Sean Penn recently came under fire for his controversial comments on men wearing skirts. The actor spoke to The i to discuss his new film Flag Day and said there is “an absence of male behavior" in society due to changing gender roles.The 61-year-old said that he believes “men in American culture have become wildly feminized.” He also mentioned being “a brute or having insensitivity or disrespect for women” has nothing to do with masculinity.Sumner@diamondlass99Sean Penn, 61, has doubled down on his controversial claims that men these days are “feminized” and took it a step further by slamming any man who has ever worn a skirt. “I think that men have, in my view, become quite feminized,”🤔9:02 AM · Jan 29, 2022Sean Penn, 61, has doubled down on his controversial claims that men these days are “feminized” and took it a step further by slamming any man who has ever worn a skirt. “I think that men have, in my view, become quite feminized,”🤔😬 https://t.co/3KU0BGjL45The Mystic River star also stated that men should not “become” women in an attempt to be fair to them. Penn further elaborated on his comments during another interview with The Independent and said he knows many strong women who do not take “masculinity as a sign of oppression.”He also claimed that men are embracing gender fluid fashion and wearing skirts due to their “cowardly genes”:“There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt.”The Independent also noted that Penn’s daughter Dylan, who was being interviewed alongside her father, remained “quiet, staring into space” following the former’s comments.Penn’s remarks also left several fans disappointed, with many taking to social media to call out the actor.Twitter reacts to Sean Penn’s comments on gender fluid clothingSean Penn came under fire for his comments on gender fluid clothing (Image via Kate Green/Getty Images)Sean Penn is considered to be one of the most prominent actors in Hollywood and has earned critical acclaim for his film roles over the years. However, the two-time Academy Award winner has also been embroiled in several controversies throughout his career.The actor faced severe criticism in 2018 for saying that the #MeToo movement was “led by mania” and claiming that several accusations were “not intellectually honest.”That same year, Penn’s debut novel Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff featured a poem that reportedly defended alleged abuser, TV show host Charlie Rose and controversial comedian Louise CK.And now, the Milk star landed in hot water for saying men have started wearing gender fluid clothes due to “cowardly genes.” In response to the comments, several social media users took to Twitter to slam the actor for his remarks:Yoko Higuchi@theYokoHiguchiSean Penn, you're an incredible actor, but man... this is just terrible...."Cowardly genes"? Don't talk to me about genes unless you're a scientist. twitter.com/Variety/status…Variety@VarietySean Penn: "I am in the club that believes that men in American culture have become wildly feminized... I don’t think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them." bit.ly/34byYAx1:53 AM · Jan 29, 2022524Sean Penn: "I am in the club that believes that men in American culture have become wildly feminized... I don’t think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them." bit.ly/34byYAxSean Penn, you're an incredible actor, but man... this is just terrible...."Cowardly genes"? Don't talk to me about genes unless you're a scientist. twitter.com/Variety/status…everybodybirps@everybodybirpsSean Penn 61, claims ‘cowardly Genes’ lead to men wearing skirts..as he talks masculinity… wait…what?? W H A T?!10:20 AM · Jan 29, 20221Sean Penn 61, claims ‘cowardly Genes’ lead to men wearing skirts..as he talks masculinity… wait…what?? W H A T?! https://t.co/eZpwLZJiZw𝚒 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚝 @EmaCornaCopiaSTFU Sean Penn, who says, "There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt."On men who wear skirts, I'd venture to guess it takes severe confidence in one's manhood and a whole swath of COURAGE to do so. SIT DOWN8:20 AM · Jan 29, 20222STFU Sean Penn, who says, "There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt."On men who wear skirts, I'd venture to guess it takes severe confidence in one's manhood and a whole swath of COURAGE to do so. SIT DOWNgardener@gardene05624327Sean Penn Thinks Men ‘Have Become Quite Feminized’: ‘There Are Cowardly Genes That Lead To People Surrendering Their Jeans And Putting On A Skirt’ http:Sean Penn has lost all of his screws - just because they dont live in caves and beat people doesnt reflect on their masculinity7:37 AM · Jan 29, 2022Sean Penn Thinks Men ‘Have Become Quite Feminized’: ‘There Are Cowardly Genes That Lead To People Surrendering Their Jeans And Putting On A Skirt’ http:Sean Penn has lost all of his screws - just because they dont live in caves and beat people doesnt reflect on their masculinityBiblically Accurate Angel@AngelicGoblinSean Penn beat Madonna with a baseball bat, his "cowardly genes" can go straight to hell. twitter.com/FilmUpdates/st…Film Updates@FilmUpdates“I think that men have, in my view, become quite feminized. There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt.” variety.com/2022/film/news…5:58 AM · Jan 29, 202212017“I think that men have, in my view, become quite feminized. There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt.” variety.com/2022/film/news…Sean Penn beat Madonna with a baseball bat, his "cowardly genes" can go straight to hell. twitter.com/FilmUpdates/st…TurtleSoup@TSoup16Sean Penn: ‘Cowardly genes’ lead men to wear skirts.#Scotland would like a word, #SeanPenn. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿#Outlander#MenInKilts#JamieFraser#SamHeughan #GrahamMcTavish5:47 AM · Jan 29, 20222Sean Penn: ‘Cowardly genes’ lead men to wear skirts.#Scotland would like a word, #SeanPenn. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿#Outlander#MenInKilts#JamieFraser#SamHeughan #GrahamMcTavish https://t.co/OG1cHEge43DebN🌊🏳️‍🌈 #VoteBidenHarris@mudderbaeSean Penn believes wearing a skirt makes you a coward but beating a woman makes you a man. twitter.com/variety/status…Variety@VarietySean Penn: "Men have, in my view, become quite feminized... There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt." bit.ly/34byYAx10:30 AM · Jan 29, 202238289Sean Penn: "Men have, in my view, become quite feminized... There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt." bit.ly/34byYAxSean Penn believes wearing a skirt makes you a coward but beating a woman makes you a man. twitter.com/variety/status…Ethan Embry@EmbryEthanHuh. I thoroughly enjoyed wearing spaghetti strap slips and black combat boots in the 90s.Some men are just weak, and who they love or the clothes they wear bears not a drop of influence on it.What makes them weak is the way they think and how they act. twitter.com/variety/status…Variety@VarietySean Penn: "Men have, in my view, become quite feminized... There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt." bit.ly/34byYAx8:27 AM · Jan 29, 202255947Sean Penn: "Men have, in my view, become quite feminized... There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt." bit.ly/34byYAxHuh. I thoroughly enjoyed wearing spaghetti strap slips and black combat boots in the 90s.Some men are just weak, and who they love or the clothes they wear bears not a drop of influence on it.What makes them weak is the way they think and how they act. twitter.com/variety/status…As reactions continue to pour in online, it remains to be seen if Sean Penn will address the backlash and provide further explanation for his questionable remarks.On the work front, Penn recently appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza. Meanwhile, he debuted as a director on Flag Day and starred in the film alongside his daughter. The actor will also be seen in the Starz original drama series Gaslit.