I love this commie, homo-lovin, son of a gun.
Sean Penn won the Oscar for his portrayal of Harvey Milk. Check out his acceptance speech below.
Related:
Milk: I sure didn't learn about this in high school.
Harvey Milk Deserved a Better Film than Van Sant's Low-fat Biopic.
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that was a great speech. I love how some Republicans are all pissy over his speech now. For days before the Oscars, I've been hearing how they want to boycott the Oscars for being too liberal, immoral, and elitist.
HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!
I'm a commie, homo-lovin, feminist daughter of a gun and his speech was okay. Given all that Robin Wright has put up with, you'd think he could have remembered to thank her - unless that intelligble bit at the beginning about his best friend was in reference to her.
In any case, I hate Michael Douglas. I just thought I'd mention that.
I was also wondering why he didn't thank her as well. he was asked by the media yesterday why he didn't thank her and he said something about how she knows he won't dedicate his speech to her, because he wanted to talk about gay rights, since everyone has a limited speech, due to time constraints.
reasonable enough.
Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny. But I actually liked Dustin Lance Black's speech the most. It was pretty moving.
Did anyone else see his post-Oscar Q&A? Apparently there were anti-gay protesters because Heath Ledger was nominated (and won) and he once played a gay guy...yeah, seriously.
Anyway, one of the signs said "Heath is in Hell" and a reporter asked Penn what he thought of that! His reply was something like, "Why would you even ask me that. The fact that someone would write that is bad enough, but you giving them the attention makes it worse."
I was wondering when I was going to see this here.
I loved his speech for two reasons:
1. Because Sean Penn can be so uptight and serious some times that it was nice to see him smiling and laughing and it was great to hear him say that he understood how hard he makes it sometimes to like him.
2. Because he's right. We need equal rights for ALL!
But I also agree with whoever made the comment about Dustin Lance Black's speech. His was by far the most moving and best speech of the evening.
I was glad that Sean Penn went out on a limb and played the roll to begin with, and I'm glad that Harvey Milk got the recognition as a great figure.
I'll be honest, though, I thought that they should have given Mickey Rourke the Oscar, because of his performance, but Sean definitely made more out of his speech than Mickey would have.
I expected more from feministing. Yes, Penn's politics, in this instance, are right on target, but what about his history and what it says about women in our society. Last week, all the buzz was about Chris Brown and how his violence would (and should) cost him his career. The very next week, we are celebrating because an admitted wife beater won and Oscar? That seems, to me, to be both hypocritical and racist.
Your comment is absolutely right-on. I see this a lot with other young feminists my age who praise Bill Clinton for his politics while ignoring that he is a SEXUAL PREDATOR and I just ask myself, "How can they just ignore his predatory behavior like that?" He's a fucking sexual predator and that's all; it's like saying John Wayne Gacy was a great clown.
I'd compare posting this video with this headline with posting a Chris Brown music video and some headline about his talents as a dancer.
If a person were to comment on a Chris Brown thread saying he behavior is bad but his music is great, it wouldn't justify his horrendous mistreatment of women, just and Clinton and Penn's politics do not make their blatant misogyny acceptable. PERIOD.
FYI, Penn has been charged with felony domestic assault in the past (thank goodness he pled to a misdemeanor though, right? So he could play this role *PHEW). I'm actually pretty disgusted that Feministing is praising anything about the bastard. Shameful.
Thank you.
Between the "Rihanna asked for it!" chants of the rabid public, the awarding of a Humanitarian Award to Jerry-I-Mock-Disabled-People-Lewis, EBONY's cover article on Terrence-domestic-abuser-Howard, and now Sean Penn (whom I don't think should be barred from working, but who also doesn't need to be held up as a hero)...
it's been a bad week for the adulation of the entirely undeserving.
I'm glad we're talking about Penn's history as an abuser and his conviction for domestic assault. It always will be, and should be, mentioned alongside any praise he gets for his talents, activities and accomplishments. He doesn't get a pass just because he's done some good stuff.
However, last week Amanda Marcotte wrote about a similar situation with Roman Polanski, and a lightbulb went off above my head:
Pandagon: Movie director “get out of rape free” card works on public, not on courts
Appreciate the art and his political activities, while continuing to vocally condemn the abuse. It makes sense on paper, but it's not easy to do in real life. It's an ongoing struggle for me.
Dr. Mary - Your comment was right on. I've never liked Penn - even before the Madonna DV charges - because he strikes me as 'that sort' of liberal man. He calls out every oppression he sees except the one he enjoys - sort of like Bill Maher only without a sense of humour.
That said, while I'm sure there are differences between the coverage of Brown's violence and Penn's from a race perspective, I'm old enough to remember when the story broke and there's not much difference in the treatment of their victims, other than the ability to share it online.
Madonna, who was infinitely more popular than Penn, was held responsible for the abuse. Her sin? Being more successful than her husband. Most women I spoke to at the time said exactly the same things about Madonna that people are saying now about Rhianna. "She deserved it." "She asked for it." "Who wouldn't want to beat Madonna if they had to spend a lot of time with her." "She's a slut and he probably caught her fooling around on him." "You can't act like a slut and not expect to get treated like that." And, my personal favourite: "You don't even like Madonna. Why would you care if someone beat her up?"
At the time, I brushed these statements off as being an aberration, even though one of the strongest defenders of Penn (or accuser of Madonna really, since Penn was incidental) was a woman who had recently left an abusive relatonship herself. I was stunned but consoled myself that these people were not representative of the norm.
The internet has cured me of that particular delusion.
It appears that Penn winning the award was more about gay marriage than the quality with which he played a movie role. The comments here seem to reinforce that.
That would be a shame. These awards ceremonies should be about the movies and the movie makers. Politics should be taking a distant second chair at best.
I for one, didn't even know that Sean Penn has been guilty of DV in the past. I think it's important to mention that though, so thank you. Out of curiousity though, when did that occur? I do think that's important in being critical of him NOW. Mention it yes, so people know. But if he did that 10+ years ago and he's dealt with the issue (meaning he's no longer an abuser) and become a better person, why is it necessary to continue to criticize him?
To put it succinctly? Sean Penn is publicly chastising people and setting himself up as a moral beacon. I really don't see where a domestic abuser gets off doing that.
Dustin Lance Black's speech was good. He used it as a way to thank people (which should be the key to any acceptance speech) and incorporated any message he wanted to send into what was an otherwise normal acceptance speech. But then, the guy's a writer.
Sean Penn showed all the finesse of a jackhammer here. There's a difference between reaching out to people and preaching to a choir. Black did the former, Penn did the latter.
As dr. mary points out, the reason you don't know is an issue of race. If you read the comments relating to the Chris Brown abuse, Feministing readers are weighing in on how all media attention emphasizes Brown's race, but because Sean Penn is white (see my earlier comment about Clinton, too), he is posited as less of a threatening figure. In fact, do a little bit of internet research and you'll find most articles that touch on his history of violence make him seem like a volatile, edgy guy who sometimes gets accused of knocking around ladies rather than an emotionally and physically abusive misogynist.
I suggest you do a little exploring about his background. The domestic violence charges were brought against him during his 1990's marriage to Madonna, but this guy also has a very violent track record against paparazzi, even against an extra on-set, so extreme violence (which he justifies in the press, at least against paparazzi) is nothing new.
In my opinion, his persona as a self-absorbed egomaniac who PUBLICLY considers himself on higher moral ground (despite his background) than everyone else is probably indicative that he hasn't changed, but that's just me.
You two may be right that the reason I haven't heard of Sean Penn's violent past is because of race. However, I'm only 25. While I do vaguely recall him being married to Madonna, that's about it. I was a kid when he was married to her. Also, keep in mind that the internet wasn't nearly as popular during the early 90's as it is now. All of the reporting on Chris Brown and Rihanna I've seen has been on the internet, though I'm sure it's possible that they've reported on TV news about it as well. I think the internet has helped a lot in encouraging the obsession with celebrities that our culture has now.
It may seem like I'm trying to defend Penn here, but that isn't the case. I'm just trying to put everything into perspective. If there was a white celebrity that was accused of DV recently, and we could see a difference in the way the two different cases were covered, I'd totally agree with you two.
Hey, no worries :) I'm only 21, so my memory of these events is nil too-just depending on the ol' Internets. Sorry if I came off as condescending, upon rereading my comment I can see if you read it that way too.
I honestly don't think race is the reason I haven't heard of Sean Penn's past as a domestic abuser. At the time that this occurred I was 7.
The only reason I know what I know about Ike and Tina Turner is because they made it into a movie I saw starring Angela Bassett. Because that was all going on before I was born (the 1960s and 70s).
And also (kind of a sidenote) someone mentioned Terrence Howard. Can someone enlighten me because I have no idea what they were talking about. Has he been convicted of domestic violence also? I never heard about that.
I'm sure that race is a factor in certain situations (lots of situations in fact), but I think that saying the only reason (or main reason) that most of us did not know about Sean Penn's past is because he's white is not true. It happened 20 years ago. Now if this was something recent and most of us still had never heard of the incident that would be something completely different. Then I could more see your point.
I agree that a more recent incident would be better for comparing the media coverage, but I'd like to clarify that I'm not talking about the amount of media coverage but rather the style (out-of-control, violent R&B singer beats up his girlfriend vs. edgy, artistic outsider beats up Madonna [relevant because, as Sandra notes, a lot of people want to beat up Madonna]).
I don't understand your point, "I honestly don't think race is the reason I haven't heard of Sean Penn's past as a domestic abuser. At the time that this occurred I was 7." I think this point supports my theory; I'm saying if Penn weren't white, you'd have heard of it (like Turner & Brown).
Also, don't you think it's telling that there's an Ike & Tina movie but not one (that I know of) that's about a white artist abusing his girlfriend? To me, it shows Americans are already familiar with the narrative of the abusive black man. Just something to consider.
I like your point about there not being any movies about famous white abusers out there. It is a good point and I even did a quit google search and found nothing. I vaguely remember a fight scene or two between Loretta Lynn and her husband in "Coal Miner's Daughter," but I saw that a long long time ago. However, I'm also trying to think of any movies other than "What's Love Got to do With It" that feature a famous abuse victim. It would interest me to be pointed in their direction.
Anyway, I think that if Sean Penn continued his violent behavior and domestic abuse then even as a white man I would have heard about it today. I still do not think that the reason, in this case, it is not more publicised now is because of rape. He really seems to have changed from his abuser past. But I do see what you're saying about HOW it's portrayed in the media as opposed to how much it's portrayed in the media. I just wish you could point me to some specific recent examples because I am very interested in this topic and then I could see your point more clearly.
it's an issue of race? it couldn't be that the incident happened twenty years ago (not saying that time passing makes violence excusable, but it could account for it being less publicized)? couldn't be because of the sean-penn-carrying-a-gun-in-the-boat-in-new-orleans issue? couldn't be that, since the incident, he's been in a long-term relationship and there's been nothing to suggest any sort of abuse?
this kind of reductive crap makes me really frustrated. by all means, please discuss how race may or may not influence attitudes about domestic violence. but to assert that "sean penn didn't get any public flak about his domestic violence charge because he's white" is really reactionary and offensive, not to mention untrue. it was big news at the time, and he didn't work for a long time after that.
i always have a hard time with the issue of whether or not to spend money to view the work of an artist who has engaged in behavior i don't approve of. metabonbon's comment above, and amanda's article on pandagon, both echoed the same sentiment. not to mention, is it ever possible to forgive someone's bad behavior? does someone's good behavior ever make up for the bad? i don't have a good answer for those questions. i'd enjoy hearing other people's thoughts on the issue.
See, I think it is reductive to compare Penn and Brown as just male celebrities, ignoring the complex issue of race, but I think we just differ in our readings of the situation :).
In trying to think of more celebrities to support my opinion, I thought of "Bad Boy" Bobby Brown and Ike Turner, both black, male artists notorious for abusing their wives (around the same time as Penn, I believe) who are known today as wifebeaters first and musicians second (rightfully, in my opinion).
Meanwhile, white men like Penn and Clinton (not an abuser but certainly a misogynist) commit crimes against women but are still known for their other accomplishments while their crimes are largely overshadowed. Unfortunately, I don't have the energy to research more cases, but I think even this limited pattern deserves at least an exploration into the narrative of the "threatening" black man which is playing out in our media today.
In response to your latter questions, I would briefly say that the only reason I find behavior like Penn's unforgivable is because of the pattern of violence. I don't think it's ever OK to hit someone but a mistake is forgivable whereas his history of similar behavior is indicative of a deeper psychological predilection towards misogyny.
Sean Penn had many violence issues. He broke a photographer's camera and was famous for getting in altercations with the paparazzis back in the 80s. The DV incident happened when he was married to Madonna so it would have been some 20 years ago (they divorced in 1989).
In more recent years he has been active in several social causes. People change and I am willing to believe the Sean Penn of today is not the Sean Penn he was when he was a young man.
I don't think it is hypocritical to praise him while remembering that he has some serious issues in the past. After all, I think the goal would be to steer people towards changing their ways and becoming better people.
Otherwise we would have to think that people can not change at all and a man with violence issues can never rise above violence and stop hurting people, an alcoholic can never stop drinking, etc.
I loved Sean Penn's acceptance speech! As I watched him accept his award, I completly agreed with him as he talked about the great shame that comes along with those who voted to prohibit love! I believe that Penn had every right to go up on that stage and profess what he did, because his movie was so focused of Gay Rights! I applaud Penn on his speech and am proud that certain aspects of Hollywood is setting an example to the rest of our society on inclusion!
Way to go Sean Penn...and by the way Milk was one of my favorite movies of this year!
I'm glad Penn didn't give her any love in the speech. He was there because of his dedication to LGBT rights. As a gay man, I thought it was distasteful for the camera cuts to keep showing us her face, as if to rub it in that we can't even be represented by one of our own, that ours are not good enough, that we will always owe everything to straight people taking time out of their busy lives to care about us.
Sean Penn did not play into that, and I, for one, am glad.
Penn is not a gay man. You weren't being represented by 'one of your own.' He has a heterosexual partner at home that supports him and makes his work in the LGBT community possible. I don't see how acknowledging her and the sacrifices she and their children make to further Penn's career would be rubbing your face in anything.
Not thanking her proves he is self-absorbed. It's not a question of 'playing into' anything. Either he values Wright as a life partner and supporter or he doesn't.
Your being waaaay too judgmental here. Sometimes its hard reading the posts on here. We all need to chill a little bit sometimes and look at issues objectively before jumping the gun and labeling.
I think you are reading waaayyy too much into this. I don't think the camera was zooming into Robin Wright Penn as a way to reinforce that Sean was heterosexual. The two have had marital problems and were separated last year. They were doing that to see her reaction. In fact I think they only zoomed in on her twice. Also Penn won an Oscar for his acting not for dedication to LGBT rights and although you may disagree it is respectful to thank your spouse for supporting you and your career.
Anyway, I did not like Sean's speech I thought it was too crass. Dustin Lance Black's speech was very nice, unlike Penn he did not feel the need to bash people in order to support others.
Sean Penn's performance in "Milk" was dreadful. He did not convey any of the warmth or charisma of Harvey Milk. To me, it seemed like the gay equivalent of blackface. It was just Sean Penn "acting gay". I recently watched "Milk" and a documentary, "The Times of Harvey Milk", and Harvey Milk did not have the "effeminate" mannerisms which Penn used, thereby perpetuating stereotypes.
I think that Penn's win said more about continuing homophobia than any lessening of it. It was the usual scenario in which the Oscar goes to the actor who plays the most disadvantaged character - disabled, mentally ill, hideous, gay, etc. It's "oh look at that straight man being so brave as to play a gay man" which reinforces subtly homophobic attitudes. If Penn was judged solely on the basis of his performance, he would not have won that award. He was being rewarded for lowering himself to play a gay man.
To me, I was just watching an arrogant asshole acting effeminate. That was all I saw in that performance. Mickey Rourke was right.
Okay, yes Penn has a violent past but the issue here was gay equality and he has done nothing but support that. Im not going to beat up on the few gay rights advocates that we have. Yes i acknowledge the abuse and criticize him for it but that doesn't mean that we need to hate Penn and reject his calls for equal rights for gay Americans. Also, calling it racist is a huge stretch and also the criticism about younger women ignoring Penn's past was unwarranted and unappreciated.