Sean Penn vs. South Park
It's not exactly news that Sean Penn, one of the mocked-upon targets in the season's most-anticipated flick, the all-puppet, all-action Team America: World Police, has written a drop-dead memo to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the auteurs behind South Park and TA. Via Drudge, here's a snippet of Spicoli's wrath:
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
Whole thing here.
Salon is running a snippet of a forthcoming interview with Parker and Stone:
According to Stone, "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."
Added Parker: "If you have absolutely no idea, fuck it."
"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," Stone said. "That's lame. Just stay home. That's all we ever said."
Salon bit here (note: requires sitting through Shawshank Redemption DVD ad).
Reason will be posting its review of Team America tomorrow.
In the meantime, check out Reason Managing Editor Jesse Walker's appreciation of the show here and Barry Fagin's bit here.
