As we’re getting closer to the release of the largely anti-Bush film “Team America: World Police” (which personally I’m still not sure looks all that funny), creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are getting unexpectedly blasted from another big anti-Bush guy… Sean Penn. No, Penn isn’t criticizing the new movie. The difference comes over remarks Parker and Stone made in a Rolling Stone interview where they suggested it’s ok to not vote in the upcoming elections. Penn (besides being one of the best actors alive today) is very politically involved and wrote to the South Park creators:
“You guys are talented young guys, but alas, primarily young guys,” Penn wrote in a letter to the South Park creators. “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 around the world.”
Personally, I basically agree with Penn’s position that voting is not just a right… it’s a responsibility. To not vote is to dishonor those that died so many years ago to give us this freedom. However, the remarks seemed a little harsh and over the top. I doubt this will start any sort of feud between Parker/Stone and Penn, but who knows with Parker and Stone.
Are you kidding me in saying that Penn is one of the best actors alive today?
rofl, hilarious.
Matt Damon
Oiley you f***tart, if Penn is a d**k why is she a p***ie? Make up ur small pea mind
Penn is a dick… get a grip its a comedy and not ment to be taken seriously. As the film states… there are three types of people in this world, dicks, arseholes and pussies… Penn you are a pussie!
We all have the right to express our different views. What’s right and what’s wrong, we’ll never know. Maybe that’s not the point nor is what’s important.
Because it is America we can vote. Because it is America we can choose not to. Because it is America I call you a ass for not voting. Sean Penn is a “star” so his voice is a little louder. But he is using the same rights we all do, and he’s not any different that you and I.
The most important concept on voting is that it identifies you with the world for which you live. You are a participant in this society.
To say your being active by efforts to not vote is ridiculous. ” I’m making a point this year, I’m not going to vote” uh ok .. what’s the fucking point.
Is it possible that it’s our freedom that make us so war like.
Die for peace. Now that is a profound oxymoron. however neccassary.
As for Team America… it was made for laughs. I laughed my ass off. Therefore I give it an 8.5. I thought that their paradies on hollywood and politics were great and on the money. It was a movie, not a politcal banner. Nobody was safe from their retorick. The intellegence of these guys to blend so many types of humor together is very impressive to me.
If you didn’t think it was funny. If you were offended. Then your a whales penis.
As my friend Lauren would say ( it seems to be her fav. line) “America America …. Fuck Yeah!”
Yeah, so Sean Penn and others like him peddle their left wing views to the world – big deal. The fox network peddles its own right wing views to the world as well. Complaining about one and not the other just reveals political bias.
And if you’re worried about uneducated people voting for the wrong reasons instead of not voting at all – GO AND EDUCATE THEM! You’ve got freedom of speech. Are you all worried that there’s a little Sean Penn in all of you?
terst
The problem with saying “if you aren’t informed, don’t vote” is that who decides what “informed” is? There’s always someone smarter and more knowledgeable than you, so who are you to deny the right of someone lesser than yourself – and how do you measure it anyway?
While parker and stone claim no political bias, that they are making fun of everyone, I think I detect a leaning toward the right. Their own views are probably libertarian in tone, but that’s just my wild assumption. Of course they loathe political correctness, which stems from the left. It’s interesting because Stone appears in Bowling for Columbine (although Parker is noticeably absent – whether that reveals anything I’m not sure) -although his point is that people should have talked to the kids who committed the shootings before they did it (which in itself seems an utterly ridiculous and pointless view).
When famous liberals speak up they’re expressing their point of view, presumably they think that point of view is correct, so how does that make them particularly worse than anyone else? because they’re rich and famous they know nothing? Or is it that you don’t agree with them? OK so you might think Sean Penn is an idiot, but what do you then think of Kelsey Grammar’s views? Your views are probably shared by some celebrity anyway.
But if the argument goes “they’re rich, famous, and know nothing” why should we trust Parker and Stone, who are also rich, famous and like to think they present daring and insightful points to us all? And anyway, as I said, Stone blabs his mouth off on Bowling for Columbine anyway.
Still, if politicians stayed out of the political arena we wouldn’t have governor Schwarzenegger: perhaps it is a good idea after all.
Well, just saw the movie. Thought it was funny and astute, but as for the movie’s politics, it’s a blunt instrument. This kind of stuff only works in the pub at 2 am, not for solving real life problems. And I do want to point out that not Republican actors turned politicians (ahem) were skewered.
Regards to voting, it seems lost on most people that this country is not a democracy- it’s a representative republic. I don’t have to know everything about the issues. That’s why I vote someone into office to make those decisions for me. Not that people shouldn’t be better informed, but this is an important distinction in how our political decision is designed. It counteracts the tendency of popular vote democracy to run amok (a look at California’s ballot initiative techninque for balancing the budget should provide adequate proof for that).
And of course our political system (like any other system in any place or time in history) is run by the wealthy and powerful. It has always been. But having power bestowed by public consent and not coercive force is a f**king phenomenon from a historical perspective. It’s always easy to criticize the way things are when held up to rapturous, idealized abstractions, but it looks a little different when you do a little compare and contrast with real world conditions. I think this was the point of the dck-arse-pssy argument in the film.
As far as the concept of a protest vote goes, it simply doesn’t exist. Just to be counted as an uncountable does nothing to protest or jam the system. It’s just a waste of paper and a vote counter’s time. Not voting isn’t a protest either, because there is not an enforcable mandate to vote. Just the same penalty as for being dumb- you have to live with it. If you want to buy a car and give it to me to drive however I want, that may be dumb, but it’s not crime.
And I have to agree with the gun-criminal argument being lame. It’s a part of this sound-bite culture where anything that’s sounds like a nursury rhyme is repeated ad nauseum, regardless of whether there is any truth or reason to it.
And to springboard from this onto my other “soapbox” issuse- the best thing about this movie was that it reveals the utterly hypocritical and nonsensical nature of what passes as intellectual thought these days. And the worst part of it is that it succumbs to the same hypocritical and irrational tendencies it criticises. But then again, their job is to satirize, not necessarily to undo 50 years of intelectual gibberish in one fell swoop.
The real problem, IMHO, is that we have been utterly failed by the intellectual community in this (and most other western) countries. And like any problem, once you come to realize it, it becomes your fault if you don’t fix it. So…
FIX IT! Start thinking before you repeat sh*t you’ve heard cause it sounds good. Think about what it’s implications are. Introduce some rigor in choosing what you accept as truth, expand your rational abilities, and be willing to change your mind if you are wrong. There are worse things than being wrong. Let’s stop being led by mental midgets and actually use some of our own brain power again. I know it’s hard, kind of like walking to the store instead of driving, but think of the long term benefits!
Cheers to all.
Hey there “A Patriot”.
That whole “only criminals would have guns” argument is so lame (I’m not say YOU are lame… just the old argument).
The VAST VAST VAST majority of crimes committed with guns are done with guns that were obtained through LEGAL means. And a large number of guns that were not obtained legally were stolen from people who DID obtain them legally.
So IMHO, that argument just holds no water. I’m not saying i think all guns should be banned… but the Old Charelton Heston Lines just don’t add up with logic.
Team America is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen.
The rip is on these stupid actors, Sean Penn included, that think their political views should be the views of the world.
Genie Gerafalo’s puppet summed it up best.
“As actors, our job is to read the news paper and then spew what we just read like it was our own original idea” (or something to that effect).
Actors, with a lot of money, crave world stability. They don’t want to go on vacation or attend film festivals if there is chance of terrorism or other trouble.
Can’t we all just get along. . . NO!
On the issue of the movie Team America I thought it was funny as hell. But on the political side I think people just need to get off their soap boxes and settle thier differences like normal rational people…..by getting together and beating the sh*t out of eachother and whoever comes out alive wins….yeah I like that….Oh yeah on a random note Gun Control is BullSh*t if you make it criminal to have a gun then only criminals have guns….think about that.
The team America creators are right – this “election” is already fraudulent and corrupted. Voting only encourages the criminals to think we enjoy how they’re screwing us.
Dude, you need to go find an uninhabited island to live on.
Vic
It is irresponsible to kill people. It is irresponsible to vote for people who are killing people or who are going to kill people. (John Kerry has killed people (Vietnam) and will kill more people if elected.) Therefore, it is irresponsible to vote. Our country is predominantly mad and does not understand what it is doing. Don’t buy into the nonsense that voting is going to change anything or do anything positive for you or anyone else. Voting only gives madmen your support and further ensnares your mind in the web of fear and hysteria they spin. Voting is a collective jerk-off that is designed to placate the masses into believing they have a voice in matters of state and it works beautifully. But to me, the “democratic process” appears to be nothing more than a bunch of well-intended nutcases recruiting the weak-minded to join in and support (even to the extent of giving their lives) their global/domestic agenda of bringing about a better world through gun-backed brute force. It is some kind of fascinating spectacle, yes, but don’t ask me to join in. And please don’t point your finger and accuse me of being irresponsible and apathetic. Of course I care if my brothers and sisters are all caught up in a screwed-up herd mentality. It doesn’t look like much fun! I just know it is futile, arrogant, presumptuous and unkind to try and change even one person’s mind against their will, let alone a whole seething mob. If people are into freaking out, that’s their business. It’s just a shame when people who are freaking out hurt themselves or others. This world that gave birth to us is and has always been a beautiful, unfathomable paradise. Everyone is free all of the time. There is nothing to vote for. How absurd! There is nothing to kill or die for. How tragic! Freedom is not free? Says who? Someone with handcuffs and a gun? Poor, sad bastard! Please don’t shoot me for laughing at you!
“One of the best actors alive today”? BAAHAHAHAHAA! I haven’t liked anything he has done since Fast Times, except when he clocked that reporter.
Anti-Bush film? BWAHAHAHAAA!
Looks like someone didn’t quite get the movie. It was most thorough in ridiculing both sides. What i liked most of all was how it made fun of all the limousine liberal actors in hollywood and their foolish assumption that they have a clue about politics and foreign policy, much less know better than anyone else. They are more visible and vastly overpaid than your average american, that does not make them remotely smarter. The crap that comes out of their mouths when no one has written their lines for them is very telling. Personally I agree with the Southpark boys. If you dont know sh*t about the issues, don’t vote. If the only reason you are going to vote a particular way is because your favorite movie star told you to then do us all a favor and stay home on Nov. 2.
America, F$%k Yeah!
Anyone who thinks that this movie is anti-Bush obviously did not pay attention to the final speech. Yes both sides were criticized leading up to the final speech, but the “p*ssy” speech provided one of the best reasons for going into Iraq ever. Sean Penn wants people who are uninformed to vote because thats what liberals want. They don’t want people actually studying the facts. Sean Penn should get off his soapbox and realize that he is no better than anyother American just because he has money.
Screen Rant, I agree with you. If you go to a restaurant and don’t know what blanquette de veau is, are you gonna order it?
If you go to the ballot box to vote for something you did your homework on, and then see on the ballot that there’s a proposition you know nothing about, are you gonna vote one way or another on it?
I hope not!
The same for chosing a canidate.
Um, wasn’t Parker/Stone’s point that if you don’t know anything about the issues or the candidates that you shouldn’t vote?
What’s the problem with that point of view?
I certainly don’t want some shmuck cancelling out my vote based on a coin toss (or the equivalent)…
Vic
I just saw the movie and the entire theater was rolling with laughter throughout. Funny thing about Sean Penn’s diatribe against Matt & Trey: he’s taking himself too seriously, which is exactly what the F.A.G.s get skewered for in the movie. Get a life Sean. Just because you appear on celluloid and your self-adulating cohorts felt the politically correct need to give you a golden boy statue to, allegedly, reward your acting abilities, does not mean your words, ideas or dictates are gospel.
Oh for God’s sake , everyone whom is offended by the whole thing should get a grip, go out and do something positive, and stop whining about what Sean Penn says. The guy has no sense of irony, no sense of humor, and no clue as to what the South Park boys were doing with this film. Inept Moron. Sean should stop taking himself so seriously, and grow some big ones.
As for the person thinking that the puppet joke is what the movie is all about. Typical American thickness there ( I happen to be an American, so I can say that)in that they don;t get it. It’s a satire on America-“World Police” Get it?
3 weeks till election day! Woo hoo!Later “W”, Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out. Then again, maybe Kerry will hire him as a water boy or something similar that falls within the man’s ACTUAL capabilities.
Boogey
Why didn’t Trey or Parker just punch Sean Penn in the mouth? Oh… that’s Penn’s department.
The “just get out there and vote” movement is intellectually bankrupt. The general rule in society is that if you are not informed, you should not express an opinion about something you know nothing about. Why shouldn’t the same go for voting?
Well… I’ve seen Team America and I really have to say that it is one of the funniest films that has come out in quite a long time. The trailers DO NOT do this film justice. If you liked South Park BL&U then you will absolutely LOVE this!
…And it really isn’t an anti-Bush film at all. This film goes after the stupid people on both sides of the political spectrum, although I do have to say that the Liberals end up looking a little worse than the Conservatives do(which in my opinion was actually pretty refreshing). Bush and Kerry are both pretty much ignored all together.
I’m tired of people saying “I don’t like Bush or Kerry. I’m not going to vote”. Does nobody in this country realize that there are more than 2 candidates running this year? If you’re tired of only having 2 bad choices, then the WORST thing you can do is not vote. Your best bet is to vote for a 3rd party candidate. ANY 3rd party candidate. Even if you think they’re a WORSE choice than Bush or Kerry. Why? Because even though there’s almost 0 chance of getting a 3rd party candidate elected this year, the numbers that they get determine if that party will be eligible to run again 4 years from now. It also would send a very clear message to the two major parties that people are tired of the non-choice that they represent.
Personally, I’m voting for Badnarik, the Libertarian candidate. Not just because I don’t like Bush or Kerry, but because I’m a Libertarian and would love to see Badnarik win. I know he won’t, but by voting for him I help send a message that I want more choice in my presidential elections. Hell, there were 15 candidates in Afghanistan’s first presidential election. We get somewhere between 2 and 5 depending on what state we live in.
I’d like to encourage every potential voter to go vote for someone OTHER than Bush or Kerry. Anyone at all. Hell, I don’t care if you vote communist, so long as come 11/3, the numbers in the “other” category add up to a significant amount that will at least make the Republicans and Democrats sit up and take notice.
On lord John, you like the debates! Politics now!
Although I can’t enter into the US election discussion, I can comment on the non-voting. Over here if you want to actively non-vote one of the best things to do is go into vote and “spoil” the ballot paper.
By spoil I mean you do something against the rules of acceptance of a valid vote, like tick every box, or write in the wrong section.
The benefit of doing that is that they get counted and included in the final figures. The people who don’t turn up to vote are not so important.
The Kerry-Bush thing is very interesting to watch from an external US viewpoint, and I know which of the two I would want as my Leader, if I had to make a choice.
I would argue that it’s your right to actively not vote. But that’s the key word here: actively.
I live in Texas. Because of our electoral system, I’m not going to bother. People tell me to vote for at least the local offices, but this state is pretty much Republican all the way through. And I’m not going to waste my time voting for a third party either.
Instead, I feel that the best thing I can do is encourage friends, who live in battleground states and share like-minded political views, to get out and vote.
So this is the choice about actively non-voting I have made and I’m comfortable with it.
I understand what you’re trying to say Mike, but it’s not as if Not Voting will prevent one of these two from becoming president.
One of them WILL be president… which one is up to the voters. So if you honestly think there is absolutly no difference at all whatsoever between Bush and Kerry, I mean you think think they are 100% the exact same… then ok, don’t vote.
But if you think that one is even slightly better than the other… then yeah, I think it’s your responsability to vote. Just my thoughts. No flaming here. Cheers.
Well Penn gets really involved in everything he does, acting, film making, etc so I guess there’s no difference with his political beliefs. The comments are a bit harsh, but it does get the message through.
On Team America, the content of the trailer doesn’t look that funny. I think the Dictator’s pronunciation problem is the funniest gag in there, the rest of it looks like it might just settle on the puppet joke throughout.
I personally don’t want everyone to vote, because a stupid vote is worse than no vote at all. To me John Kerry and George Bush are both very bad candidates for president, and I won’t be held responsible for putting either of them in office.
As someone said, “The lesser of two evils is still evil.”
If anyone needs me, I’ll be hiding in my flame proof room.