Sean Penn Schools Prop. 8 Supporters in Oscar Speech

Lest he miss an opportunity to speak his mind, Sunday night’s Best Actor Oscar winner took a moment on the podium to encourage those who voted last November for California’s Proposition 8, the anti-gay-marriage initiative, to rethink their choice. Turns out the Academy is actually made up of commie, homo-loving sons of guns.

Transcript of the speech from Oscar.com:

Thank you. Thank you. You commie, homo-loving sons-of-guns. I did not expect this, but I, and I want it to be very clear, that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me often. But I am touched by the appreciation and I hoped for it enough that I did want to scribble down, so I had the names in case you were commie, homo-loving sons-of-guns, and so I want to thank my best friend, Sata Matsuzawa. My circle of long-time support, Mara, Brian, Barry and Bob. The great Cleve Jones. Our wonderful writer, Lance Black. Producers Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks.

And particularly, as all, as actors know, our director either has the patience, talent and restraint to grant us a voice or they don’t, and it goes from the beginning of the meeting, through the cutting room. And there is no finer hands to be in than Gus Van Sant. And finally, for those, two last finallies, for those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone. And there are, and there are, these last two things. I’m very, very proud to live in a country that is willing to elect an elegant man president and a country who, for all its toughness, creates courageous artists. And this is in great due respect to all the nominees, but courageous artists, who despite a sensitivity that sometimes has brought enormous challenge, Mickey Rourke rises again and he is my brother. Thank you all very much.

AP via Los Angeles Times:

“You commie, homo-loving sons of guns,” Penn began in accepting the prize. “I did not expect this and I want it to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me often.”

In this highly competitive category, Penn was up against Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler,” Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon,” Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor.”

Penn had already won the Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice awards as well as numerous honors from film critics groups across the country. The 48-year-old actor deeply immersed himself for the part, which brought out a warmth and sweetness we’d rarely seen throughout a career often marked by intense, complex characters.

“How did he do it?” fellow Oscar winner Robert De Niro wondered in introducing Penn. “How for so many years did he get all those jobs playing straight men?”

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