Posted by
David Smith on Saturday, August 04, 2007 4:54:38 PM
It is reported today that Hugo Chavez is once again hosting a much-ballyhooed American celebrity. This time it is one actor, Uncle Oscar-winner Sean Penn, acting (ironic term considering) like a freelance journalist.
So, who has Penn written for? Who has he reported for? To?? Does anyone else find this to be somewhere beneath entertaining and between the most ironic thing they have ever heard and flat out ridiculous?
"International Journalist Tours Venezuelan Countryside with Chavez." You know, that's a headline that might sound OK. But saying Sean Penn is touring with Chavez comes with certain...um, pre-conceived notions, shall we say?
Anytime you hear of one of the Hollywood left visiting Chavez you just kind of shrug, chalk up one more to poor, stupid, high school dropouts, and move on.org like with all the others before them.
But freelance journalist? That smacks of wacko.
First, is Mr. Penn, a former "attendee" at Santa Monica College (attended which classes? for how long? degreed? A's in acting? A's in journalism???), even able to subjugate verbs or detect run-on sentences? You have to ask such questions of a fellow whose job is reading what is given him to read by others.
More seriously, what credentials does Mr. Penn have to be labeled a "Freelance Journalist?"
Christ, I could be a freelance journalist. Am, actually! About to write my first piece for a drum and bugle corps (similar to marching band...without woodwinds!) newspaper. Been asked to contribute to an online marching band and drum and bugle corps activity blog right here on blogspot!
Haven't seen Mr. Penn writing any articles for marching bands lately. That could be due to the fact that marching band is a pretty complex event. And the drum and bugles corps activity has been labeled "Marching Music's Major League!" So think 2nd grade class play (I made a GREAT froggie! Started hopping around stage unexpectedly...brought down the house...had to be there!) versus 'Silence of the Lambs.' Just a completely different level of the same thing.
Pee-wee football versus the Super Bowl...that kind of thing.
Well, Mr. Penn doesn't know anything about drum corps or marching band because he's too busy socializing with socialists. Pretty accurate statement, no?
I'm not sure what exactly Mr. Penn thinks he's going to add to the ranks of professional journalism from his brief stints in the Green Zone in Baghdad and Hugo's old stomping grounds (gourds?) in Venezuela. Many professional, long-time, educated, and well-connected journalists here are saying that Hugo Chavez, or as I like to derisively call this wannabe poster-boy for Autism, Hector Fuentes, is shutting down the free press in Venezuela, stamping out all vocal opposition to himself.
Now why does a guy want to go get friendly with someone who is shutting down your entire industry? Doesn't that smack of favoritism? Doesn't that smack of a certain lack of independence?
More importantly, doesn't that smack of a certain amount of hypocrisy??
Sean Penn, Uncle Oscar-winning actor, running around the world acting like a professional butt-kisser, cozying up to the biggest critic of the U.S. and her President, just to be able to 'get a story.' All the while, would Mr. Penn be able to broadcast a news report or print an article criticizing President Fuentes with the same vitriolic angst that he has applied to his own nation's President?
Let's give Mr. Penn, author of (and purchaser of) advertisements addressed to (but not delivered to?) President Bush condemning his handling of various affairs inherent to the President's job, the benefit of the doubt. Let us assume that Mr. Penn can in fact conjugate a verb better than he can maintain a marriage, and he is capable of putting together a decent, well-written, independent report on his visit to Venezuela. What would he say?
Would he discuss the violations of Freedom of the Press inherent to daily life in Venezuela?
Would he list the names of polititcal prisoners of President Fuentes', locked up in Venezuelan prisons? Would he demand in writing that they be given their day in court like people of his ilk have been demanding of Gitmo detainees for years?
How about this: Would Mr. Penn list and discuss in depth the number of companies by name who have seen their investments in Venezuela robbed from them by this Dictator masquerading as the elected leader of a free country?
Or would he write us some moderized version of the Communist Manifesto?
Come, Sean, let us see what you can write. I would be happy to compare notes on quality with my little review of the drum corps championships quarterfinals broadcast next Thursday at theatres nationwide. If you hurry, good seats are still available at the Rose Bowl right in your own backyard! Then we can compare our like observations on a topic that we are both capable of enjoying and understanding. Because you really need to leave the International politics to the professionals. Isn't there work for you to do in Hollywood? Or do I need to send a script over for you, too?