[user104658]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

I am rather surprised when this topic comes up while talking to others as to how many don't seem as hostile to Rolf Harris as many have been to others found guilty.

I even got told today from some that they hope he gets spared prison,that he did wrong but he has done a lot for people.

I was quite amazed at that low key reaction to him being found guilty.

It's simple aesthetics... Saville was easy to think of as a monster, because he looked like a very strange man. His public persona, also, was arrogant and essentially quite aggressive. The news broke that he was a predatory paedophile and - lets be honest - most people were far from shocked.

Harris on the other hand - the silly, gentle, cuddly Aussie koala bear - who just liked cartoons and helping poor little animals... people can't get their head around that. Some people I've talked to about it seem to have quite deep psychological defense mechanisms in place about it, still believing it to be a mistake, or at the very least believing the charges are inflated and maybe it was one or two small incidents that the poor old bloke is really, really, reeeally sorry about because he's nice. really.

I think the Russell Brand video hits the nail on the head. With Harris, this verdict is a massive blow to people's childhood innocence and their whimsical memories of better, simpler times. It casts a sinister shadow over people's happy Sunday mornings in front of the TV with a big bowl of cereal. The saville revelations didn't. Because on some level, most people ALWAYS found him ... creepy.

I've genuinely found that people ate finding it hard to accept it at all and are keen to psychologically "split" Harris into two personas - the one they knew, and the one they are being introduced to. people don't want to see the monster punished too harshly if it means the other face has to go with him.


My own honest opinion is that, assuming the charges (and further allegations) are all accurate, his charming and friendly alterego makes him something even MORE sinister than Saville. Watch footage of Saville and it's easy enough to see the arrogant, monstrous sociopath that lies within. Watch old footage of Harris and you still can't even begin to believe what he was doing after-hours.