Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Come on, Barbie
Ilana Frost
Do you mean to tell me that boys aged 9 and 11 didn’t burst into tears at America Ferrera’s monologue or leave the Barbie movie deeply moved and inspired to fight for gender equality? No, it can’t be. It doesn’t add up. Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig literally made that movie specifically for elementary school boys, and yet, Shakira’s sons, Sasha and Milan, were somehow unimpressed by the masterpiece. I’m at a loss.
In recent interview with Allure, the legendary “Waka Waka” singer opened up about her career, beauty, pain, and parenting her two kids. Her hips don’t lie, and apparently, neither does she: Shakira didn’t hesitate to agree with her sons’ wild take on the Barbie movie. To be honest, I need a few business days to process these bold comments. Celebs really need to start talking less and singing/acting/dancing more. (Except JoJo Siwa. A little less singing from her, please.)
The boys “absolutely hated it,” Shakira told Allure. “They felt it was emasculating. And I agree, to a certain extent.” I’m sorry… huh? Yesterday, I genuinely thought that this was an April Fool’s joke, but I fear it’s April 2 now. She was unfortunately serious. She continued, “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 protect and provide.”
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I’m choking. Men are being robbed? More like my sanity is constantly being robbed by men. Shakira added that she believes in “giving women all the tools and the trust that we can do it all without losing our essence, without losing our femininity.” She thinks that men and women have their own specific purposes, and “We complement each other.” Oof. Someone may need to give her a book that explains how gender is a social construct.
For the life of me, I don’t understand how Ryan Gosling’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of Ken is “emasculating.” He literally inspired men everywhere to pick up a guitar and torture women with an excruciating serenading session. It’s not like that’s an easy feat. Ken also shows men that when they’re having a lot of intense feelings, they can process those via grand, Broadway-style musical numbers complete with key changes and backup dancers (i.e. “I’m Just Ken.”) The character gets lost and suffers from an addiction to patriarchy, but ultimately comes to understand why women should be in charge of everything. I think that’s an important message for our male youth. Women lead, men are just there… we complement each other!