Sean Penn Rips Men For Not Being Men
While the story sounds interesting, that isn't what Sean Penn has been making headlines for during his recent interviews to promote the film. Instead, he's made headlines for a few comments on traditions and gender roles.
This article is more than 2 years old
Sean Penn has starred in many films throughout the years, and for a great number of them, has received significant nominations and awards. Some successful movies he has starred in were the 2001 drama I Am Sam and the 2003 film Mystic River. Today, he’s doing interviews promoting most recent film, Flag Day. The film’s storyline follows a father whose love for his daughter is incomparable. In order to support her, he has to live a double life as a counterfeiter and con man. While the story sounds interesting, that isn’t what he’s been making headlines for during his recent interviews to promote the project. Instead, he’s made headlines for a few comments on traditions and gender roles.
In a recent interview with Independent, Sean Penn was discussing his latest film, Flag Day, and the topic of gender roles was brought up to the 61-year-old actor. Penn said, “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.” In a separate interview with iNews, Penn also discussed his current views on gender roles in these times and the alleged feminization of men. He told the publication, “…But I don’t think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them.”
Sean Penn has found himself in a few controversies in the past, from politics and within Hollywood. One controversy was during the televised 87th Academy Awards, where he made some comments about one of the nominees. When he presented the win for Best Picture to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s for Birdman, he referenced the Mexican-born director’s immigration status when he said, “Who gave this son of a b*tch his green card?”. The comment drew a lot of controversy in the media. But although he has been involved in some controversies, there is no denying that he has had a prominent role in the Hollywood film and television industry.
Sean Penn is not only starring in the film, Flag Day, but he is also directing the movie, according to Deadline. Another interesting fact about the film is that his daughter also stars alongside him. Dylan Penn plays the role of Jennifer Vogel, Penn’s daughter in the film. The movie is actually based on a true story from the real Jennifer Vogel herself. Jennifer Vogel was a journalist and had published a story titled, “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” The movie premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. The father-daughter duo seemed to enjoy working on the production together and being able to portray a true story on the big screen.
Some might have remembered seeing Sean Penn appear on the hit 1970s series Little House on the Prairie. However, his breakout role in the film industry wasn’t until the 1990s where he received an Academy Award nomination for his role in the drama Dead Man Walking. One of his other best-known films was I Am Sam, where he plays an intellectually disabled man trying to raise his younger daughter. He eventually was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role. Milk was another classic Penn starred in. The film follows the story of Harvey Milk and the actor was recognized for his performance. Sean Penn might be remembered and known for some controversies sparked up over time, but no doubt his talented performances will also be remembered.
