Due to the longevity of her career, it may seem as if Shakira has been around forever. The Latin pop icon has been dishing out tracks since the 90s, with her stunning vocals first hitting the airwaves when she was just 13. The singer’s decorated career is no secret, although her exact age has suddenly turned into a topic of speculation. The reason behind this has all to do with a bizarre bit of editing wizardry, supposedly concocted by a French museum of all places.
It all emerged online through a series of images. They were supposedly captured inside the Musee des Dinosaures, located in Meze, France. On display is an image of our cave-dwelling ancestors, The Neanderthals.
At first glance, things appeared routine. However, the oddity quickly revealed itself following some close inspection from fans. Using an old picture of Shakira for reference, users found that the female Neanderthal bore some uncanny similarities with the singer.
Viemos da Shakira? Museu francês usou foto manipulada da colombiana para retratar uma mulher neandertal. pic.twitter.com/pmQD9VKsfe
— ACERVO (@AcervoCharts) August 22, 2023
The ones that immediately stick out include blonde hair, similar face shape, and even eye color. However, the image does manage to differentiate itself in some key aspects. For instance, the eyes are much broader, and the eyebrows are entirely dissimilar. Furthermore, the jaw region is also a distinct departure.
Cuándo te enteras que en realidad la humanidad proviene de Shakira. 😂 pic.twitter.com/5moFNj67Li
— Alex (@VenteDigo1) August 22, 2023
Regardless of the differences, fans online had enough to go on as they began drawing parallels between the Neanderthal and Shakira. This is actually part of a larger meme that has been around since 2020. It has seen a resurgence over the past week. And it remains just as humiliating for the singer as it was back then.
Fans react to the image of Shakira as a neanderthal woman
Following its resurgence, fan reactions to the image flooded in. While most users threw comical jabs at the unfortunate resemblance, others opted for a more literal approach. They began referring to Shakira as ‘mother’, sarcastically implying that the singer has indeed been around forever.
mothering https://t.co/BQ7c1WnNz8
— Pepe Nicole Smith (@pepeisaslut) August 22, 2023
isso é literalmente racismo e misoginia. Não vou elaborar https://t.co/M237dFvNLA
— esther🐆🪶#marcoTemporalNão (@ixte_jpeg) August 22, 2023
Aí ai essa página mentirosa pic.twitter.com/lRSI6YWn2Z
— LucMe (@LuMeZd) August 23, 2023
Some complaints surrounding the image also emerged, with users calling it racist and misogynistic. The backlash could end up forcing the museum to come out with a public clarification. However, that possibility remains slim.