Pop star Shakira recently criticized the hit “Barbie” movie, where she claimed her sons “absolutely hated it” over its derogatory portrayal of men. “Barbie” has been slammed for its overt attack on masculinity and feminist agenda.
Shakira noted that she wanted her young boys to embrace a sense of traditional masculinity yet be respectful toward their female counterparts. She noted that culture can achieve female empowerment without subsequently disempowering men.
“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 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.
“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,” she continued.
Shakira has been portrayed as embracing some feminist viewpoints while still retaining some semblance of traditional gender roles. Many view feminism and the traditional role of women as being completely contradictory.
“This is part of the Shakira Paradox. Women deserve all the power, all the agency, and all the sexiness they wish to embody or express. And yet it doesn’t betray her brand of feminism to expect men to man up,” according to an article from Allure.
Substantiating this stance, Shakira questioned the idea that women should be expected to take on every expectation that a man has. “Just because a woman can do it all doesn’t mean she should,” she said. “Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?”
Many woke Hollywood critics have praised the film for its negative portrayal of “toxic masculinity” and overtly feminist agenda. “Once an equal parts fascinating and controversial Mattel toy, both loved and hated—a tiny-waisted, vacuously smiling, slender doll designed like a straight-male fantasy—is now the complicated feminist symbol of empowerment in Gerwig’s hands,” according to The Wrap. “But we aren’t talking about an empty you-go-girl kind of empowerment here. That would be too simple-minded for Gerwig, whose articulate and accessible feminism has always been fiercely multifaceted and complex.”
However, more conservative audience denounced the message that was propagated, noting themes that are incongruent with the family-friendly crowd that is typically associated with the “Barbie” franchise.s Some also just found the film to be poorly made.
“The new BARBIE movie forgets its core audience of families and children while catering to nostalgic adults and pushing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender character stories,” per a review from Movieguide, a Christian movie review site. “Furthermore, the movie was poorly made with multiple premises, losing even the most die-hard fans.”
Republican lawmakers further lambasted the film for allegedly embracing Chinese propaganda by including a map that seemed to promote China’s dominance in the South China Sea. “This is yet another disgraceful example of Hollywood being in the pocket of communist China,” according to Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) “Not only does it undermine our national security, but exposes the film industry’s blatant hypocrisy on social justice and human rights.”
Featured image credit: Junta de Andalucía, CC BY-SA 2.0
