Shakira didn’t hold back when sharing her thoughts on Greta Gerwig’s box office hit film Barbie, referring to the movie as “emasculating”.
There’s no denying that Barbie was a cultural phenomenon. It was the highest-grossing film of 2023 and the 14th highest-grossing film of all time, grossing a whopping $1.4 billion.
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro posted a 43-minute video about Barbie on YouTube, in which he proceeded to set Barbie and Ken dolls alight.
Billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk tweeted his less-than-positive response to the film, writing: “It [sic] you take a shot every time Barbie says the word ‘patriarchy’, you will pass out before the movie ends.”
Now, even pop stars are taking aim at the Oscar-winning flick, with Shakira branding it “emasculating” in an interview with Allure.
The 47-year-old Grammy winner revealed that her sons – Milan, 11, and Sasha, 9 – “hated” the movie.
She told the outlet: “My sons absolutely hated it. They felt that 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 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.”
Despite the controversy, Barbie received an impressive eight Oscar nominations at the 96th Academy Awards, bagging just one win for Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell’s ‘What Was I Made For?’.
The film lost out on wins in the Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay categories.
America Ferrera, whose character in the movie delivers a powerful speech about the struggles of womanhood, received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. She, too, lost out on a win.
The biggest snubs, however, were directed at Margot Robbie (who played the eponymous character) and Greta Gerwig (the film’s director).
Responding to the snub, Ryan Gosling (who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Ken in the film) said: “…There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally- celebrated film.
“No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius.”
The 43-year-old actor then went on to say: “To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.
“Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees.”