The whole thing came up when EW asked Kristen Stewart about the blowback from conflating her aggressive-paparazzi run-ins with rape. For maximum context, here's the full exchange published today at EW's Hollywood Insider:
Did you see it all unfold and then think, I have to issue an apology?
STEWART: No, I was in Korea when it all got bad. My publicist called me and said RAINN had issued this terrible statement.
ROBERT PATTINSON: Who's Rain?
STEWART: You know, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.
PATTINSON: None of those associations came out and gave a statement [criticizing Kristen] without being called upon by the media first -- who were doing it specifically to get hits on their websites. That whole system of Internet journalists, where no one is called to account, is almost entirely about hate. All these people get away with doing it because they have no responsibility to anyone. All they need is to get a salacious headline and people click on it, because it's easy. And it's quite good being part of these Twilight films because you have to give so many interviews all the time, you can defend yourself. That's the only way. All of us stick together, as well. There are so many little nerds behind their computers, on their little blogs.
STEWART: See, if I said that? Crucifixion. You can say so much more than me. It's insane.
PATTINSON: That's not true at all. When did I say anything [controversial]?
STEWART: You're really good, but you could say, "I just took a s*** on the Queen's face," and people would be like, "Oh, I love him! I love him!"
There is so, so much here to contemplate (not least of all the Queen of England with a steamer on her face; "Remember the Gulf!," etc. etc.). But let me just keep it simple: How can two people so succinctly describe their enemies' M.O. -- while playing right into it? It's a big ol' migraine of meta, and at this point I can only imagine it's on purpose because the alternative would just be too idiotic. To wit, to invoke the blessing of "so many interviews all the time" as an unironic counterpoint to the curse of media scrutiny.
Anyway, Rob, I'm not here to be mean, and I wish you all the best. Nevertheless: Keep your mouth shut. You too, Kristen. And remember that for better or worse no one's paying you to act -- they're paying you to hear me.
ยท Eclipse interview teaser: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson address the 'rape' comment [EW]