Shakira Is Being Called a Tóxica – Here’s Why It’s Misogynistic

Shakira is causing a stir with her latest Fuerza Regida collaboration, “El Jefe.” Not only did social media users point out reasons for the Colombian pop star’s nanny cameo, but they also started to discuss the misogyny behind those calling her a tóxica and think her line to her former father-in-law is too much. 

After the joint track was released earlier this week (Sept. 20), internet users started to air out one of the track’s most memorable lines. In “El Jefe,” Shak says: “Dicen por ahí que no hay mal / Que más de cien años dura / Pero ahí sigue mi ex-suegro que no pisa sepultura [They say there is no evil / That lasts more than a hundred years / But there is still my ex-father-in-law who does not touch the grave].” While some social media users thought the line was funny, others started labeling Shakira “toxic,” among other negative names.

“That song talks about the resentment she has against pique’s family , that old woman is a toxic no wonder pique left her. Tras de fea y vieja tóxica 🤢,” a social media user wrote. “How far will this woman go out of spite? Wishing death on her children’s grandfather, knowing that they are going to hear the song. The mother came off a little toxic,” another social media user commented. 

But why is Shakira labeled “toxic” when men are notoriously famous for making fun of their mother-in-laws for years? Why is it all of a sudden toxic when it’s about a woman criticizing a man? “Men have been making jokes -quite mediocre ones, at that- about mothers-in-law for decades,” a Twitter/X user wrote. “Ah, but Shakira shouldn’t dare to make a verse against her father-in-law because then she’s the most evil and twisted woman on the planet. Yeah, ok.”

Another example of this double standard is Romeo Santos’ “Suegra,” in which he explicitly sings about poisoning his mother-in-law, putting her in his car, and driving her off a cliff. Though the song was banned in the Dominican Republic, this was largely seen as an overreaction to dark humor and not as promoting violence against women. “6 months ago Romeo santos released a song where he explains how he would kill the mother-in-law and they didn’t say anything, but because Shakira is Shakira everything is wrong….” an internet user said. 

Another fan account also mentioned Santos’ song and added: “This isn’t even about Romeo Santos;  this is just an example of double standards. Men don’t actually care about Shakira’s children or that Twitch streamer’s father. They are angry that a woman is speaking about another man like how they speak about women.”

At the end of the day, both Santos and Shakira’s songs are art and rooted in their personal experiences. So, why is it perceived differently depending on the singer’s gender?