Sean Penn already owns one Oscar, and he might get another in two weeks for his role in “Milk.”
Deservedly so.
But can you imagine a journalist toasting the combustible actor’s humanity, right to his face and on national television?
Imagine no more.
PBS’s Tavis Smiley did just that during a recent interview, according to Newsbusters.org.
“I want to come back to the close of our conversation by talking about the thing – respectfully, and this is just my own opinion – that I honor about you as much, maybe even more, than your acting gift, which is your embrace of humanity, and I want to know where that comes from. What is it about you that allows you to stand in your truth, to raise these issues, to not bite your tongue, to embrace humanity? Where does that come from? You’ve always been that way or you grew into that? Help me understand that.”
Can a day go by in which journalism doesn’t sink a little lower?
Is this the same Penn who routinely threw punches at photographers back in his younger days? Or the Penn who visited Saddam Hussein’s cronies in Iraq while blasting U.S. policy toward his thug regime? Or how ’bout the man who is constantly name calling, hectoring and outright blasting those who disagree with his politics?
Dare we mention his absolute love for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a man desperately trying to be Leader for Life, a person eager to squash freedom of the press whenever it suits him?
LA Times blogger Patrick Goldstein was one of the few journalists to call into question Penn’s adoration of socialist dictators, and how that love ignored said dictators harsh treatment toward gays and other groups.
Let’s keep singing Penn’s praises as an actor. He’s that good. But do we have to trumpet him as a humanitarian?
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
It sounds like someone needs to start a “Kiss-Ass” section on their website – devoted to those exhibiting the strongest pucker power for the ethereal liberals politicians and actors deigning to grace the lowly earth-bound masses with their presence.
No one probably has the time or the space (or the stomach) to keep up with media worshipful and the objects of their affection.
Gag me.
I’m more than happy to acknowledge that Penn is a fantastic actor, but I wouldn’t even agree that he deserves a nomination for “Milk.” Like Mickey Rourke (allegedly) said, I thought it was just standard stuff.
Excellent point, though. It’s hard enough for a Hollywood actor to spend time with a Republican politician without being blasted for it or labeled some sort of right-wing lunatic, imagine if one went and partied with Pinochet or someone like that.