FAN MAIL: Sean Penn (our favorite Hair-Trigger...

FAN MAIL: Sean Penn (our favorite Hair-Trigger Rock Correspondent, behind Don Henley), surfaced with a blistering attack on New York Times pop critic Jon Pareles, who brooded at great length about a new wave of racist chic displayed by such pop icons as Guns ‘N Roses, Andrew Dice Clay and Public Enemy. In a letter to the NYT last week, Penn offered a spirited defense of Guns ‘N Roses’ “One in a Million,” which is splattered with ugly epithets about blacks and gays. Said Penn: “Who is Jon Pareles, and why is he writing pseudo-liberal hogwash . . . ‘One in a Million’ is like a Capa photo of war. It’s a no-holds-barred reminder that hatred, fear and bigotry are as alive today as they were when the American media called (the civil-rights movement) a finished cause. If artists are honest and their work is personal, its strength is in its ability to inspire thought and emotion. A photo of reality can be harsh, but unlikely biased. ‘Million’ is a brave song. The fear and anger of it are what Pareles condemns.”