In a world of political theater and dizzying headlines, it’s mighty refreshing to find a silver lining, and astonishingly, it can sometimes be found in unexpected places. Hollywood, for starters. Ellen, Rosie O’Donnell, and others once declared they’d leave America if Trump became president. And you know what? They followed through! So, credit where it’s due; they kept their word. The louder-than-life Hollywood fraternity always knows how to keep a promise when it’s orchestrated for dramatic effect.

So, our country’s lost some of its celebrity sparkle – or eccentricity, you might say. They all headed to the quaint, white nations of Europe, unsurprisingly not taking comfort in those socialist utopias they seem to dote on in public. But hey, could this be a classic case of Hollywood hypocrisy? That’s one pot of popcorn for another day. For now, let’s just chuckle over our less crowded Hollywood Walk of Fame, bask in the post-perfumed Hollywood air, and acknowledge that it’s a win-win.

However, not every Tinseltown star abandoned ship. Enter Sean Penn, the Hollywood icon who’s getting more headlines for his political handshakes than his acting these days. The actor recently made waves by refusing to meet with the former president yet seems to have no qualms mingling with controversial figures. From palling around with Venezuelan leaders Maduro and Chavez to chumming it up with the infamous El Chapo – Sean does make intriguing company choices. Perhaps it’s these intriguing choices that make Penn an odd bird in the Hollywood flock.

While Penn gripes over shaking hands with Trump, he’s simultaneously notorious for keeping company with noted dictatorial figures. You can’t help but wonder, where’s the logic? Hollywood’s penchant for selectively choosing its allies is truly a marvel. Meanwhile, Trump is reminiscent of the proverbial elephant in the room. Love him or despise him, he’s a crucial piece in America’s political jigsaw.

Bill Maher, on his popular podcast, offered some sage advice: it’s crucial to experience different sides to better understand them. Penn would rather evade such encounters, showing it’s easier to criticize from the sidelines than to face the music directly. In this unfolding tableau of Hollywood antics, personalities like Maher remind folks to look beyond the glitz, and dare we say, live and learn. So let’s raise a glass to unlikely honesty, peculiar alliances, and hope that eventually, reason prevails over grand gestures and misguided loyalties.