Shakira has spoken out about why her sons ‘hated’ Barbie and why she agrees with them ‘to a certain extent’.
As one of 2023’s hottest releases, Barbie may’ve inspired heart-warming trends with people rethinking using a viral aging filter and been praised for its presentation of Margot Robbie’s portrayal, but it did stir up some controversy.
Some viewers took to social media to accuse the movie of being anti-men and who should now enter the discussion but Shakira, who admits her sons didn’t just dislike the film, but ‘absolutely hated it’.
Featuring a strong female-led cast, Barbie promoted themes of equality and more positive messages regarding body image and societal expectations placed upon both men, women and everyone in between.
However, some viewers of the 2023 release thought it pushed its messages too far.
One X user wrote: “Barbie is a two hour woke-a-thon brimming with feminist lectures and nuclear-level rage against men.”
“This is possibly the most anti-male film ever made,” another added.
And ‘Waka Waka’ singer Shakira – full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripol – has since admitted her two sons didn’t like the movie either, but why?
Warner Bros. Pictures
The musician revealed her sons ‘felt’ Barbie ‘was emasculating’ and she ‘agree[s] to a certain extent’.
She said in an interview with Allure: “I’m raising two boys. I want ’em to feel powerful too [while] respecting women.
“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 explains she believes in ‘giving women all the tools and the trust that we can do it all without losing our essence, without losing our femininity’, but also thinks that ‘men have a purpose in society and women have another purpose as well’.
“We compliment each other, and that compliment should not be lost,” she continues. “Just because a woman can do it all doesn’t mean she should?”
Shakira resolves: “Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?”
And it’s not taken long for people to weigh in on Shakira’s explanation.
Getty Images/ Mike Coppola/ MTV
One social media user said: “Is this an april fools joke.”
“Oh Shakira… this is not the take,” another added.
A third commented: “Did she not watch the ending of the movie where the ken’s finally got their respect and their purpose was showcasted.”
And a fourth said: “Oh Shakira love you but idk about this one.”
UNILAD has contacted Shakira’s representatives for comment.
Director and co-writer of the film, Greta Gerwig, has previously addressed the more negative reactions to Barbie.
Warner Bros. Pictures
In an interview with The New York Times, she told the outlet there was ‘certainly’ ‘a lot of passion’ around the film, but her overall ‘hope’ for Barbie is that ‘it’s an invitation for everybody to be part of the party and let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us as either women or men’.
Gerwig resolved: “I hope that in all of that passion, if they see it or engage with it, it can give them some of the relief that it gave other people.”
