Sony hack becomes four-way war of words
The massive computer breach at Sony Pictures Entertainment over the satire 鈥楾he Interview鈥� 鈥� allegedly the work of North Korean hackers 鈥� has become a major war of words over freedom of expression as well as security issues involving the Internet and terrorist threats.
All of this over a goofy Hollywood satire based on a ridiculous premise.
At this point, the sharp rhetoric over the Sony hack and its fallout is coming from four directions: the White House, Sony, Hollywood stars, and North Korea.
In his end-of-year press conference Friday, President Obama said Sony made a mistake in not releasing 鈥淭he Interview鈥� as scheduled.
鈥淲e cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States,鈥� Obama said.聽鈥淏ecause if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don鈥檛 like, or news reports that they don鈥檛 like.聽Or even worse, imagine if producers and distributors and others start engaging in self-censorship because they don鈥檛 want to offend the sensibilities of somebody whose sensibilities probably need to be offended.鈥�
Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton聽was quick to defend the embattled company.
鈥淲e have not caved. We have not given up,鈥� he said on CNN. 鈥淲e have always had every desire to have the American public see this movie.鈥�
鈥淭he unfortunate part is in this instance the President, the press, and the public are mistaken as to what actually happened,鈥� Mr. Lynton said. 鈥淲hen it came to the crucial moment 鈥� the movie theaters came to us one by one over the course of a very short period of time. We were completely surprised by it.鈥�
He was referring to announcements this week by five major theater chains that they would not be showing 鈥淭he Interview鈥� for fear of a 9/11-type terrorist attack as threatened by the hackers now identified by the FBI as connected to the North Korean regime.
Sony said in a statement Friday that its decision to cancel the film鈥檚 release was only about Christmas Day.
鈥淎fter that decision, we immediately began actively surveying alternatives to enable us to release the movie on a different platform,鈥� the studio said. 鈥淚t is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so.鈥�
That seemed to be a reversal of the earlier statement by a Sony spokeswoman that the company 鈥渉as no further release plans for the film.鈥�
Hollywood personalities have been quick to weigh in.
to David Corn at Mother Jones, actor and activist Sean Penn said, 鈥淏y caving to the outside threat, we make our nightmares real.鈥�
鈥淭his week, the distributors who wouldn't show聽鈥楾he Interview鈥櫬燼nd Sony have sent [Islamic extremists] a commanding invitation,鈥� Penn said. 鈥淚 believe ISIS will accept the invitation. Pandora's box is officially open.鈥�
In an interview with the trade site Deadline, fellow actor George Clooney urged Sony to "do whatever you can to get this movie out. Not because everybody has to see the movie, but because I'm not going to be told we can't see the movie. That's the most important part."
Psychiatrist, TV personality, and radio talk show host聽Carole Lieberman, who鈥檚 frequently quoted on film industry figures and issues, wrote that 鈥淭o cower is to 鈥榞reenlight鈥� future hack and terrorist attacks.鈥�
鈥淎lthough making the movie may have been a bad idea, it is an even worse idea to pull the movie from theaters and let the terrorists win!鈥� Dr. Lieberman writes at . 鈥淲e are now being seen as a cowering nation and terrorists from North Korea to the Middle East are laughing 鈥� and probably spoofing 鈥� us.鈥�
In her online op-ed 鈥淗ollywood on the Couch,鈥� Lieberman says Sony could release the film on DVD or via the Internet, suggesting that viewers make a donation to a charity or counter-terrorism organization.
Mitt Romney tweeted the same idea, suggesting that film viewers contribute $5 to fight Ebola.
Meanwhile, North Korea denies that it鈥檚 behind the cyber attack on Sony 鈥� sort of.
"There is not any connection," U.N. diplomat Kim Song told The Associated Press.
Mr. Song criticized the film but disputed his government hacked Sony and orchestrated the movie's shutdown: "It defamed the image of our country. It made a mockery of our sovereignty. We reject it. But there is no relation" to the hacking.
