January 12, 2003
Larry King Interviews Sean Penn
Sean Penn, interviewed on Larry King Live, said, "We're living now in what Mailer said is probably the first century that -- because of technology and the conflicts in the world, may be the first century in the history of man that the Earth survives without us. And I have children who are going to face that century and live in that century. And so I felt that the popular media, by and large, which is really what most people who don't have even the opportunities that I have in this country, by my luck and good fortune in this country, which gives me, I think, an added responsibility this way -- don't have the time to attack their own ignorance on issues beyond popular media -- you know, you work a job, two jobs, you get home, you're exhausted, you kiss your child, maybe your feet get up and you turn on the television, and that's what you have. And I felt that it wasn't addressing enough in the area of debate, enough of reflection on something that's such a serious issue as what's going on right now." See the transcript at CNN.com.