TV personality Chiquis Rivera had something weighing heavy on her mind as she headed to work earlier this week and it had to do with mega-star rapper Cardi B. Chiquis took to her Instagram page to record a video in defense of the controversial rapper and other women in the entertainment industry who frequently come under fire for being overly sexual or provocative.
More from MamásLatinas: Chiquis Rivera's most talked-about moments
"It's not about being feminist, about having equal rights … well, kind of it is actually about having rights." Chiquis said. "The crazy thing is that as soon as a woman does something where we're embracing our sexuality, we're embracing our bodies, we're criticized." Chiquis went on to defend Cardi's music and racy performances, including the one she recently did at the Grammys.
Chiquis called out the double standard.
"We can do the same exact thing a man does, and right away we're wh—-, we're sl—, we're vulgares … whatever," she asserted. "Cardi and Meghan thee Stallion they're not the first ones to do this, guys. We gotta go way back to Lil Kim to Monifah."
She named names.
"Someone like 50 Cent, he could talk about having a 'magic stick,' but we can't talk about having a 'WAP,' or R. Kelly and all the songs he sang," Chiquis continued. "It's cool. We sing it, we embrace it. Why can't men embrace women embracing their bodies and loving themselves and talking about the WAP, ya'll like the WAP anyways," she said.
Chiquis is a Cardi fan.
"I love Cardi," Chiquis admitted. "I love her, I love … I been loving her since like Day 1 before she was like you know, like really, really … since she was more like an influencer on Instagram. I been following her for years, and I don't know I was just thinking it bugged me."
She pointed out that these controversial topics are "natural."
Chiquis then switched from English to Spanish and drove her point home by using Mariachi singer Ely Quintero's song "Sin Condon," as another example, and explaining that she shouldn't be shamed either because sex is natural and normal and beautiful.
She even addressed the "kids" issue.
Chiquis, who is not yet a mother herself, also addressed the issue brought up by parents who've complained that certain music and televised performances are inappropriate for children, basically saying that if your kids hear or see it, it's important to talk to them and be open with them.
Honesty is the best policy.
"We could talk about anything with my mom," Chiquis said. "About sex, about condoms, about birth control, about you know … all kinds of stuff." She was referring to how her famous mother banda singer Jenni Rivera raised her and her four siblings.
She called it a "taboo."
Chiquis went on to say that sex has to stop being a "taboo" in the Latin community and suggested that if people aren't ready to talk to their kids about it, they should put them to bed early. "I respect how everyone wants raise their children, but this is the world we live in," she said.
She called out other female entertainers.
Along with the six-minute video, Chiquis called out a slew of other female entertainers who have faced backlash for embracing their sexuality and their bodies, including Becky G, Christina Aguilera, Lizzo, Ivy Queen, and more, saying, "I RESPECT, VALUE, and HONOR what you do on a daily! It isn’t easy being a woman in this industry, but we got this [expletive]! "
