In an unlikely dissension from what has become a critical and commercial consensus, Colombian musician Shakira has said that the Barbie movie is “emasculating” and suggested that it “rob[s] men of their possibility to be men”.
In an interview with Allure magazine that focused on the “she-wolf feminism” behind her work, Shakira said she had watched the Greta Gerwig-directed satire and said: “My sons absolutely hated it. They felt that it was emasculating. And I agree, to a certain extent.”
She added: “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.”
Shakira’s views on Barbie, which has so far grossed $1.4bn at the worldwide box office, have been endorsed by a number of conservative commentators, including Piers Morgan, who posted a message on social media saying: “Hurrah for @shakira – finally, a high-profile woman prepared to stand up for men being men.”
Other negative observers of Barbie have included film-maker Oliver Stone, who criticised actor Ryan Gosling for “doing that shit for money”. Stone later apologised shortly before the Oscars, saying he “appreciated the film for its originality and its themes” and that he had been “speaking ignorantly”.