Last summer, thousands of people flocked to movie theaters to experience Barbenheimer. It wasn’t the name of an actual movie, but was a cultural phenomenon due to two highly anticipated movies — Barbie and Oppenheimer — being released on the same day: July 21, 2023. Barbie crushed the Barbenheimer battle, taking in more than $160 million over its opening weekend. While Oppenheimer didn’t do as well, it still rocked the weekend, making more than $80 million in that same weekend.
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Barbie starred Margot Robbie as the titular iconic doll, and Ryan Gosling played Barbie’s perpetual boyfriend Ken. The film was written and directed by Greta Gerwig and was lauded for its strong, feminist message. Ugly Betty star, America Ferrera, played a designer named Gloria, and was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. Gosling’s song, “I Am Ken”, was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song.
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Barbie was praised by fans and critics alike, with the film sitting at an 83% audience score and an 88% critic score on the rating’s website, Rotten Tomatoes. However, there was one superstar who was absolutely NOT a fan of the summer blockbuster.
That would be Zootopia (2016) star and singing sensation, Shakira.
In a recent interview with Allure magazine, the Colombian songstress said that she watched the films with her two sons, ages 11 and 9, and none of them enjoyed it. In fact, she said that they all found the movie to be “emasculating”.
“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. 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. Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?”
Shakira is not the only person to call out the movie for its perceived “anti-masculinity.” Conservative talking head Matt Walsh condemned the movie, calling it “the most aggressively anti-man, feminist propaganda fest ever put to film.” Controversial late-night talk show host, Bill Maher, also did not like the movie, and called it “man-hating.”
Of course, the success of Barbie showed that more people supported the film than those who didn’t think the film was “pro-man” enough. In fact, those who said that the film wasn’t masculine enough were frequently called out on social media for not being able to handle a film that empowered women.
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This is not the first time the singer has made headlines in recent months. The Zootopia star is currently facing multiple charges of tax fraud in Spain, where she lived with her ex-partner — and the father of her children — soccer star, Gerard PiquĂ©. Should she be found guilty of the charges, she could face millions of dollars in fines and even jail time.
Did you think that the Barbie movie was “emasculating”? Let us know in the comments!