Kumar goes to the West Wing?
posted at 8:48 am on April 8, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
We got a lot of comments in other threads about this story, and when a successful actor decides to go to the real West Wing, it’s worth a comment or two. Kal Penn, best known for the Harold and Kumar series of movies, left the TV series House to take another gig — as a White House staffer for Barack Obama:
We’ve had actors-turned-mayors, and actors-turned-governors . . . but actors-turned-White House staffers? That’s a new one!
“House” star Kal Penn — whose character was killed off on Monday’s episode — is taking a sabbatical from acting to work for President Obama. The 31-year-old actor, first launched to fame as a stoner student in the “Harold and Kumar” movies, is coming to Washington to be associate director in the White House Office of Public Liaison, Entertainment Weekly first reported yesterday. …
“Associate directors” at the White House job earn somewhere in the $60,000-$70,000 range per year; Penn wouldn’t say exactly how much he made on “House,” but TV actors at his level make around $50,000 per episode. Producers of the Fox drama said they were “thrilled” for him when they found out he was leaving to work for Obama, then pulled off a major surprise by having his character, Dr. Lawrence Kutner, unexpectedly commit suicide.
Actually, I found the suicide to be the most objectionable part of the story, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because the series treated suicide as an easy way out of a staffing jam rather than a serious subject. It seems almost grotesque to concoct a character’s suicide just to get the actor a gig in politics. Why not just give the character a job somewhere else?
I give kudos to Penn for pursuing public service at a large personal cost, at least financially. Public service can be honorable, and Penn deserves credit for choosing to work in that arena, even if I don’t necessarily agree with Penn on politics. I felt the same way when Tony Snow gave up his financially lucrative talk-show career to bring order back to the Bush press office, giving service to his country.
At least this celebrity appointment has a job well within his competency. Unlike the Treasury Secretary who couldn’t do his taxes, the Commerce Secretary appointment who never worked in the private sector (and was under investigation for corruption in his home state), and the Secretary of State whose most notable item on her diplomatic resumé was the Tuzla Dash, Penn has a job he can handle.
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did he pay his taxes….
alexraye on April 8, 2009 at 8:51 AM
“White House? I thought I’d be working for White Castle!” Penn was heard to say after his leaving “House.“
coldwarrior on April 8, 2009 at 8:52 AM
he was on 24 too — played a good terrorist too
blatantblue on April 8, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Maybe when he has the President’s ear, he can talk to Obama about salary caps for actors.
conservativemama on April 8, 2009 at 8:55 AM
Will Guantanamo be part of his portfolio? I heard he has some experience in that venue. /s
coldwarrior on April 8, 2009 at 8:55 AM
Sooo–who cares what he does?
jeanie on April 8, 2009 at 8:56 AM
The thing I found most annoying about the suicide departure from the show was Fox doing a special memoriam website for the character; as if fans need help grieving the lost of the Dr. Kutner character.
Frozen Tex on April 8, 2009 at 8:56 AM
This is just fluff, I hope it works out well for him. I wonder how Obama is going to react to this nugget http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513183,00.html.
Rode Werk on April 8, 2009 at 8:57 AM
I was shocked that Fox used suicide too. As you said..they could have shown him getting another job and leaving.
I wonder what his duties will be in that office.
becki51758 on April 8, 2009 at 8:57 AM
Going to White Castle to get burgers for Biden and 7-11 to get smokes for the boss.
hawkdriver on April 8, 2009 at 9:00 AM
Thanks for the spoiler alert. I haven’t seen that episode yet!
DavidM on April 8, 2009 at 9:00 AM
“Here’s your money and we’re very very sorry…”
Caper29 on April 8, 2009 at 9:01 AM
really. . . suicide? How is that suitable for the American Idol audience that Fox is so famous for?
ThackerAgency on April 8, 2009 at 9:01 AM
I concur with Ed on this one. Kal Penn is an okay actor with great comedic chops, and he impressed me on House up against actors like Omar Epps and Hugh Laurie. I hate his politics, but props to Penn for putting his money where his mouth is…that shows some character, which is altogether lacking in Hollyweird.
Flyover Country on April 8, 2009 at 9:01 AM
Ed, the wife and I are fans of the show. I think they handled the subject of suicide very well. In fact, Kutner’s suicide was eerily familiar to a colleague of mine. She shot herself in the chest with a shotgun two years ago–and NO ONE saw it coming. It was very sad, confusing and shocking to a great many people both within the working environment and the community.
robblefarian on April 8, 2009 at 9:01 AM
not much of a spoiler; that’s how the episode opens.
Frozen Tex on April 8, 2009 at 9:01 AM
The wife and I were watching Monday night’s “House” episode last night on DVR. I’d heard nothing about Penn taking a job with the Ozero administration, so when “13″ and Foreman walked in and found his body during the show it was quite the “WTF?” moment (we’re both “House” addicts).
Kudos to the guy for wanting public service, but going from $50k an episode to $60-70k a year? Wow.
flipflop on April 8, 2009 at 9:02 AM
Good for him.
getalife on April 8, 2009 at 9:02 AM
I think we have a star f@cker for President.
Ampersand on April 8, 2009 at 9:04 AM
Oh, and the suicide part of the plot line made a certain amount of sense if you’d paid attention to Kutner’s character over the past season or two. Sure, they could have had him leaving for another job to write him out of the show, but the death of an actor’s character is often a way for the producers to let an actor know he’s not welcome to return.
flipflop on April 8, 2009 at 9:05 AM
I think the episode was very powerful and some of the best TV I have seen.
rob verdi on April 8, 2009 at 9:06 AM
Dude, Kumar is a greeter at the White House.
outOfElement on April 8, 2009 at 9:06 AM
Now if the administration could begin filling all those positions at Treasury…
catmman on April 8, 2009 at 9:06 AM
I love House MD. Love, love love.
The suicide was deus ex machina. It’s lazy writing meant only to shock. It would have been much-more effective had they put a subtle hint in each episode this season and show the series of hints at the end of the last ep. (whether House figured it out or not).
Unless, of course, he had just found out Obama was not the Messiah and decided he couldn’t handle life any more… but I find that unlikely.
eforhan on April 8, 2009 at 9:07 AM
hah :)
becki51758 on April 8, 2009 at 9:08 AM
Seriously, why do I even bother DVRing?
BohicaTwentyTwo on April 8, 2009 at 9:08 AM
This is supposed to be some kind of WH liaison position to “the Arts” and Hollywood. What torques me is that we taxpayers are paying for such a position at all, even if it is only $60-70K. Sheesh.
KS Rex on April 8, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Haven’t seen the episode yet, but stupid Yahoo news had a big article up on it last night and I found out before getting to see it. The producers said that they liked the idea of a suicide for his character, because it was something that House wouldn’t be able to understand. I’m bummed; I liked his character.
tikvah on April 8, 2009 at 9:10 AM
Why is House still on? I used to like it til season 3, when I realized the problem with the show:
It’s boringly predictable. You can time it as to when exactly they will get the real diagnosis, making the whole in-between part just pointless.
amkun on April 8, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Absolutely. I actually thought the actor had committed suicide and that’s why they set it up in the show.
Now that I know it was just a job switch, it feels extremely creepy…
dominigan on April 8, 2009 at 9:13 AM
This sound eerily like a House Republican attempting to negotiate with Nancy Pelosi.
Rovin on April 8, 2009 at 9:18 AM
Maybe they had him commit suicide so he can’t come back.
Big John on April 8, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Call me a little cynical, but I have to wonder “What’s in it for Him.” He had a job for a corporation that actually made a profit and payed him a decent salary. Jumps ship to be an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liaison. What are the perks for a job like this? How is this a step up, and what does he hope this leads to? Sound to me to be just another unqualified person in the Obama administration.
Tommy_G on April 8, 2009 at 9:21 AM
Yo Ed
You should have a 24 thread every Monday
blatantblue on April 8, 2009 at 9:21 AM
My thoughts exactly. Wanna go work for the Obamination? We don’t need you!
Grafted on April 8, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Kal Penn taught a couple classes at UPenn last year, on Asians-Americans in film. I had a couple friends in his class, and they thought he did a good job in front of a class rather than a camera. He seems very talented.
Yossarian on April 8, 2009 at 9:25 AM
DavidM : I haven’t seen that episode yet!
Ummm…
DavidM on April 8, 2009 at 9:35 AM
staffer? oh that’s so not impressive
Dr Evil on April 8, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Kinda like the South Park fellas killed off Chef when Isaac Hayes got pissy about Scientology.
Cuffy Meigs on April 8, 2009 at 9:55 AM
I think the episode was very powerful and some of the best TV I have seen.
Me too, great show. No show deals with death quite so well. It may be most thought provoking tv drama currently running – as proven by Ed’s thoughts about chosen plot direction.
Shivas Irons on April 8, 2009 at 9:56 AM
If the real Dr. won’t work for Obama (Gupta), at least Obama will get someone who plays a Dr. on TV.
gatorboy on April 8, 2009 at 10:01 AM
It’s boringly predictable. You can time it as to when exactly they will get the real diagnosis, making the whole in-between part just pointless.
amkun
That’s why I stopped watching halfway through the first season. Of course, I’m totally burned out on doctors, lawyers and cop shows anyway so that, I’m sure, had something to do with it.
Give me more ghosts and cryptozoological oddities.
SKYFOX on April 8, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Perfect! Actors fake it to make situations seem real. And Obama’s been faking it most of his life. So I think they will work well together.
multiuseless on April 8, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Suicide?
Well, the poor deluded man is going to work for Obama.
Scribbler on April 8, 2009 at 10:09 AM
It’s morally wrong (and unconstitutional) for the Executive branch to even have such a position, and therefore immoral for the actor to accept it. Also, giving up a $50k per episode gig to work toward aiding the current Administration achieve its goals at $50k per year is self-sacrifice twice over, so that hardly qualifies as noble.
Some people are trying too hard to play nice.
JDPerren on April 8, 2009 at 10:11 AM
…until someone inevitably asks him something about Gitmo, due to the subject matter of the last Harold and Kumar movie. Odds are better than 2-to-1 that he’ll fare as well off teleprompter as his new boss does.
jon1979 on April 8, 2009 at 10:14 AM
“The 31-year-old actor, first launched to fame as a stoner student”
Could just substitute Sean Penn as the name…Spicoli.
Apparently this Penn hasn’t read or understood the Constitution either.
kirkill on April 8, 2009 at 10:17 AM
And after reading many of the House comments, I’m glad I don’t waste my time with TV shows. Rots your brain.
kirkill on April 8, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Public service for an unconsitutional federal role. Yippee!!
I will be waiting with baited breath for the third installment, Obama and Kumar Read the Constitution.
WashJeff on April 8, 2009 at 10:27 AM
I’m glad Neil Patrick Harris left those ‘love stains’ in the back seat of Kumar’s car…
CaptFlood on April 8, 2009 at 10:30 AM
The reason they chose suicide is because they’re wanting to dynamically change the show–at least the show’s general path.
House NEEDS to be able to solve everything. He goes bat-crazy if he can’t solve everything. And this is one thing that he, right now, can’t solve–why one of his people killed themselves. Which is why he’s thinking it was murder–when it wasn’t–because that’s more explainable than him killing himself.
This is meant to change the show in a big way. Whether for good or bad remains to be seen.
Enoxo on April 8, 2009 at 10:30 AM
I watched House before I heard about this. I liked the suicide idea. The show has been fluid with it’s characters, this is not the first to die, so fits fine with me.
There has been some commentary about the pro-Obama nature of House, but I don’t consider it particularly political. For example, there was an episode with a Change ’08 sticker in a bathroom stall. Is that supposed to be an endorsement? If it were a conservative show, we’d consider that clever snark – so I think the show lets you interpret as you will – as it does with House’s protestations against divinity.
Anyway, this opens up some possibilities of the coolest of the original team coming back to work with House.
Spirit of 1776 on April 8, 2009 at 10:31 AM
I admire Kumar or whatevs his name is for taking a risk like this career wise. His acting career is going to take a huge hit for this.
BUT it’s ridiculous that the One can’t fill the Treasury positions yet can find time for crap like this….
mjk on April 8, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Maybe obama can employ a few more actors in pointless jobs like this. Then they stop pretending to be legitimate actors.
George Clooney, you’re up next.
mjk on April 8, 2009 at 10:35 AM
I met this guy on my plane one time. He was very nice. I wasn’t sure who he was, I told him he looked familiar, he said he was an actor and started nami the movies he’d done. I never saw ANY of them! Haha.
There’s a picture in the office of him and Howard Dean posing with a flight attendant.
Tony737 on April 8, 2009 at 10:41 AM
About the suicide, maybe they’re just trying to be all dramatic, like when Henry’s chopper got shot down on M*A*S*H* … but this doesn’t even come close to that.
Tony737 on April 8, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Hey, you ‘conservatives’ elected an old man who was best known for making movies with a monkey and VD training films.
Next!
capitulus on April 8, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Jeff Spicoli for special envoy!
Bevan on April 8, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Shock value.
Like Dualla.
Ortzinator on April 8, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Well, the president is a celebrity with little experience in anything who did cocaine in high school. I guess the stoner character may have helped him land the gig. They want to keep things consistent.
TheBlueSite on April 8, 2009 at 11:04 AM
+1
I have the perfect solution: read a book (if you’re willing to look for something that isn’t juvenile dungeons-and-dragons pap, lawyer yarns or bogus “Vatican” nonsense).
mr.blacksheep on April 8, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Hmm. Maybe that sounded a bit harsh and could have been phrased a bit more delicately.
Sorry if I offended anybody who likes juvenile dungeons-and-dragons pap, lawyer yarns or bogus “Vatican” nonsense.
mr.blacksheep on April 8, 2009 at 11:06 AM
What is Penn supposed to do in his new job? “Liason” could mean anything. More useless spending. Meanwhile we are threatened on new fronts with a dwindling defense budget and 2 billion going to ACORN
BetseyRoss on April 8, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Maybe it’s as simple as the producers being conservative…
And not wanting to redo an accident, as in the last character to die.
Burning bridges unexpectedly in any industry is liable to get you crossed off any future re-employment list.
Keith_Indy on April 8, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Seriously? Is that the best you could do? I know it’s kind of early on a Wednesday, but that was lame even for you.
Besides, just about every comment was in support of Penn; either liking his acting ability or his desire to assist the president (even if we disagree politically). I’m not sure why you had to take a silly swipe at a man who even today would be a better president than the one we have now.
Heck, Zombie Ronald Reagan? I’d vote for him in a second!
DrAllecon on April 8, 2009 at 11:13 AM
I loves my House too, though I don’t get to catch every episode any more. I did see this episode, and thought it was well done. I thought the point was well made that sometimes, you just don’t see it coming, and never know the reasons why. It’s a damn tough lesson, but I think it fits in with reality pretty well. Lazy writing? Meh. I prefer to believe that they decided not to over-think it. And IMO, it worked to go that way.
Seems like there is a lot of sniping about it here – the faux memorial, etc. But I tried to watch another show last night called “Fringe”. I don’t get to watch much TV, but I was appalled at the horrible writing and utter predictability of that show. Which makes me appreciate that not every show can be as consistently good as House.
This is the “House” blog, right?
Good for Kal for following his passion in a productive way.
connertown on April 8, 2009 at 11:13 AM
The celebrity adds another celebrity to his staff. Or should I say “Entourage”. Forget pay, I am sure he will have all the weed and White Castles his heart desires.
Rockshine on April 8, 2009 at 11:16 AM
I don’t get the House love.
But can we all at least agree that Ghost Whisperer is really, really bad?
amkun on April 8, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Indeed, there are available jobs in a recession and Obama will not fill them. Why does he hate labor!?!?
Grafted on April 8, 2009 at 11:17 AM
It sounds like someone who, in the long run, wants to get into politics. Frankly, I applaud him if that is the case. Rather than taking the Franken route, and running for office on his fame alone, he is actually going to Washington and doing the work that political resumes are built with.
JohnGalt23 on April 8, 2009 at 11:30 AM
They did take it seriously, at the end of the episode the producers had a public service message from a mental health organization with their phone number and web address, so at least in that aspect they did take it seriously.
Liberty or Death on April 8, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Yes, Ghost Whisperer is awful, unfortunately my girlfriend likes it so I sometimes have to sit through it.
That show sucks!
Liberty or Death on April 8, 2009 at 11:35 AM
so we will have a acting stoner on staff to go with the actual stoners that are in charge..
workingforpigs on April 8, 2009 at 11:36 AM
et al:
Pray tell, what provision of the U.S. Constitution does employment of a W.H staff violate?
JohnGalt23 on April 8, 2009 at 11:36 AM
I know the answers to this one:
1) Because all capitulus can do is take silly swipes at anything (nature of the troll, doncha know);
2) Because he is clearly an uncultured visigoth, that has never seen cinematic genius like King’s Row or Knute Rockne, All-American.
JohnGalt23 on April 8, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Do we really need someone working in the Obama White House as a “Public Liaison?” Isn’t that what the entire MSM is doing for him already?
And how many other actors are completely pissed off that they’ve been shilling for Obama these past few years and haven’t gotten paid for it now?
Sir Corky on April 8, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Man, I knew I should have broken out my “Kumar Goes to White House” line as soon as I heard about this yesterday from my mom (who’s a huge “House” fan, and was shocked by Penn’s character’s suicide on the most recent episode). Now a quick Googling shows that tons of others are already using what I would like to call my line.
RightWinged on April 8, 2009 at 11:56 AM
If your mission in life is to be a troll, you could at least try to be a good one… There were what, 25 years between Reagan’s acting career and his presidency? His resume is fairly common knowledge.
OldManC on April 8, 2009 at 12:16 PM
……he didn’t comment suicide, the cut throat bitch return from the dead and kill his ass!
try again later on April 8, 2009 at 12:18 PM
A plus one for the culture of death AND a knock against guns. How could they not take that? Never let a good crisis go to waste.
Just curious when/who for the caucasian outreach position. Won’t hold my breath after Reich let the mask slip a little, ok a lot.
America1st on April 8, 2009 at 12:19 PM
If I’d always wanted to get into politics, and I were in his position, I might have made the same choice.
I enjoy the show, and was pretty shocked to see what happened to him in that episode–I liked his character a great deal.
thequeball on April 8, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Wait till he finds out it’s one big punk by Ashton Kucher and Barack and there’s really no job.
I liked Kumar on House. He was cute and funny in a show that tends to hold to its formula a bit too much at times. It’s not a good episode if there isn’t at least one seizure and one barf of blood – It’s Whipples, it’s Lupus, may be amyloidosis?…
Candy Slice on April 8, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Yes it is, but you have to intentionally ignore his terms as California Governor to claim his incompetence just like you have to ignore Obama’s thin resume to claim his competence.
The point being willful ignorance is a common trait of trolls AND liberals.
Marine_Bio on April 8, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Don’t like his politics; but he’s doing what he believes in, so, can’t complain too much.
I actually thought they handled the suicide rather well. Also, House is a big supporter of NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness.
youngTXcon on April 8, 2009 at 12:39 PM
I don’t really think there is much issue with Fox chooing to use the suicide rout to write the character out of the series.
There is the more cynical view of the characters suicide being a metaphor for what Kal Penn will realize he just did to his career once Obama is viewed by the american public much the same way Carter is viewed.
Marine_Bio on April 8, 2009 at 12:45 PM
DOH!
chooing = choosing
rout = route
Marine_Bio on April 8, 2009 at 12:47 PM
I miss Tony Snow :(
DethMetalCookieMonst on April 8, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Is it wise to have an actor who’s most known for being in movies that glorify drug use in your administration?
Don’t get me wrong. I completely agree with Ed’s post. I’m just thinking that this might be yet another bad mood on Obama’s part.
DethMetalCookieMonst on April 8, 2009 at 1:01 PM
Cap, you forgot to mention he was Governor of California for 8 years, which is 8 years more Executive experience than your Obamessiah had. I’m sure it was just a mistake on your part though.
Speedwagon82 on April 8, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Agreed – the Dr. Lawrence Kuttner memorial web site Fox developed was one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen on TV. I had felt something was coming up for the character, since he’d seemed overly chipper lately, even for him.
I wonder if he’ll emerge from his government service with any illusions intact.
DrSteve on April 8, 2009 at 1:04 PM
Thanks for the spoiler warning, Tony.
/sarc
Frozen Tex on April 8, 2009 at 1:22 PM
Obama seems to be filling his staff with “stars” as much as he can. That is, people who are very publicly recognized. Hardly a primary qualification for most of these jobs! You know how members of a rock band all tend to dress and act like the leader. In this case, we have a rock star President, and he wants his “band” to be stars too, like him. Again, hardly the basis for making good staffing decisions.
Paul-Cincy on April 8, 2009 at 1:37 PM
If you watched “House” regularly, you’d know that the reasons his staffers stick around and put up with his crap at all are usually pretty complex. It’d be a huge violation of the narrative to have one of them just up and get a “better” gig–because any of them inclined to do so would have already done so a long time ago (and/or have already tried). The suicide storyline is more in keeping with the spirit of the show than an out-of-the-blue job change, and really much more interesting as a storytelling device going forward.
I’m just relieved that the revelation of the guy’s objectionable personal politics accompanies his leaving the show. It’d be hard to keep watching knowing he was an Obamaphile. Nothing disrupts suspension of disbelieve like actors bandying about their personal politics (except maybe when political messages themselves intrude on what should be apolitical shows–usually not an issue on “House,” but unbearable in horribly–and arbitrarily–leftist shows like “Lie To Me” and “Cold Case”).
Blacklake on April 8, 2009 at 1:47 PM
Forget staffing the Treasury department, lets fill in make-work jobs with C-list celebrities, working under the First Celebrity: Barack Obama!
Neo on April 8, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Remember when having an actor in the White House was a bad thing? Little-known fact: During the first year of his presidency, Ronald Reagan telecommuted directly from the set of Death Valley Days.
Jim Treacher on April 8, 2009 at 2:23 PM
It’s obvious why he’d take the White House job: Clearly acting has paid him well enough that he can do want he wants in life rather than what will get him tons of money (which also explains his teaching job).
As for House, I didn’t like them killing off one healthy character so soon after killing off another; so far, two of the four new House characters have gone to the grave. (Did Amber [CTB] have a creepy memorial? I don’t think so.) It seemed the cheap way to go, too: By having Penn’s character just disappear, they didn’t need to pay him for an extra episode in which he’d be there to explain getting written out. Although considering that his character seemed the most willing employee of House, it would have had to have been one doozy of an explanation, not just wanting a different job. As far as calling it “suicide,” House has a feeling it’s not, and his feelings are usually (but not always) correct.
By the way, Penn’s stumping for Obama was very high-profile during the campaign. That part isn’t a new revelation.
calbear on April 8, 2009 at 2:35 PM
The Harold and Kumar movie [where they try to find a White Castle] is just about the most un-funny funny movie that I’ve ever seen. I thought that it was atrocious and on the level of a 5th grader.
With that, he will be a perfect fit for the Obama team – and it’ll be a lot funnier, too. Well, insofar as it’ll be a comedy of errors.
OhEssYouCowboys on April 8, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Zero Zombie.
Maquis on April 8, 2009 at 4:26 PM
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