Sean Penn rips 'Team America' creators in angry memo

October 6, 2004

To Trey Parker and Matt Stone,

I remember a cordial hello when you guys were beginning to be famous guys around Hollywood at some party. I remember several times getting a few giggles out of your humor. I remember not being bothered as you traded on my name among others to appear witty, above it all, and likeable to your crowd. I never mind being of service, in satire and silliness.

I do mind when anybody who doesn't have a child, doesn't have a child at war, or isn't or won't be in harm's way themselves, is encouraging that there's "no shame in not voting" "if you don't know what you're talking about" (Mr. Stone) without mentioning the shame of not knowing what your talking about, and encouraging people to know. 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, indcluding a couple of hip cross-dressers, is an excuse.

All best, and a sincere f^*& you,

Sean Penn


Is this not funny as heck! WOW!! These guys had better duck! It is nice to see the Left getting as good as they get!....


Sweet Link here:

www.drudgereport.com...


[edit on 11-10-2004 by Banshee]

yeah that movie look completely f***ing ridiculous

mabye good for a couple laughs, but seriously who wants to sit down and have propaganda/psy-ops thrown in their face for 2 hours...

Originally posted by edsinger
It is nice to see the Left getting as good as they get!....

I just can't help but provide you with a link with Sean Penn's views on US politics and the current administration. Enjoy .


[edit on 11-10-2004 by Durden]

Trey Parker and Matt Stone as in Southpark's Parker and Stone??? The FUNNIEST guys on this planet?
MUAHAHAHAHA!!
Ok, no way ih hell did Sean Penn really write that.

Oh, man, I had to stop writing for a moment, I was laughing too hard.
How can anyone on this planet call those two guys leftist propaganda??? I mean, those are the creators of southpark, the show who made fun of everybody famous, mediocre famous and even remotely famous in the last 8 years (yes, even clinton), who made fun of our prejudice, stupidity of masses, cliches, stereotypes, modern life, just about everything. It is the best satirical show on this planet. And there is the key word, a SHOW, tv show, tv comedy show.... oh man... *shakes head*
Right wing people are sometimes very paranoid, they see some evil commie propaganda even in Parker&Stone creations lol

@Durden, very interesting link

This movie is going to be great, they poke fun at all the extreme lefties and extreme righties. Cant wait to see it

I don't know. I think everyone in America should spend at least a year in some third world country and see their country from without, through a different lens, as it were. People I meet from such places generally admire such things as the VoA or the BBC, fine exports... but then crap like this comes out and Bin Laden gets a few new recruits. How can I take pride in being an American with crap like this movie coming out? The issues are serious ones, and while one should always have a sense of humor about things, this movie is about profit, not laughs, off of some very contentious issues. Oh well, # it. I'll probably end up seeing it anyway. But remember folks, this is all part of how the world sees us right now, and many of our kids are paying for it.

-koji K.

Hrm... trying to remember the moment in time where Sean Penn started to matter... hmmm... ummm.... OH! Right! That moment never happened!

Sean Penn, and all of Hollywood used to matter ALOT to these guys.

No matter how Matt and Trey tell it now in their tongue in cheek mockumentaries about "making it" via hard work and winning awards, one man (who's name they dare not speak) made them.

George Clooney.

When ER Doc turned "Batman" was considered one of the most powerful guys in Hollyweird he came across the early version of Santa versus Jesus, got in touch with the little slackers and made hundreds of copies for all his "friends" (like Sean Penn).

Who in turn made copies for their friends. And so on. And so on.

I saw a copy at Cartoon Network a year before anyone ever heard of them or Comedy Central picked them up.

Now Team America is a totally one-sided anti-Hollyweird hit piece according to some who've seen it.

Team America
by kos
Mon Oct 11th, 2004 at 05:46:03 GMT

I got tickets for an early screening for the new movie from the South Park guys. Rather than carboard cutouts, like South Park, the movie uses puppets -- marionettes, actually.
The apparent goal of the movie was to make it a satirical jab at every facet of the "war on terror". Problem is, I think our side got the worst of it.

Team America, global police, wreak havoc everywhere they go in pursuit of terrorists. In the opening scene, they take out half of Paris, including all of its cultural icons, in order to kill three terrorists with an WMD. The WMD couldn't have done a better job itself. Ironic! And kind of funny. But that's about the worst the warmongers get.

What do we get? Peacenik liberal Hollywood actors coddling up to terrorist regimes (ha ha). If you hate Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin and Janeane Garofalo, then you'll love seeing them get killed in a bloody battle with Team America.

One dead Rush Limbaugh would've attoned for using Michael Moore as a suicide bomber. Perhaps massacring Fox's whole afternoon lineup and Tom DeLay would've balanced out the dead actors. But oh well. Me, I didn't care for it.

The movie does best when satirizing blockbuster movies (one dimensional characters, groan-inducing one-liners, stilted love scenes), or when showing us the limits of what marionettes can do on film (they don't strut, fight, or have sex too smoothly). The soundtrack was stellar, and gut-busting funny.

The politically, the movie would've been better served to dish out the satire in a bipartisan fashion. Like the JibJab Brothers.

But Kos is hyper politcal, so it may not be all that bad.

I'm just suprised no one mentions how bad they retread the old SUPERCAR! series in this. It's pretty lame actually. They've "lost" the edge IMHO.

SUPERCAR!

I believe what Sean Penn had a problem with, was a comment they made during an interview not the movie itself.

Interview with Parker and Stone
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have slammed rap mogul Sean 'P Diddy' Combs' Vote Or Die campaign.

The satirical duo -- whose anti-Republican movie Team America: World Police hits cinemas Oct. 11 -- have accused the hip-hop star of endangering democracy by forcing young Americans to vote in November's presidential elections, reports Web site Pagesix.com.

"I think just saying 'Vote or Die' is a serious danger to democracy. If you don't know what you're talking about, there's no shame in not voting.," Stone said. "They say if you don't vote, you can't b*tch. But you can vote all you want. This is America"

"Hey, 19-year-olds who doesn't know anything [expletive]; you chose!" Parker said.

BTW, when you quoted the Drudge article, you missed the invitation to take Stone and Parker to Fallujah.

P.S. Take this as a personal invitation from me to you (you can ask Dennis Miller along for the ride as well) to escort you on a trip, which I took last Christmas. We'll fly to Amman, Jordan and I'll ride with you in a (?) 12 hours through the Sunni Triangle into Fallujah and Baghdad and I'll show you around. When we return, make all the fun you want

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
Hrm... trying to remember the moment in time where Sean Penn started to matter...

hmmm...

ummm....

OH! Right!

That moment never happened!

Actually, I think he holds a certain amount of power in the 'Special Olympics' group.

All thanks to that movie...uh...I can't even remember the name of it now...

I don't care if it's an hour long Bush Bash; who in hell is going to spend $50 to take the family out for a marionette movie!?!?!

Color me astonished at Penn (and thanks for the link to his political views.) I thought he was just a punch-happy airhead. Apparently he's mellowed and grown up a bit.

I haven't any plans to see "Team America." I don't much care for foul language and bathroom humor (I don't find "South Park" funny, though I do like "The Simpsons") -- I managed to avoid "Along Came Mary," too and I don't think that my social development was crushed by it.

Interesting observations by Penn. He's gained just a little respect in my eyes (not much, but a little.)

Mr Penn speaks:

"Unlike George W. Bush, I had a father who read the Constitution of the United States."

I love this guy.

"I am more patriotic than this president we have, who I consider a traitor of human and American principles."

I saw the trailer for Team America. It was bizaaah

Trey Parker and Matt Stone once again have created a no-holds-barred movie that lambastes both conservatives and liberals in a foul-mouthed, Hollywood-bashing, action/comedy with marionettes as its stars.www.rottentomatoes.com...

Sounds great.

I doubt Penn really wrote that. Maybe he did because he hates those guys.

The movielooks incredibly stupid. The idea of watching puppets forover an hour is very lame.

Team America had a sneak preview this weekend, and was damn hilarious. It's full of the usual "potty mouth" phrases as warned by an announcement before the show, but makes some decent points no matter what your political affiliation. Bush was never mentioned, and American political leaders were absent from the film.

Sean Penn was featured in the movie as a member of the Film Actor's Guild (F.A.G.) and lumped into a group that would read the paper, then spit back the editorial as their own enlightened oppinion. I'm sure plenty of actors do this, and I'm sure there are plenty who are more well informed on issues and have actually made an effort to get involved like Penn in going overseas. His letter, unfortunately, will usually not be seen along side his education or views, and will be read on websites making him look like a spoiled ranting loon to many. He's sure to be a target on SouthPark and I doubt Trey Parker or Matt Stone will let it drop. Anti-Hollywood? Maybe a *little*, but it's a spoof and it's the kind of thing many in Hollywood can have a good laugh about if they get the joke and have a good sense of humor. See the movie and then decide how you feel about it before labeling it anti-whatever and propoganda

Anyway - Team America opens in a week, so get ready for the one liners and T-shirts that will be heard and seen everywhere. Top of the list will be "America - F**k yeah!," and a great anatomical analogy.

Can't wait to see it, though I'll wait for it to hit video because whether it's trash or treasure, I'll rarely dish out theater prices to listen to people who no longer know how to behave (meaning SHUT UP) in a theater.

koji, I'd be more worried about the world seeing American Pie and such than any kind of spoof/mock puppet movie. If the world has a bad viewpoint of us, it won't be because of these guys.

I like the looks of this movie. I like South Park. I like seeing Saddam as Satan's gay lover in hell. The rest of the world will get over it.

As far as making everyone go to a third world country, I can save the mileage. There are places right here in the US that are disgraceful with children living out of dumpsters with ice on the inside walls of their "houses" in the winter time. If Hollywood really gave a crap about people they'd raise their voices for the ones suffering HERE, not abroad. They'd stop making jokes about prison rape and use their influence to try and get the criminal justice system cleaned up. They'd be in the camera eye as much on behalf of the school systems as they are to protest the war. Springsteen and those others can ditch the dems and have a tour to fund more free clinics and daycare facilities. If they wanted more than just extra stage time, they'd put their money where their brains should have ended up and help their own country.

Hey, this is turning into a rant... SORRY!

hollywood has no control over what excactly they show you. here we have a movie that uses subtle references of govt agenda, laced with humor/action to subliminaly alter your perception of issues at hand. it is called physcological operations. i recently saw a film called shaun of the dead, never heard of it before my friend asked me to go see. the movie was the most blantant and easily recognizable form of psy-ops i had ever seen, if you are interested in what i am saying go see it. even though i was really high when i was watching i can tell you with absolute certainanty this movie was trying its absolute hardest to alter public perception.through the use of fear, and sparatic representations of reality we see what they have in mind. it was a zombie movie, and in the end who should you turn to? thats right the government. a maddening effort to make us all feel helpless without their order! i can assure you that team america will be no different. far more extreme in scenario, they will use engineered overly hyped threats to scare the pants off you, then taadaa team america will save the day. conform, and nothing bad will happen. the reality is, our governments actions are turning the world against us. they are giving us an ultimatum that is 'kill the terrorists, or be the terrorist' the day will come, when you are going to be the one who has to pull the trigger, for a problem our government created these psy-ops are effectivaly doing their job, in safely navigating you through the treachorous path of desicion!

[edit on 11-10-2004 by sturod84]

I heard about this on the radio this am...I couldn't beleive that Sean Penn, Oscar Winner, took the time to write a memo to the creators of Mr Hankey The Christmas Poo, Towly The Weed Smoking Towl, Big Gay Al, MechaStreisand, and other memorable Southpark characters. How sad of life do you have ot have to waste time worrying about what these guys make a movie about? Does anyone really think that their agenda is politcal? It is to make fun of politics if anything. I will definitly be seeing this movie, and I am sure will laugh my ass off in the process

I look forward to a Southpark episode to rip on Penn very soon

[edit on 11-10-2004 by mpeake]

I'm sorry, but I can't really take anyone serious that is stupid enough to get involved with a skank ho-beast like Madonna.

I got to see this movie in a sneak preview on the 9th. Damn it was funny. It will definitely piss off anyone who takes politics or action movies too seriously. It rips on the Screen Actors Guild by calling them (F.A.G.) for Film Actors Guild. It rips on Americans quite a bit in general, both lefties and righties with equal humor. Sean Penn is pissed because in the movie he has a speech like:

"Before America invaded Iraq the children were happy and dancing and freedom flowed everywhere and people drank from chocolate milk rivers! I was there and people were so happy with Saddam it was beautiful. Then the Americans invaded and made it hell!!"

As far as ragging on America it just kind of shows some of the 'shoot first ask later' methods that have been going on, blowing up Cairo and Paris for example while chasing terrorists. Also the whole 'terrorists want to kill you personally' mentality.

Anyway, this movie was freaking hilarious. I've been laughing for like two days, ever since Helen Hunt gets cut in half by a samurai sword and Matt Damon gets his neck snapped.

Hans Blix: Kim Jong Il, the UN needd to make sure you don't have WMDs. Or else.

Jong Il: Or else what?

Hans Blix: Or we will be very angry, and write you a letter telling you how angry we are.

[edit on 11-10-2004 by taibunsuu]