Sean Penn criticized after claiming 'cowardly genes' lead men to wear skirts

(Image credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

published 28 January 2022

Sean Penn has sparked criticism after complaining that men have become too "feminized" and wear skirts because of "cowardly genes."

The actor argued to The Independent that American men have "become quite feminized," saying, "I have these very strong women in my life who do not take masculinity as a sign of oppression toward them. There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt."

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Penn quickly began to draw criticism, including in a column from The Independent itself. "Penn's latest comments are problematic in a whole host of ways," wrote Leonie Cooper, describing it as his "latest misfire" and an example of "old-school misogyny" from the actor, who has had an "unnerving number of 'yikes' moments over the years." Penn sparked backlash in 2018 for saying the "spirit" of the #MeToo movement is "to divide men and women" and that it's "largely shouldered by a kind of receptacle of the salacious."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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