Shakira said she found “Barbie” to be “emasculating,” and sounded off against the ultra-feminism portrayed in the film.
The famous singer said the message of female empowerment came at the expense of men, and noted she and her sons weren’t impressed by the movie, during a recent interview with Allure. Shakira said she wasn’t a fan of “Barbie,” despite the movie’s incredible success at the box office.
“My sons absolutely hated it. They felt that it was emasculating. And I agree, to a certain extent,” she told the publication. “I’m raising two boys. I want ’em to feel powerful too [while] respecting women.”
Shakira performs a song during the kick-off celebration concert for the 2010 FIFA World Cup at the Orlando Stadium on June 10, 2010 in Soweto, South Africa. Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Shakira performs at Madison Square Garden on September 21, 2010 in New York, New York.(Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images
Shakira clarified her position and expanded on how she felt after seeing the popular film.
The famous entertainer noted that she supports female empowerment, but that she felt it shouldn’t come at the expense of emasculating men.
“I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men, to also protect and provide,” she said.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 12: Shakira/Getty Images
Shakira performs in concert at the Lluis Campanys Olympic Stadium on May 29, 2011 in Barcelona, Spain. Photo by Robert Marquardt/Getty Images
“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.”
She went on to say, “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,” according to Allure.
Shakira posed a question to the public while speaking on the topic.
Singer Shakira performs on stage during “Live 8 Paris” at the Palais de Versailles on July 2, 2005 in Paris, France. Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
“Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?” (RELATED: Shakira Surprises Fans With Impromptu Performance At Times Square)
“Barbie” was a box office hit, earning well over $1.4 billion at the box office.