Spring Break
Column: Movie, TV star Penn leaves Hollywood behind for new ventures in White House
Joshua Aromin
Issue date: 4/8/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion
04/08/09 - The existence of celebrity-politicians is not something new, and it is not something that is going to slow down either. While most people would probably be content with a successful acting career, in comes the old cliché adage: "money isn't everything."
If actor Kal Penn was to put out a new movie tomorrow, it would probably be called "Kumar Goes to Washington," now that he is joining the White House staff.
While Penn has made a name for himself as Kumar from the "Harold and Kumar" movies and as Dr. Lawrence Kutner on the TV show "House," he will now ditch Hollywood and become part of the White House Office of Public Liaison. The office stands as an intermediary between the public and the White House.
It seems to be a fad to have some level of celebrity status and join a form of politics. Celebrities that have entered this scene include former Rep. Sonny Bono (R - CA), Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, and even former professional wrestler turned Gov. Jesse Ventura of Minnesota trying their best at public office. George Clooney has recently advocated for relief in Darfur.
It may be foolish and financially unsound to leave a prosperous acting career for a shot in politics, but the same can be said for anyone studying a major that does not offer consistent employment.
Leaving the acting world for now, a return to the big screen for Penn will always be an option after his stint with the Obama administration is over, he has said. Impulsive decisions are not usually advisable, but an opportunity to work for the first black president at such a crucial turning point in America's future should be seized.
Constantly giving into desire while ignoring work and responsibility, could never be a stable way of conducting one's self day to day. But with an opportunity as rewarding for working for the government, reasonable and impulsive thinking would produce the same decision.
In Penn's case, his disregard for money by moving from acting to politics was inspired by his grandparents. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly Penn said, "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 [moving to politics] a little more."
Glitz, glam and Hollywood together are not going anywhere and the impact of movies that feature Neil Patrick Harris (everybody's favorite child-doctor) isn't nearly as important as helping the government run effectively.
So while there's no pay in politics, the return of intellectual capital and self-fulfillment are abundant. With the economy as unstable as it is, it might sound detrimental to ignore money to follow other aspirations. But with the assumption of financial stability, following other goals instead of choosing excessive income is admirable.
If actor Kal Penn was to put out a new movie tomorrow, it would probably be called "Kumar Goes to Washington," now that he is joining the White House staff.
While Penn has made a name for himself as Kumar from the "Harold and Kumar" movies and as Dr. Lawrence Kutner on the TV show "House," he will now ditch Hollywood and become part of the White House Office of Public Liaison. The office stands as an intermediary between the public and the White House.
It seems to be a fad to have some level of celebrity status and join a form of politics. Celebrities that have entered this scene include former Rep. Sonny Bono (R - CA), Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, and even former professional wrestler turned Gov. Jesse Ventura of Minnesota trying their best at public office. George Clooney has recently advocated for relief in Darfur.
It may be foolish and financially unsound to leave a prosperous acting career for a shot in politics, but the same can be said for anyone studying a major that does not offer consistent employment.
Leaving the acting world for now, a return to the big screen for Penn will always be an option after his stint with the Obama administration is over, he has said. Impulsive decisions are not usually advisable, but an opportunity to work for the first black president at such a crucial turning point in America's future should be seized.
Constantly giving into desire while ignoring work and responsibility, could never be a stable way of conducting one's self day to day. But with an opportunity as rewarding for working for the government, reasonable and impulsive thinking would produce the same decision.
In Penn's case, his disregard for money by moving from acting to politics was inspired by his grandparents. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly Penn said, "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 [moving to politics] a little more."
Glitz, glam and Hollywood together are not going anywhere and the impact of movies that feature Neil Patrick Harris (everybody's favorite child-doctor) isn't nearly as important as helping the government run effectively.
So while there's no pay in politics, the return of intellectual capital and self-fulfillment are abundant. With the economy as unstable as it is, it might sound detrimental to ignore money to follow other aspirations. But with the assumption of financial stability, following other goals instead of choosing excessive income is admirable.
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