. The smoking gun and sites like that live to post stuff about stars. If you have any proof that this is an abusive relationship, post it. Otherwise, I don't have a problem with what Barbara Walters said.

 

[Imzadi]

So what part isn't true? HE didn't say he slapped her, you're saying SHE said it. And what was said that made you assume they were not in love? Do you know them?

I recall a follow-up interview with him by someone else. He said he did slap her. Then they interviewed her & she said he had slapped her.

_I_ never said that they were not in love. Where in my statement do I say that, or that I know them? YOU assumed I assumed that. You seemed to have a lot invested in this situation.

 

[Cool-Beans]

This is really old news. I can't believe Barbara Walters had to dig this far back to find something to talk about.

If Sean Connery is OK with it and his wife is OK with it, then I'd say it is none of my beezwax.

Colonel Potter beat up his wife! She pressed charges, I think.

Louis Gossett, too.

Can't think of any others off the top of my head. (Except Mike Tyson, but he's more of a freak show than an abuser.)

 

[smartestnumber5]

I would guess that the way the media watches and goes thru the trash of big stars these days, if there were ridiculous numbers of trips to the ER and unexplained bruising that it would have been reported. The smoking gun and sites like that live to post stuff about stars. If you have any proof that this is an abusive relationship, post it. Otherwise, I don't have a problem with what Barbara Walters said.

I'm not accusing him of beating his wife--I didn't mean to imply that he did. I meant to indicate my revulsion at what he said (and the fact that he hasn't taken it back), my inability to understand the actor's popularity after those statements, and my anger that Barbara Walters seems to be indicating that a good way to tell if a woman is being abused is to see if she's ever made public complaints about it.

If anything, I think Connery's implicated himself as an abuser by advocating hitting a woman when she's a nag. What, are we supposed to think his wife never nags him? Or just assume he didn't actually mean it when he said it or that he doesn't take his own advice?

And I don't think it's impossible that evidence of an abusive relationship could be hidden in Hollywood. There are lots of secrets that don't get told. Look at how many people manage to keep it secret that they're gay (for a good while at least)--and that one would actually make good gossip. Wife-beating isn't all that interesting. And if it happened before celebrity internet gossip it would have been much easier to keep secret.

Anyway, whether or not their relationship is abusive, I have no idea. But regardless, I think it is horribly irresponsible for Barbara Walters to imply that so long as a woman isn't actively complaining that she has been abused, then there must not be any abuse. (Actually, others in this thread claim that the his wife has in fact said that he has slapped her.) Has she never known any woman who was beaten by a boyfriend/husband and does she know anything about the psychology of abuse victims? Well I have, and of course they don't complain--they're convinced that they deserve to be hurt and he's never going to do it again and that no one else will ever love them because they are fat and ugly and stupid and incompetent. I object to her ignoring the reality of what this kind of abuse is like.

On another topic, some people have said they like him as an actor, not a man. I can see that, but I guess I don't usually employ that kind of distinction when I lust after or admire celebrities. I used to lust after Tom Cruise (not any particular character he played, just him), but after I started to realize how crazy he is I now find him revolting.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I'm not accusing him of beating his wife--I didn't mean to imply that he did. I meant to indicate my revulsion at what he said (and the fact that he hasn't taken it back), my inability to understand the actor's popularity after those statements, and my anger that Barbara Walters seems to be indicating that a good way to tell if a woman is being abused is to see if she's ever made public complaints about it.

If anything, I think Connery's implicated himself as an abuser by advocating hitting a woman when she's a nag. What, are we supposed to think his wife never nags him? Or just assume he didn't actually mean it when he said it or that he doesn't take his own advice?

And I don't think it's impossible that evidence of an abusive relationship could be hidden in Hollywood. There are lots of secrets that don't get told. Look at how many people manage to keep it secret that they're gay (for a good while at least)--and that one would actually make good gossip. Wife-beating isn't all that interesting. And if it happened before celebrity internet gossip it would have been much easier to keep secret.

Anyway, whether or not their relationship is abusive, I have no idea. But regardless, I think it is horribly irresponsible for Barbara Walters to imply that so long as a woman isn't actively complaining that she has been abused, then there must not be any abuse. (Actually, others in this thread claim that the his wife has in fact said that he has slapped her.) Has she never known any woman who was beaten by a boyfriend/husband and does she know anything about the psychology of abuse victims? Well I have, and of course they don't complain--they're convinced that they deserve to be hurt and he's never going to do it again and that no one else will ever love them because they are fat and ugly and stupid and incompetent. I object to her ignoring the reality of what this kind of abuse is like.

On another topic, some people have said they like him as an actor, not a man. I can see that, but I guess I don't usually employ that kind of distinction when I lust after or admire celebrities. I used to lust after Tom Cruise (not any particular character he played, just him), but after I started to realize how crazy he is I now find him revolting.

I happen to think he (Sean Connery) is a bit of an idiot. I like his acting, but never really cared for him as a person. What I disagree with your post is I think it's a reporters responsibility to report the facts and the information that's available to them. If the husband and wife say a marriage is happy, and there are no reports of trips to the ER then I don't see anything wrong with what she did. BW isn't the National Enquirer where the 'rumors' of abuse should be part of a story if she has no proof. While her celeb pieces are still puff pieces to me, she should still follow certain rules.

I have no problem separating the artist from the art.

So now, playing devils advocate, is it every adult consensual relationship where one strikes the other, and the other is ok with it that you have a problem with and you view as abuse? Should there be laws against it? What action should be taken against Connery if his wife doesn't have a problem with it?