Hollywood goes to the polls

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Louis Proyect <[email protected]>
To: Activists and scholars in Marxist tradition
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 09:13:32 -0400
Subject: [Marxism] Hollywood controversy

The creators of the satirical cartoon show "South Park" have a new film
coming out this week called "Team America" that promises to be a
devastating critique of the "war on terror". Apparently they have been
quoted as saying that "there's no shame in not voting", which has
provoked Sean Penn to lash out at them in a letter that can be read on
the Drudge Report website:

 >>I do mind when anybody who doesn't have a child, doesn't have a child
at war, or isn't or won't be in harm's way themselves, is encouraging
that there's "no shame in not voting" "if you don't know what you're
talking about" (Mr. Stone) without mentioning the shame of not knowing
what your talking about, and encouraging people to know. You guys are
talented young guys but alas, primarily young guys. It's all well to
joke about me or whomever you choose. Not so well, to encourage
irresponsibility that will ultimately lead to the disembowelment,
mutilation, exploitation, and death of innocent people throughout the
world. The vote matters to them. No one's ignorance, including a couple
of hip cross-dressers, is an excuse.

All best, and a sincere fuck you,

Sean Penn<<

full: http://www.drudgereport.com/penn.htm

In an interview on Salon.com, the film makers explain themselves:

Salon: I have to ask you quickly about the letter from Sean Penn (who,
along with other Hollywood political activists like Tim Robbins and
Susan Sarandon, is satirized in the film), which was posted on Matt
Drudge ...

Parker: We got it the day before, actually. He was nice enough to send
it to us before he sent it to the world.

Stone: I remember when I got it, thinking that it read like a fucking
open letter. It doesn't really read like it's really to us. That was my
first thing; I was like, This doesn't read like a private letter.

And then the next day it was an open letter.

Stone: Yeah! The next day it was open.

Parker: I mean, I just don't understand. If he really is pissed, why
would he do us that huge of a favor? I mean, seriously, there is nothing
he could've done to help this movie more.

Stone: He just proved that we nailed him so perfectly in the movie.
Because if you read the letter what he says in the movie is exactly like
what he would say in the movie.

It was actually the marionette that wrote you that letter! I like how he
sets you two up in the letter as such losers. I remember seeing you at a
party. I remember how you dropped my name to appear witty ...

Parker: By the way, we've never met him. You do meet a lot of people.
We've met a lot, and maybe we've even forgotten some, but I would
remember Sean Penn. We never met Sean Penn, either one of us.

Stone: But when you read it, the letter comes from such a high place of
arrogance, you know, [deep, serious voice] "You guys are young guys! If
you don't have children, you can't say anything about anything!" And the
whole voting thing. All we ever said was that we thought that uninformed
people should not vote -- on either side of the political spectrum. It
doesn't matter who you're gonna vote for. If you really don't know who
you're gonna vote for, or are uninformed, or haven't really thought
about it? Just stay home. Don't let people fucking shame you into going
to the polls.

Parker: If you have absolutely no idea, fuck it.

Stone: If you really don't know or you're just going to vote for George
Bush because he's already in office, or you're gonna vote for John Kerry
because he's on the cover of Rolling Stone, don't do that. That's lame.
Just stay home. That's all we ever said.

full: http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2004/10/12/parker_stone/index.html



-- 

The Marxism list: www.marxmail.org



_______________________________________________
heads mailing list
[email protected]
http://your.ballistichelmet.org/mailman/listinfo/heads/
http://ballistichelmet.org/donate/