The Colombian pop singer, who is also a mother of two boys, thought the worldwide hit was inappropriate and that it robs men of the opportunity to “protect and provide.”
Colombian musician Shakira has declared that the Barbie movie is “emasculating” and that it “robs men of their possibility to be men,” which is an unexpected departure from what has come to be accepted as both a critical and commercial consensus.
In a conversation with Allure magazine about the “she-wolf feminism” that informs her art, Shakira revealed that she had seen the satire directed by Greta Gerwig and that her sons “absolutely hated it.” It seemed to be dehumanizing to them. And to some degree, I agree.
She continued, saying, “I like pop culture when it tries to give women the power to protect and provide without taking away men’s ability to be men. In my opinion, women should be given all the resources and confidence necessary to succeed without losing who they are as people or their femininity.
Both men and women, in my opinion, serve distinct purposes in society. We should not lose the compliment that we have for one another.
A number of conservative commentators have backed Shakira’s views on Barbie, which has brought in $1.4 billion at the box office worldwide.
One such commentator is Piers Morgan, who wrote on social media, “Hurrah for @shakira – finally, a high-profile woman prepared to stand up for men being men.”
Filmmaker Oliver Stone was among those who expressed disapproval of Barbie, accusing actor Ryan Gosling of “doing that shit for money.”
A short time before the Oscars, Stone later issued an apology, saying he had been “speaking ignorantly” and that he had “appreciated the film for its originality and its themes.”
