Shakira’s video clip with Rihanna causes a wave of criticism

Shakira Rihanna’s duet “Cannot Remember to Forget You” video clip has made its way online by causing a wave of criticism on social media in Colombia, labeling it as immoral and vulgar content.

Can’t Remember to Forget You

The video premiered on 30 January 2014 on Shakira’s Vevo profile on YouTube. It received more than 17.1 million views in the first 24 hours.

On 9 February 2014, the video reached 100 million views on Shakira’s Youtube channel, becoming Shakira’s eighth Vevo Certified music video.

As of November 2019, it has received over 1 billion views.

How people reacted to Shakira’s Video Clip with Rihanna?

Many channels and critics praised the song, such as MTV, the Guardian, Vibe, etc. However, some people in Colombia wanted to ban it from Columbians media channels for “immoral and vulgar” content.

How Columbians reacted?

Shakira is not only a regular singer for Columbians but also an influential advocate and philanthropist who has a foundation to help impoverished children in Colombia and has been a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

Therefore, Bogota Councilman Marco Fidel Ramirez mentioned that she has a social responsibility not to repeat stereotypes of women in music. He argues that she doesn’t need sex to sell her albums precisely because of her talent and fame.

Other artists usually depict sex, smoking, or drinking in their music or videos; Ramirez said Shakira’s case is different because so many children look up to her.

In the offending video, Shakira does her trademark hip-shaking and gyrating but shares scenes in bed with Rihanna and smoking cigars.

Ramirez said the video should be banned from Colombian airwaves because the smoking and the touching in bed violate a law that prohibits broadcast material that damages the “moral integrity” of children.

“I found a video that contains images that, in my opinion, are not useful for the emotional growth and development of youths,” Ramirez told CNN en Español.

The councilman wrote a letter to Shakira, appealing to her role as a mother and asking her to remove the video from the Internet and to consider retracting the song altogether.

“I feel it promotes immorality,” he told CNN en Español.

Ramirez’s social media campaign against Shakira’s video clip

Ramirez took his campaign to social media, distributing a flier on Facebook and Twitter that warned that the video promotes smoking and lesbianism. (In his letter to the singer, Ramirez explains that he believes that a “normal” family comprises a man and a woman, and children).

How people reacted to Ramirez’s social media campaign against Shakira?

His comments were met with critics who accused him of censorship, but others supported his stance, saying the video goes too far.

“I think the message that Shakira is sending to the youth and children around the world is a message that sells a lifestyle and promotes a particular orientation that, in my opinion, does not reflect the views of most Colombians,” Ramirez said.

How did Shakira react?

However, Shakira has not responded to CNN’s requests for a response to the politician’s claims.

Is that an excuse for Shakira?

Shakira has confirmed she will no longer make music videos with men because her boyfriend Gerard Pique doesn’t “let” her.

In her Billboard cover story, Shakira said her soccer pro boyfriend—and father of her baby boy—is too “territorial” to let her do music videos with other men.

Is that an excuse for Shakira that explains the hypersexual “Can’t Remember To Forget You” video featuring Shakira and Rihanna grinding up on each other?