Music superstar Shakira is facing backlash for her opinion of Barbie, which she expressed in a new Allure interview. In the piece, Shakira talks about the movie, which was nominated for multiple awards, and whose America Ferrera speech on what it means to be a woman was one of the defining moments of 2023.
“My sons absolutely hated it. They felt that it was emasculating,” the singer said. “And I agree, to a certain extent. I’m raising two boys. I want ’em to feel powerful too [while] respecting women.”
Shakira went on to explain. “I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men, to also protect and provide. 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.”
The internet was quick to call out Shakira, with some fans even pointing out that the singer had missed the point and “didn’t understand Barbie.”
With some saying “If men do not recognize our privileges, we do not work to reduce the gaps, what good is the empowerment that you preach so much in your new album?”
There were, of course, people joking about how Shakira’s songs sent one message and she was sending another.
Some people were hoping it was just an April Fool’s joke.
Some even called out what they considered mixed messaging from Shakira since, in the same interview, she “talked about how Eve’s story was created by misogynists.”
And, of course, there were the memes.
But some were just tired of Barbie and not happy that Shakira had started the discourse all over again.