Biggest WTF moment of the “We Are One” concert celebrating Inauguration might have been this:
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r76WeTXuLs]
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Kal Penn?! What? You mean the guy from Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle? As a major part of the opening weekend festivities for the historical inauguration of Barack Obama?!
This guy:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuBCDNynfzA]
Don’t get me wrong – I’m a big fan of the first Harold and Kumar, and I do enjoy watching House from time to time. But this might have been the tipping point for the celebritification of this historical event. Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks might be different – they each have an important role in popular culture and American history. But Steve Carell? Jack Black? Really? What important work on the Obama campaign did these actors contribute? (I realize, as an aside, Penn proved his worth campaigning for Obama and many a progressive cause, but his presence was a bit on the odd side.) To think that the Obama campaign was propelled by the small time donors and the active role of the every day individual and that certain slightly popular celebrities took the spotlight for a not necessarily-discernible reason felt a little cheap. But, considering they won’t be delivering the Inauguration speech and aren’t the main source of celebration, that’s ok with me (sorry Reagan, you take the cake for celebrity-as-politician in this case).
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…And possibly the only interesting few seconds of the second Harold and Kumar:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7-VlGSx5ag]
