Sean Penn Takes Issue With SF Paper
Sean Penn holds the director of the year award backstage at the 19th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala in Palm Springs, Calif. in this Jan. 5, 2008 file photo. Penn apparently is taking issue with the San Francisco Chronicle, calling the publication an "increasingly lamebrain paper" in a letter published in Tuesday's edition. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
(Matt Sayles - AP)
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008; 11:51 AM
SAN FRANCISCO -- Sean Penn's days of writing for the San Francisco Chronicle may be over: The actor now calls the publication an "increasingly lamebrain paper."
Penn offered the critique in a letter published Tuesday, written in response to a tongue-in-cheek article that focused on celebrity interest in Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. It listed a number of potential matchups between celebrities and dictators or other authoritarian figures.
Penn objected to the characterization, saying Chavez is a democratically elected leader.
Chronicle Editor Phil Bronstein took the criticism in stride, calling Penn, "a great actor and a great director."
"People get riled up about a lot of things, particularly in this day and age; they get to express themselves. We were more than happy to print his letter," Bronstein said.
A call to Penn's publicist was not immediately returned.
Penn's past writings for the paper included a five-part series in 2005 about his experiences in Iran.
The 47-year-old actor won an Oscar for his role in 2003's "Mystic River." His screen credits also include "I Am Sam," "Sweet and Lowdown" and "Dead Man Walking."
