Actor Kal Penn joining the Obama administration

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palehorse

Lifer
Dec 21, 2005
11,521
0
76
I'm not quite sure 'Kumar' is the image I want to project with my country's Public Liaison officers.

So, to me, the choice was simply... odd.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
a response from the link:

"The objections to him holding this position are unfounded. He was an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania?lecturing on the very topics with which he will be dealing. As someone noted, "he's not running FEMA". Bush already showed us that it takes an experienced person like the commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association for a job that important. But unlike Brown, he's staying his realm of expertise. If both an Ivy League university and the Obama administration find him qualified, then he probably is."
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
101,053
18,156
126
I think he'll be fine, people should stop confusing actors and roles.

and yes, I started another thread when I failed to find this one.
 

RightIsWrong

Diamond Member
Apr 29, 2005
5,649
0
0
His family has also been politically active for many years/generations:

I've been thinking about [moving into politics] for a while. I love what I do as an actor. I couldn't love it more. But probably from the time I was a kid, I really enjoyed that balance between the arts and public service. I went to a performing arts high school, but I still took a bunch of those dorky political science classes. 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. And in '06 I started this international studies program at Stanford, where they actually let you do most of the course work online. So it was something I could do while I was acting. And I thought this might be the right time to go off and do something else.
 

bozack

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2000
7,913
12
81
Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
Originally posted by: bozack
Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
I think this sums it up. Bozack - you are going to have to deal with non whites in position of power.

Way to turn it into a race issue fuckface.

My post has nothing to do with race, rather another friviolus position to pander to special interests. With more pressing matters pending why are we even wasting our time with stuff like this.

you are insensitive to race issues. and I do enjoy fucking face on occasion.

Nice way to spin that around...like I said, this has nothing to do with any latent issues on my part with as you said "non whites in positions of power", but rather putting someone else on the govt payroll for something which I question the relevance of in a time when there are certanly more pressing matters at hand....period.
 

Pepsei

Lifer
Dec 14, 2001
12,895
1
0
Originally posted by: bozack
Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
Originally posted by: bozack
Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
I think this sums it up. Bozack - you are going to have to deal with non whites in position of power.

Way to turn it into a race issue fuckface.

My post has nothing to do with race, rather another friviolus position to pander to special interests. With more pressing matters pending why are we even wasting our time with stuff like this.

you are insensitive to race issues. and I do enjoy fucking face on occasion.

Nice way to spin that around...like I said, this has nothing to do with any latent issues on my part with as you said "non whites in positions of power", but rather putting someone else on the govt payroll for something which I question the relevance of in a time when there are certanly more pressing matters at hand....period.

why do you care? there are so many other positions that should be put under the microscope rather than this minor low paying position which i'm sure existed in some form in the past administration.

if kal penn wasn't famous... i'm sure you wouldn't even know about it.
 

arcenite

Lifer
Dec 9, 2001
10,660
7
81
Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Originally posted by: Pepsei
do you guys know that he's taking a major major pay cut to do this?

if it was me, i would've kept my acting job and let other people do the charity.
What you don't think he can do both?

/facepalm
 

Stuxnet

Diamond Member
Jun 16, 2005
8,392
1
0
Originally posted by: jpeyton
SWEET! :thumbsup:

Kal is a class act.

LOL seriously?

[in New York Magazine, commenting about his recurring role as a terrorist on TV's "24" (2001)] I have a huge political problem with the role. It was essentially accepting a form of racial profiling. I think it's repulsive. But it was the first time I had a chance to blow stuff up and take a family hostage. As an actor, why shouldn't I have that opportunity? Because I'm brown and I should be scared about the connection between media images and people's thought processes?

Read: "My ideals can be bought."

It's so fun to watch these Hollywood blowhards get involved in politics after watching them compromise themselves whenever the price is right.

He's a good actor and I've enjoyed (some of) his work, but I think the move is foolish. Liaison to !#$!%? Really? If you want to do public service and make a difference, go work in a soup kitchen where it counts.
 

oogabooga

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2003
7,807
3
81
Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
i'm not sure why this is a big deal?

Because people are always upset whenever there is a change to House's team and they have to adjust. WHY CANT IT JUST BE THE ORIGINAL THREE AGAIN THEY ARE ALL STILL THERE?!

If you mean politically that he's taking a liaison position? Uhh.. cause there is nothing better to complain or talk about?
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Originally posted by: n yusef
He's a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders and to the arts. I don't see what the problem is.

Do we need to spend money on a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Geesh, the govt bitches and moans about executive pay and bonuses, yet won't even look at the wasteful wage spending in it's own house.
 

CLite

Golden Member
Dec 6, 2005
1,726
7
76
Originally posted by: CPA
Originally posted by: n yusef
He's a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders and to the arts. I don't see what the problem is.

Do we need to spend money on a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Geesh, the govt bitches and moans about executive pay and bonuses, yet won't even look at the wasteful wage spending in it's own house.

You guys are grasping at straws. One fucking position in the government opens up that the asian community has been begging for and you relate it to the questioning multi-million dollar bonuses. You people are either mentally deficient or just excellent trollers.
 

3chordcharlie

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2004
9,859
1
81
Originally posted by: CPA
Originally posted by: n yusef
He's a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders and to the arts. I don't see what the problem is.

Do we need to spend money on a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Geesh, the govt bitches and moans about executive pay and bonuses, yet won't even look at the wasteful wage spending in it's own house.

Remember how silly you thought everyone was for whining about $160 million in a Trillion dollar program?
 

Mani

Diamond Member
Aug 9, 2001
4,808
1
0
Originally posted by: CPA
Originally posted by: n yusef
He's a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders and to the arts. I don't see what the problem is.

Do we need to spend money on a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Geesh, the govt bitches and moans about executive pay and bonuses, yet won't even look at the wasteful wage spending in it's own house.

1. Kal Penn will draw nowhere near the kind of salary being complained about with execs. Really reaching with this comparison.
2. It's a position giving millions of Americans - not just asians/islanders, but young people in general - a voice in government. Somehow I doubt you'd be whining if it was a liason to gun advocates or evangelicals.
 

cubeless

Diamond Member
Sep 17, 2001
4,295
1
81
Originally posted by: Mani
Originally posted by: CPA
Originally posted by: n yusef
He's a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders and to the arts. I don't see what the problem is.

Do we need to spend money on a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Geesh, the govt bitches and moans about executive pay and bonuses, yet won't even look at the wasteful wage spending in it's own house.

1. Kal Penn will draw nowhere near the kind of salary being complained about with execs. Really reaching with this comparison.
2. It's a position giving millions of Americans - not just asians/islanders, but young people in general - a voice in government. Somehow I doubt you'd be whining if it was a liason to gun advocates or evangelicals.


a voice that their congressmen, senators, lobbyists, etc... don't already have???

this is purely a political bullshit payback job... now bo only has to create 2,999,999 more jobs... this guy was going to be unenmployed and now has a job...
 

Mani

Diamond Member
Aug 9, 2001
4,808
1
0
Originally posted by: cubeless
Originally posted by: Mani
Originally posted by: CPA
Originally posted by: n yusef
He's a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders and to the arts. I don't see what the problem is.

Do we need to spend money on a liaison to Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Geesh, the govt bitches and moans about executive pay and bonuses, yet won't even look at the wasteful wage spending in it's own house.

1. Kal Penn will draw nowhere near the kind of salary being complained about with execs. Really reaching with this comparison.
2. It's a position giving millions of Americans - not just asians/islanders, but young people in general - a voice in government. Somehow I doubt you'd be whining if it was a liason to gun advocates or evangelicals.


a voice that their congressmen, senators, lobbyists, etc... don't already have???

this is purely a political bullshit payback job... now bo only has to create 2,999,999 more jobs... this guy was going to be unenmployed and now has a job...

How many 31 yr old congressmen/ senators/ lobbyists exist? The one voting demographic with no voice in government is young voters - and this is the first administration to address them.

I don't doubt his service to the administration contributed to his appointment, but if you don't think political payback appointments are a part of EVERY administration, then you are either an idiot or incredibly naive.
 

brandonbull

Diamond Member
May 3, 2005
6,365
1,223
126
Originally posted by: Evan
Seems stupid, but then you remember that we had a successful 8 years when the country was run by an actor in the 80's.

The actor you speak of took a break in between acting and being the POTUS to be governor of Cali.
 

brandonbull

Diamond Member
May 3, 2005
6,365
1,223
126
Originally posted by: bozack
Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
I think this sums it up. Bozack - you are going to have to deal with non whites in position of power.

Way to turn it into a race issue fuckface.

My post has nothing to do with race, rather another friviolus position to pander to special interests. With more pressing matters pending why are we even wasting our time with stuff like this.

Hold you horses partner. That doesn't sound like logical thinking you are talking about, but racist talk.