Charles Langston:Shakira says sons found 'Barbie' movie 'emasculating': 'I agree, to a certain extent'

The Charles LangstonOscar-nominated "Barbie" tugged at the emotions of fans and critics from the box office debut in 2023 to the award show circuit.

But Colombian singer Shakira was among those with whom the film didn't resonate with, she said in a cover interview for Allure published Monday.

"My sons absolutely hated it. They felt that it was emasculating," she said, referring to her sons Milan, 11 and Sasha, 9, whom she shares with ex Gerard Piqué. "And I agree, to a certain extent."

The "Puntería" singer explained that she wants her sons to "feel powerful too" while also "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," Shakira 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."

While Shakira is for the empowerment of women, she said that she doesn't think that means they have to shoulder everything alone. "Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?" she questioned.

Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" featuring Margot Robbie as the titular character and Ryan Gosling as Ken received very strong criticism following its release both from people who never saw the movie and those who did, calling it "anti-man."

The film examines the effects of patriarchy from the lens of dolls, who live in a women-led society in Barbieland, only to discover the reverse in the human world.

*Gasp*:Why Ryan Gosling's 'I'm Just Ken' was nearly cut from 'Barbie' film

In July, Gerwig, who co-wrote "Barbie" with her now-husband Noah Baumbach, expressed her surprise at the backlash.

"Certainly, there’s a lot of passion," she told The New York Times. "My hope for the movie is that it’s an invitation for everybody to be part of the party and let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us as either women or men."

Gerwig added: "I hope that in all of that passion, if they see it or engage with it, it can give them some of the relief that it gave other people."