Shakira Explains Her Unexpected Reason for Not Loving the ‘Barbie’ Movie

Shakira, who recently appeared on the cover of Allure magazine, is candid when questioned about her feelings about Barbie, the Greta Gerwig-helmed smash that made $1.4 billion worldwide. She said that she wasn't a fan of Barbie and that her boys, Sasha, 9, and Milan, 11, who she has with her ex-partner Gerard Piqué, weren't either.

She told the outlet, "My sons absolutely hated it. They felt it was emasculating. And I agree, to a certain extent. 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 protect and provide." Shakira said that while she supports women's emancipation, it doesn't imply that they must bear all the burdens by themselves. She added, "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." When asked whether women need to handle everything, Shakira said, "Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?"

When Barbie directed by Gerwig, starring Margot Robbie as the lead role and Ryan Gosling as Ken, it was met with harsh criticism from both film enthusiasts and non-fans alike, who labeled it anti-man. From the perspective of dolls, who live in Barbieland's female-led society until learning that things are different in the real world, the movie explores the impacts of patriarchy. Last Year, Gerwig told the New York Times, "My hope for the movie 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. 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."

Marc Maron was among the numerous celebrities who voiced their support for Barbie in response to the outcry. As per Variety, Maron stated in his podcast, "The fact that certain men took offense to the point where they, you know, tried to build a grift around it in terms of their narrative is right wing [explicative]. It’s so embarrassing for them. I mean, so embarrassing for them. Any dude that can’t take those hits in that movie, they’ve really got to look in their pants and decide what they’re made of. I mean, Jesus Christ, what a bunch of fucking insecure babies." He called Barbie a 'masterpiece' and added, "It does a fairly amazing thing. [It] creates a broad base entertainment product that applies to the entire spectrum, primarily of women, but then seeps it in progressive politics and basic feminism in a way that is funny, informative and well executed."