Shakira and her sons slandering the Barbie movie was not on my 2024 bingo card, but here we are. In a recent interview with Allure, Shakira discussed her views surrounding feminism, revealing that she and her sons found the Barbie movie “emasculating,” implying that the film paints men in a negative light. Naturally, this has rubbed the internet in all the wrong ways, as many don’t see it as an honest take on the film’s message.
Shakira Thinks Pop Culture Robs Men of Their Possibility to Be Men
In the interview, Shakira has a bit of a back-and-forth regarding her views about feminism. Shakira is excited for a world where “60% of the world’s wealth is managed by women,” yet she also believes in a man’s role in a relationship with a woman. Regarding Barbie, Shakira’s sons felt that the film was “emasculating,” and Shakira went on to say that she agreed with her sons “to a certain extent.”
“I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men, to also protect and provide,” Shakira said in her interview. “I believe in giving women all the tools and the trust that we can do it all without losing our essence, without losing our femininity. I think that men have a purpose in society and women have another purpose as well. We complement each other, and that complement should not be lost.”
“Oh Shakira…this is not the take,” wrote one Twitter user, clearly not on her side. Another user wrote “just say you didn’t understand it and go,” perhaps a reference to the film’s ending where the Kens began to earn their place in Barbieland’s society, aligning perfectly with Shakira’s actual views surrounding gender roles. My guess is a lot of this hatred comes from surface-level observations where many of the Kens prefer to wear pink, but who knows? Maybe Shakira will be compelled to respond to some of the backlash.
