Someone at the New York Times has come to her senses. Margaret Sullivan, the paper’s Public Editor, has responded to a complaint from a reader who writes about ethics. Sullivan says she’s “troubled” by questions raised by Chris Rasmussen, an associate professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She actually refers him and others to Robert Weide’s excellent piece in The Daily Beast on Woody and the entire twenty year scandal. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/27/the-woody-allen-allegations-not-so-fast.html

Rasmussen wrote: “I write to ask about the propriety of publishing largely one-sided columns assailing a lone individual..I wonder whether [columnists] should use that platform to advocate on behalf of personal friends, as Mr. Kristof did yesterday. If Dylan Farrow wishes to publish an open letter about her allegations, there are ample forums in this internet age. Should The Times and Mr. Kristof lend their credibility to her argument against Woody Allen?”

Sullivan responds: “while acknowledging that Times columnists appropriately have very free rein in choosing subject matter and commenting on it as they see fit, I am troubled by the same questions raised here by Dr. Rasmussen. And I urge those who who have not yet done so to read Mr. Weide’s illuminating article. It provides essential context.”

Sullivan doesn’t go far enough. Kristof, as I wrote yesterday, is a close personal friend of Mia Farrow. The Dylan Farrow letter has her fingerprints all over it. Kristof does not make it clear about the relationship other than to say they’re friends. The inter-web is full of pictures of Kristof and Farrow. They’ve traveled all over the world together. He should not have used his New York Times blog to carry Mia Farrow’s two decade old vendetta forward.

General Hospital fans: head writer Ron Carlivati tells me he wants James Franco to return to the show one more time. Try and follow this, because I had to. Franco made several appearances over the last three years as a crazy artist named Franco. He raped, pillaged, and terrorized the already put upon populace of Port Charles.

Then last year Carlivati brought the Franco character back played by someone else, Roger Howarth. He was absolved of his many crimes after it was discovered he had a brain tumor. (This is always a good out for soap characters. If only it worked in real life!)

At this past weekend’s Writers Guild Awards, Carlivati– who helped save “General Hospital” from cancellation– told me he wants the real Franco to make one more return. I think the idea is that the multi-tasking actor would play himself, and I guess confront the fictitious Franco. Anyway, the soap is now the hip show that Franco wanted it to be when he was on it. He’d do well to get closure. And also, now “GH” has great ratings.

Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough and their gang should be ashamed of themselves. They spent over 8 minutes convicting and hanging Woody Allen this morning on “Morning Joe.” It was a beautiful way for MSNBC to carry the water of Ronan Farrow, their latest hire and soon to be daily talk show host. Farrow, of course, comes to MSNBC with no credentials as a broadcaster at age 25. But his path to celebrity at MSNBC and rise to fame in general has been tied to his mother, Mia Farrow, first suggesting that he was Frank Sinatra’s son and then going on the attack against Woody.

In the eight minute segment, Mika made a serious mistake. She continually called Soon Yi Previn the “adoptive daughter” of Woody Allen. She is wrong. Soon Yi’s last name is Previn, not Allen. She was adopted by Mia Farrow only. Farrow’s husband, Andre Previn, was considered her “father.” Allen had no legal or moral connection to her. He didn’t even live in the same household. Mika and MSNBC should make a very public correction immediately.

The Morning Joe segment starts badly and goes downhill. Mika leads the group at the table, who have no business commenting on something they know nothing about, to the conclusion that “where there’s smoke there’s fire” and that Dylan Farrow is obviously telling the truth in her ‘open letter’ posted on Nick– not Nicholas– Kristof’s blog. (They all call Kristof ‘Nick’, like he’s their best friend.)

There’s nothing like a public hanging on a so called news network that should be called the Apology Channel. From Alec Baldwin to Mitt Romney’s black grandchild to the anti-Republic Tweet of last week, MSNBC had better watch it if they’re really planning to be Ronan Farrow’s spokespeople. On the plus side, their ratings are almost nil.

This is fair and balanced?

Mia Farrow has waged a war against Woody Allen, claiming he’s a sex offender, for 22 years. Allen has never been charged with anything. But Mia says nothing about her own brother, John Farrow. He is currently serving 10 years in a Maryland prison on a 25 year sentence for sex abuse of two young boys.

And that’s not the only trouble surrounding Mia’s family. Her other brother, Patrick, committed suicide almost five years ago.

Is Mia projecting her anger toward her brothers onto Woody Allen? Think about it. Where is Mia’s public outrage over an actual convicted offender? Will Ronan cover that story on MSNBC, or Tweet about it?

More importantly: were Mia’s kids ever harmed by this man? No one has ever spoken about that.

John Farrow, 67, was convicted this past October in Maryland. Two young men revealed Farrow had molested them between 2000 and 2008. They are now 20 years old.

Mia Farrow’s brother pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse. He faced 39 counts of child abuse. To stop his trial last summer, Farrow entered an Alford plea, meaning he accepted his conviction while maintaining his innocence. At his sentencing, Farrow told the court: “I do feel regret. This is absolutely the worst thing that I’ve ever done and I will ever do. It was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life.”

It’s pretty interesting that neither Mia nor Ronan Farrow, and now Dylan, have never spoken out in support of John Farrow’s victims. Those victims have documented proof and a guilty plea and a sex abuser in prison.

And no reason has ever been given for Patrick Farrow’s violent 2009 suicide.

http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/for_the_record/mia-farrow-s-brother-gets-years-for-sexual-abuse/article_14ae9236-9d66-5205-81e2-46fe2115f088.html