I just found out Chris Penn, actor and brother of Sean Penn,
died today. Commentators at the
Fark.com forum about Chris's death all agree Chris was the good Penn. Sean, on the other hand, is an ass.
Some think Sean's an ass because he's one of the Hollywood liberals who speak his mind, especially about the war in Iraq. However, I say Sean's an ass because he takes himself too seriously and doesn't have the slightest sense of humor. One moment particularity convinced me that he is an ass. At the Academy Awards, emcee Chris Rock was doing a scripted monologue. He made a forgettable joke about Jude Law and his acting. It got a few chuckles.
Later in the show, Sean Penn comes out to present an award and with a serious face said something like, "I know Jude Law and he's a fine actor." What an ass. Sean Penn couldn't take a joke? He doesn't recognize humor? Did he forget the idea of humor after starring in
Fast Times at Ridgemont High? And that way he said it...it was so serious. His remark had an air of pretentiousness and snobbishness. It pissed me off.
I think he also takes his acting career way too seriously. He seems like a person that would keep saying, "But I'm an artist!!!" to anybody who disagrees with him. I forgot who said it, but one of my favorite quotes goes something like, "Real artists never call themselves artists." One of my favorite actors is Harrison Ford. He does his serious roles and it's believable. But he's not a snobbish artist. He just does his job and keeps his sense of humor. Remember the whole Elia Kazan controversy at an another Academy Awards show? Kazan, a screenwriter, was given a lifetime achievement award, but many in Hollywood protested because Kazan cooperated with the government during the 1950s Hollywood communist witchhunts. Amid the booings and shouting matches when the award was presented, I remember the camera taking a shot of Ford. He was just sitting there. Laughing.
