Saturday, May 23, 2009

Crossing the Line


Is he or isn’t he going to file for divorce? This isn’t the first time my phantom drinking buddy, Sean Penn, has vacillated over his decision to finally crumple his marriage contract to the equally bold and luminous actress, Robin Wright-Penn and throw it to the bin.

As to those drooling over him, prematurely rejoicing that finally he can make honest women out of you – there will be no Thanksgiving or Christmas together and the honeymoon in Maldives or is it Galapagos that you booked in advance? Call your travel agent and replace them with tickets for the World Cup in South Africa.

I wonder what my favorite comedians over at Fox News are ranting this time. Are they going to fete him for upholding rock-solid family values by not pushing through a messy divorce?

When news of this present divorce broke out, those funny guys had a heyday speculating on the reason(s) – “Oh, he’s a worthless piece of (bleep) for not acknowledging his wife in his acceptance speech at the Oscars”

Granting that his acceptance speech was unorthodox, the man, well, is. I think it was a smart move to grab that chance, when million of viewers, in rapt attention were listening, to articulate his advocacy against hatred of marginalized people. The right-wingers only heard “gay rights,” something they are virulently against with but if they listened closely, Sean Penn’s speech was about tada-ding! LOVE. “Gugma, kun ha Binisaya”

Love for the heck of it, as I always say.

And it was a sprightly speech – “You commie, homo-loving sons of guns.” That brought a hearty chuckle.

For those who expected him to enumerate a litany of thanksgiving, just check Milk’s credits. One thing I know, it was the powerful vision of Gus Van Sant that galvanized the movie. And my sagging butt, he can thank his wife properly in private, in a manner that he has mastered.

What do we care about the intimate lives of celebrities anyway? At least with Sean Penn, he was persecuted for not thanking his wife in public, with the cameras on, when it was a call of propriety to do so, or at least feeding people’s conventional expectations.

The current local headline is about celebrities exhibiting in public what is supposed to be a private matter, which isn’t a call of propriety but at least, feed people’s prurient expectations.

Sex, lies, and videotape.

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