Sean Penn to the rescue

[missioncontrol]

Sean Penn's attempt to sail to the rescue of young victims of Hurricane Katrina.....


Sean Penn gets into rescue act


I thought this guy promised to leave the country after the election

 
 
 

[ChadTower]

One story implies he was too incompetent to even launch the boat, and the other story says he saved several people and gave them money.

[missioncontrol]

I'm just trying to be fair and balanced 

[shmokes]

It's a good thing he brought his personal photographer.  You wouldn't want to do something charitable without letting the everyone know about it. 

Hack.  (Good actor, though)

[DrewKaree]

One story implies he was too incompetent to even launch the boat, and the other story says he saved several people and gave them money.

One looks like a sailboat, the other looks like a rowboat.

Woops!  Went back to copy the pics to paste here, and noticed it's the same boat.  Just a little aluminum fishing boat.  He just didn't put the plug in the boat the first time.  Evidently doesn't get out on a lake often, or own a boat he's in charge of upkeep on.

I'm betting the picture of him in the rowboat is from the personal photographer, while the other one showing the sailboat is from a bystander.

At the very least, he's putting the rubber to the road instead of preaching at us through press releases. 

I'm still good with all the mistakes.  I just wish the photographer would have been left at the dock.  It gives the appearance that shmokes points out. 

[markrvp]

I'm not a Sean Penn fan, but I'm happy to see he's actually helping hands-on instead of standing back criticizing like Michael Moore.

[M3talhead]

I'm not a Sean Penn fan, but I'm happy to see he's actually helping hands-on instead of standing back criticizing like Michael Moore.

I'd much rather see celebs doing, rather than giving.

Most have been on TV saying, "Here, take a tiny amount of my immense fortune and do something good with it to help those poor, poor people, while I sit on my leather/chinchilla sofa watching from afar in (-insert city here-), just make sure my name gets in the paper."

At least he's puting himself in the middle of it.

[shmokes]

I'm even okay with them just giving.  They don't have to, and it's commendable.  But once there is a press release that so-and-so gave such-and-such amount of money, forget it.  I know that when I donate to the Red Cross my wife doesn't even know about it unless I tell her. 

I'm still happy that those celebs send their money, even if it is for personal gain because, hey, the resources are desperately needed.  But it doesn't elevate my opinion of the celbrity in question and probably does just the opposite.  I just find it fairly reprehinsible for Penn to say to himself, "How can I capitalize on this disaster for personal gain?"  And the presence of his photographer strongly suggests that just such a thought went through his head.

Once again, regardless of motives New Orleans needs all the help they can get right now, so I'm grateful that this is the sort of thing that does it for Penn.  But...

[TOK]

Sean Penn's attempt to sail to the rescue of young victims of Hurricane Katrina.....


Sean Penn gets into rescue act


I thought this guy promised to leave the country after the election

 
 
 

I thought Alec Baldwin was the one who said he'd leave if Bush got elected, but he's still around anyway. I don't agree with Sean Penn's politics, but I guess I can't begrudge him for trying to help.
Seems a little silly that a guy that could afford to have a 90 ft. hovercraft going in to help hundreds opts to go in with a $400 K-Mart boat, but whatever.

[ChadTower]

Maybe all that he could find in the timeframe was that boat.

[DrewKaree]

No, think about it.  I'm almost certain he was told if he was going to do this, that'd have to be the type of boat he'd have to take.

Something too large would create a bigger wake than necessary, possibly doing more damage in the process, not to mention risking being too unwieldy to even be of use in some areas. 

The problem is all the "excess" people like a personal photographer taking up space in a vehicle that should be being used to remove as many people as is safe from the area, and all that photographer is doing is preventing one more person who has a greater need to be on that boat from being able to get in.

I'll donate to the ASPCA for a leash to tie the photographer to a dock on the next trip back, if Penn is worried he'll run away.  Sit, photographer.  Gooooood booooyyyyyyy!

[ChadTower]

Now, I'm not a fan of his... but he takes it upon himself to find a boat, get his ass down there, and help the people directly, and idiots here are criticizing that he had a photographer?

Isn't that still helping people who desperately needed immediate help?

[psik0tik]

He has alot in common with them...he too shoots at helicopters
http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/entertainers/actors/sean-penn/

[shmokes]

Once again, regardless of motives New Orleans needs all the help they can get right now, so I'm grateful that this is the sort of thing that does it for Penn.  But...

[TOK]

Now, I'm not a fan of his... but he takes it upon himself to find a boat, get his ass down there, and help the people directly, and idiots here are criticizing that he had a photographer?

Isn't that still helping people who desperately needed immediate help?

It just comes off as self-serving to me. The guy has a rep as an a-hole, and he's trying to do a little PR and beat it. Think is, he has the means to really make a difference if he wanted to. A donation toward people who could really help would be a lot more impressive than going down there for a photo op.

Maybe he did that too, I don't know. Can totally slam him for it, but his behavior in the past makes me question his motives.

[markrvp]

Sean Penn couldn't just help and keep his mouth shut.  He was on Fox News tonight with Greta Van Sustern. . . 

He said, "I'm torn because of the criticism of politicizing this, but the people responsible for this disaster need to be held accountable."



I agree.  I think the Mayor of New Orleans should be recalled due to his reluctance to aid in evacuation of the city BEFORE the hurricane arrived.  He had two days AFTER it hit Florida.  The federal government is the entity aiding in the evacuation AFTER the NATURAL DISASTER.

[duffjr]

i think this article is right up your alley, or did you already know this? http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001051313 

[JB]

i think this article is right up your alley, or did you already know this? http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001051313 

Clinton was quite fond of cutting flood control projects too. 3 times for Louisiana, one of which was an annual expenditure, and one of which was in protest because there wasn't an endangered species rider on the bill.

But either way, the Corp of Engineers said the levee that failed wasn't one of the ones they had a problem with. They were of the opinion that it was the size it needed to be, and structurally sound.

[DrewKaree]

Now, I'm not a fan of his... but he takes it upon himself to find a boat, get his ass down there, and help the people directly, and idiots here are criticizing that he had a photographer?

Isn't that still helping people who desperately needed immediate help?

It's similar to the idiots complaining that Bush shouldn't have showed up after some disaster because the security and "entourage" he HAD to have with him only hampered efforts.

Penn didn't require an entourage like a President does.  Sure, it's one additional person, but when you're dealing with a boat as small as he was using, you don't see it as completely unnecessary to have that person along, and in fact, only hindering the aid of MORE people than he's currently doing?

The opportunity for a photo-op, as shmokes said, is what this entire thing looks like, and to me, a photo-op that causes less aid to be carried out IS something to be criticized.

If your house was on fire and Sean Penn was coming to help you, would you want him to take your kid out because his photographer was taking up space your wife could have used, or would you want him to leave the photo-op photog sitting in the truck while he saved your kid AND your wife?

If your gripe is because his "priorities" are somewhat in line because he's helping others, then priority #1 would be to scratch the photographer as boat passenger #whatever, because saving some guy with a camera who was perfectly fine while standing on dry land is priority number.....shite, I can't comprehend the number large enough that would give adequate weight to how insignificant that photographer's use is in this situation.

[ChadTower]

Either way... sure, he's a butthead, but he was out there helping people when pretty much everyone else was watching it on TV.  Don't criticize the people on the playing field unless you're on it too.

I'm surprised no one jacked his boat and left HIM on a rooftop, the way things are down there right now.

[Goz]

Jeff Spicoli to the rescue 

[Stingray]

In his defense re: the small boat. I did see someone (have no idea who, it was a couple days ago) say that small boats are what is needed most. The larger boats can't fit into the tight spaces between houses and whatnot. I presume that flat bottom boats are preferable due to the unpredicatlble depths you get into in flood waters.

-S

[Dartful Dodger]

I'm giving Sean Penn a couple of points for doing that. Photo opt or not, he's actually doing something.  I heard Celine Dion say the resucue workers (who are being shot at) should  "take a kayak".  And she also says we should let the people steal TV's, they deserve it.

I guess she's okay with people stealing from others, but don't try to download her music, or her lawyers will rip you apart.

[ChadTower]

Yeah, TVs are awesome when there is no electricity and your house is half underwater.

[Sephroth57]

I'm giving Sean Penn a couple of points for doing that. Photo opt or not, he's actually doing something.

[missioncontrol]

Sean Penn's attempt to sail to the rescue of young victims of Hurricane Katrina.....


Sean Penn gets into rescue act


I thought this guy promised to leave the country after the election

 
 
 

I thought Alec Baldwin was the one who said he'd leave if Bush got elected, but he's still around anyway.

there were a lot of crappy arrogant actors that promised to leave if Bush was elected, unfortunately they all lied.....

[ChadTower]

They didn't lie, they were acting.

[missioncontrol]

that's o.k. I didn't believe them then anyway............

[Stingray]

They didn't lie, they were acting.

-S

[Dartful Dodger]

[The majority of Americans didn't even listen to them.

[ChadTower]

All they really did was expose themselves as lousy Americans.  Anyone willing to abandon their country simply because they don't agree with the elected leadership are poor patriots.

I wish they had gone.  They could move in with Madonna and prance around pretending to be Maria Von Trapp.

[missioncontrol]

I read that as Maria Von Tramp

[Stingray]

I disagree strongly with the current administration, and actively dislike the president. I feel that he does just about everything wrong. Sorry.

I don't feel that this makes me a bad Amrican. After all, I do continue to stay here, knowing that things will have to get better soon.

-S

[missioncontrol]

but did you promise to leave the country if he was elected???

[ChadTower]

Disagreeing doesn't make you a bad American.

[paigeoliver]

You know, I just looked at Sean Penn's IMDB entry.

He has been in 39 movies, of which I have seen ONE!

Fast Times at Ridgemont High, of which all I remember is him ordering a pizza in class. Matter of fact I might not have even seen the movie, I might have just seen that part.

[ChadTower]

Whoa, good point.  The only one of those I've seen, and this was just in parts, was At Close Range.

[Stingray]

but did you promise to leave the country if he was elected???

No, I just promised to b!tch about it for four years, which turned into eight.

-S

[shmokes]

That's a shame.  He's one of the best actors in Hollywood.  Pick up Clint Eastwood's recent Mystic River.  Great movie and Penn is spectacular in it.  21 Grams is another of his recent movies that was really good. 

He's the cop in The Interpreter, with Nicole Kidman that came out at the beginning of the Summer.  It was a good show.  Just a typical Summer thriller.

Anyway, he's a great actor who tends to choose great roles.  Even if you find him obnoxious in real life, you're doing yourself a disservice to not actively seek out some of his movies.

[ChadTower]

I don't like soulless big budget Hollywood films.