NEW: Shakira slams Barbie movie, says it is 'emasculating'

Award-winning singer/songwriter Shakira spoke out against the female-forward Barbie movie in a new interview with Allure magazine. When she was asked about the film, in the context of women's empowerment, she said "My sons absolutely hated it."

"They felt that it was emasculating," she told Allure writer Patricia Alfonso Tortolani, "And I agree, to a certain extent. I'm raising two boys. I want 'em to feel powerful too [while] respecting women." 

For Shakira, the film's female messaging, which belittled Barbie's male counterparts like Ken and his friends, demeaning their contribution to society and relationships, "robbed" men of their masculinity. Her comments show a belief that men have a purpose in society, and so do women, and that these are not the same function. Instead, the sexes are meant to compliment each other.

"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," she continued.

"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 told Allure.

"Just because a woman can do it all doesn’t mean she should?" Tortolani asked.

"Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?" Shakira replied.

The film was the subject of many fawning reviews when it came out over the summer of 2023, with lead actress Margot Robbie hailed as a conquering hero of feminism while the male characters were essentially bimbos. Ken's feature song, "I'm Just Ken," was about how it "doesn't seem to matter" what he does, he's "always number two."

"No one knows how hard I tried," it continues, "I have feelings that I can't explain." He sings "Is it my destiny to live and die a life of blonde fragility?" The catchiest lyric is about how he's "great at doing stuff."

Those who critiqued the film at the time were criticized themselves as a "gaggle of pearl-clutching conservatives who see it as a parable of toxic, anti-man feminism." 

When actor Ryan Gosling got an Oscar nom for his performance, Hollywood celebs blasted the Academy for not nominating Barbie for best actor. Gosling himself put out a statement acknowledging that he was a secondary consideration for the accolades, saying the honor should have gone to the female leads.