Actor Will Lend Wit To Support Haiti As Others Actually Work

It's great that these actors get involved and help out. My favorite thing is when they say they are "raising awareness" or "raising consciousness." As if people aren't aware and conscious. As support goes, this isn't building a house or lending someone money. A little vague, at best. "Hey, you're having a hard time, let me raise some consciousness for you, alright?" And you look good doing it, because even though you're really not doing anything, you're getting credit for being a charitable guy. If I'm under a pile of rocks after an earthquake I could use something a little more tangible. Raising consciousness, that's not so great. Hey Clark Gable, will you help lift some of these rocks offa me?!?

Now Sean Penn, he sounds like he's actually doing something in Haiti and that is great. But this is a strange thing to say. Is he making a comparison between Charlie Sheen and the people of Haiti, and their respective struggles? It sounds like there is some kind of connection, no? In a way it's good they had that earthquake, because who knew Charlie Sheen would need a way to get back in touch with himself, you know? He had been doing so well. Look at this picture. I just think, "yes, he can help in Haiti."

I wonder whatever happened to just helping out quietly behind the scenes? Good work is its own reward and all that? Why does Sean Penn feel compelled to talk about this, and in this context with Charlie Sheen? Why can't he just go to Haiti? You know why? Because if he just went, you wouldn't know what a great guy Sean Penn is. He's not some shallow actor, he's a real person. He said so himself.

I liked the good old days, when the actor helped out and no one knew about it, and then AFTER HE WAS DEAD it would come out in a book that he helped out "but he didn't want anyone to know." That was class. Now, eh.

Also, how interested will the hard working Haitians be in Charlie Sheen, and if they are indeed interested in Charlie Sheen, won't that hurt the real cause of hard work over there? Because then they will be jerking around with Charlie and his wit instead of working.

This kind of thing makes me nuts, but maybe it will work out. Charlie Sheen may really be inspired by this visit, and the Haitians may gather some kind of mad performance enhancing drug-like inspiration listening to Charlie Sheen. Let's see if he really goes first. In any case this is news.

Sean Penn says he thinks Charlie Sheen could do a lot of good in Haiti, both for himself and the nation struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake.

"I think his energies, intelligence and passion could be both of service and servicing to him, as it is to all who are touched by the struggle of the Haitian people," Penn said in a statement Friday.

"Charlie is one of the very few public people who cannot be accused of using the media to his own benefit. I would very much like to show my old friend the world of needs on the ground in Haiti, and introduce him and his tremendous wit to our hard working Haitian staff."

Penn's message of support came hours after Sheen told "Access Hollywood" that he and Penn were planning a trip to the Caribbean nation, although no date for their travel has been announced.

"If he chooses to give support, I'll trust it," the Academy Award winner said.

Sheen, who has been on a media blitz since Monday, says he would like to bring the attention of the world back to Haiti, where Penn has been a fixture since a January 2010 earthquake destroyed more than 500,000 homes.

[Associated Press]