# Sean Penn brings personal photog on rescue mission
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [September 5, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193 "2005-09-05T13:16:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/1 "2005-09-05T13:16:31Z")
[Sean Penn goes to NOLA](http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,16494464%5E1702,00.html)
OK Sean.
You sort of annoy me, but I guess I more or less ignore you most of the time.
I admire you for going to NOLA to see what you can do. I wish I had the opportunity to do the same. If I had a boat and the ability to go, I would. I am sorry your boat sank when you put it in the water. You probably could have made a difference to many people who needed a way out.
But why did you bring a personal photographer? What incredible vanity.
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### Author:  [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/2 "2005-09-05T13:25:52Z")
What a fucking moron:
> [@](#):
>
> With the boat loaded with members of Penn’s entourage, including a personal photographer, one bystander taunted the actor: “How are you going to get any people in that thing?”
At least we’ve been spared the heartwrenching images of a noble Sean cradling a photogenic waif. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/3 "2005-09-05T14:13:47Z")
Thanks for the laugh, newcrasher. It was much needed.
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### Author:  [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/4 "2005-09-05T14:25:35Z")
I agree. Sean Penn’s response to Hurricane Katrina has been completely inadequate, and his photo op’s show him to be pathetically self-serving and out of touch.
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/5 "2005-09-05T14:27:56Z")
I thought private citizens were not supposed to “self-dispatch.” Or does that not apply to celebrties who want a photo op?
Jeez, Sean, you would have done more good by writing a check.
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### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/6 "2005-09-05T14:32:57Z")
> [@](#):
>
> The actor, known for his political activism, was seen wearing what appeared to be a white flak jacket and frantically bailing water out of the sinking vessel with a red plastic cup.
I wonder if they’ll be any photos of THAT in his PR kit? :wally
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/7 "2005-09-05T14:37:04Z")
[There’s a picture of him bailing out his boat on the front page of Drudge](http://drudgereport.com/)
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### Author:  [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/8 "2005-09-05T14:50:10Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#):
>
> I agree. Sean Penn’s response to Hurricane Katrina has been completely inadequate, and his photo op’s show him to be pathetically self-serving and out of touch.
Ha!
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### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/9 "2005-09-05T14:58:57Z")
Clearly, Sean Penn’s legendary hatred of photographers has grown to the point where he is now attempting to kill them one at a time.
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### Author:  [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/10 "2005-09-05T15:03:16Z")
> [@Otto](#):
>
> Clearly, Sean Penn’s legendary hatred of photographers has grown to the point where he is now attempting to kill them one at a time.
That’s a good one. Whew.
Did you see the picture of that boat? He would have been better off with a kayak.
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/11 "2005-09-05T15:26:45Z")
Yeah, what was up with that boat? He can certainly afford something better than that. Did he not want to show anybody up? Too much luggage?
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### Author:  [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/12 "2005-09-05T15:53:15Z")
I respect the guy as an incredible actor, but he sure comes off as an idiot away from the cameras.
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### Author:  [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/13 "2005-09-05T15:54:36Z")
“Here I come to save the DAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY----” Glug, glug, glug…
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### Author:  [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/14 "2005-09-05T16:20:59Z")
It seems to me that \*\*Boats Suitable for Rescue Missions \*\* can be divided into two categories – Those that can be bailed out with a red plastic cup, and those that cannot.
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/15 "2005-09-05T16:27:23Z")
Stranded New Orleansians breathe a huge sigh of relief. “The ordeal is over at last… the actors are finally here!”
Sean’s personal photographer reminds me of Sir Robin’s minstrels from Monty Python’s _Holy Grail_:
"Brave concerned dear Sean Penn,
set forth from Hollywood,
to go to Dixie’s flooded land
and do some jolly good.
He was not in the least afraid
to be photographed without a suit
the problem started when he told the
white guy with a Nikon, “Shoot!”
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### Author:  [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/16 "2005-09-05T16:55:04Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#):
>
> It seems to me that \*\*Boats Suitable for Rescue Missions \*\* can be divided into two categories – Those that can be bailed out with a red plastic cup, and those that cannot.
It made perfect sense in my mind. I’ll re-post when I get it right.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/17 "2005-09-05T17:39:27Z")
Man, that’s hilarious. Famous celebrity piles entourage into rickety boat. Can’t get engine started. Boat begins to sink. Everyone paddles like mad back to shore.
Sean Penn, maritime hero!
This had to have been a staged photo-op. Who in hell takes their personal cameraman out in a small boat to rescue people? “Sorry little Timmy! No room in the boat for you. It was either you or the Nikon 400mm lens, and, well, you never know when they’re going to need a long shot.”
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### Author:  [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/18 "2005-09-05T17:52:39Z")
I go with staged…notice the nice, bright white sneakers on one member of the entourage? Nobody wears stuff like that when headed out on a rescue mission in a flooded area.
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### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/19 "2005-09-05T18:14:34Z")
It looks like he forgot to replace the garboard drain plug situated at the bottom of the transom under the waterline. You always remove the plug when your boat is on the trailor to drain the rainwater.This plug must be replaced when the boat is out of the water prior to launch.
Obviously Sean has had very little experience with a non self- bailing deck boat. If he did, he would have recognized the problem immediately and returned to the boat trailor.
Bailing with a plastic cup? Hilarious!!!
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### Author:  [@Grits\_and\_Hard\_Toast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grits_and_Hard_Toast)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sean-penn-brings-personal-photog-on-rescue-mission/320193/20 "2005-09-05T18:20:04Z")
Anyone else get a mental picture when reading this story of Spicoli (sp) looking down at the water rushing around his ankles and saying, " Hey Dude, isn’t the water supposed to be OUTSIDE of the boat?"
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