Now I was clicking thru CNN.com todaylink, and in one of their news updates I see
Actor Kal Penn joining the Obama administration
And to be honest, I am not surprised. Is it because, as some of the commenters on the CNN site say,
ashley April 7th, 2009 2:25 pm ET
This is the dumbest thing ever. (sighs). I enjoyed him on HOUSE and other movies that were not suitable for children…but working for the government….I dont think so.
Am I just attuned to expecting dumb things from the Obama administration, and thats why I am not surprised?
No, not in the least. I am not surprised because I have met Kal Penn. Briefly. It was in early 2008, and I was working checking ID's at an on campus pub when, operating purely as an automaton, I checked the birthday, photo and various other aspects of a license handed to me along with scanning the person standing in front of me to make sure the picture matched the face, I realized that I had someone famous in front of me. I'll be honest, I didn't remember his name. Sad really, considering I had just had his license in front of me, but its true. The only reason I even really noted with any interest the person that walked thru the door was because I recognized one of the people with his as the leader of the students for barack obama on my campus, and had also met the other student at the college democrats meeting a few weeks previous. So, albeit only mild starstruck, I made conversation with Kal, and why he was at my university. To my surprise, it was because of Barack Obama. We talked, briefly, about what interested him in supporting Obama. Kal let me know that he was actually just stopping in for lunch before heading up an Obama rally on my campus. Now the details he gave me for his support; I don't really remember them. I do remember being impressed by the fact that he was even coming to my school, being A. super blue and B. polling for Clinton. So before I wrote this anecdote I went and searched out an interview he gave to one the school in my region, Wesleyan, within a few days of my run in.
some key things that struck me, and bring back a little of what he was talking about:
KP: I think that charisma inspires us, and charisma makes things more interesting to watch, but I think that charisma goes way beyond just the sake of charisma. It goes into what you’re actually going to be able to accomplish. It takes 60 votes to get something passed in the Senate. Somebody who has the ability to bring folks together and not be a polarizing figure is the person who’s going to get things accomplished. So that has to do with being likeable and having charisma. In terms of the international playing field, you know, Barack is the only candidate who pronounces Pakistan correctly. What’s the best way to go about dealing with a military dictatorship in a foreign country that has nuclear weapons next to a war zone? Is it to go in there and pronounce the name of the country wrong? These are such small things, right?
interview
Now this interview is very brief, and obviously isn't very in depth due to apparent time constraints but it does show that KP had some real thoughts, as most americans did, on the primary and what was going on. To be clear Kal Penn is not going to be the new treasury secretary. He is going to be, according to CNN
The actor will be part of the White House Office of Public Liaison, which is run by Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. Penn will be primarily involved in dealing with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and the arts community.
His reason for joining instead of making more weed based movies? Something sinister?
"It's probably because of the value system my grandparents instilled in me. They marched with Gandhi in the Indian independence movement, and that was always in the back of my head. So the past couple of years I thought about it a little more."
Now we might think that
Brian April 7th, 2009 2:26 pm ET
Sorry, I can't take this at all serious after those Harold and Kumar movies. They're funny movies don't get me wrong, but what is Obama thinking hiring an actor? Obama's credibility and integrity just hit a new low with me. Our President folks, the biggest celebrity in the world. One term President.
Or
John April 7th, 2009 2:14 pm ET
Nothing like having the modern day poster-child for dope smoking in your administration…
Why not get Cheech or Chong to work for you…
Or maybe we believe
mjr17 April 7th, 2009 2:23 pm ET
Well, I am not a fan or supporter of our current president. But Mr Penn, as a fan of yours, I respect and admire your decision to take your life in a dramatically different direction in pursuit of a dream. Not many successful Hollywood actors would give up a lucrative career to go work in politics. Best of luck to you.
Nazli April 7th, 2009 2:03 pm ET
As an Asian American, I am proud to have a President who values the quality and richness of this diverse nation - because we are one people under th
and for the record, from the Wesleyan interview
ES: By the way, how often do people ask you if you want to smoke weed?
KP: I actually don’t smoke weed in real life.
Not that there need be anything wrong with that.
update:
After I wrote this, I found a few other diaries from a few days ago on this topic, and I have stolen a nice link from the campaign featuring Kal Penn here:
the diaries are here and here and apparently it was also an open thread here
oh well.
update II
I found a few other diaries from a few days ago on this topic
I am liar... err I just didn't know it was the 7th. of April. So those diaries are from today. Ah well, shucks.