Zara Larsson found herself at the center of controversy this week after revealing an unconventional condition she expects her employees to fulfill.
According to the 28-year-old Swedish singer and songwriter, taking part in an adult-content-associated activity reveals whether a person is “carefree” and “silly” enough to work with her.
Highlights
- Zara Larsson revealed an unusual condition she uses to determine whether potential employees are the right fit for her team.
- Critics accused the singer of creating an uncomfortable work environment, while supporters insisted she was only joking.
- Larsson lost a $3 million brand deal after an abortion joke sparked widespread backlash earlier this year.
Netizens, however, viewed the expectation differently, with many criticizing the Midnight Sun hitmaker for being a problematic boss.
“So having self-respect is now unemployable?” one person asked, while another probed, “WT* is wrong with people?”
Zara Larsson revealed the unusual way she gauges whether someone is the right fit for her team
Larsson appeared on Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang’s Las Culturistas podcast on October 7, where she shared, “I want everyone around me to be able to do a go*n face.”
The term derives from the practice of gooning, where a person edges themselves for long periods before reaching climax.
It is a popular genre among adult content creators, characterized by an open mouth, protruding tongue, and crossed eyes intended to mimic a euphoric expression.
For Larsson, those who could go along with her demand showed they were comfortable being themselves and had a personality outside of work.
She said those who could not make the face under discussion “on the spot” would have to “go.”
“I’m like, you’re fired,” she said.
Detractors accused Larsson of creating an uncomfortable work environment
“Grown-a** woman grooming her own employees,” one person said.
“Imagine fighting for your life trying to put food on the table for your family, and Zara Larsson fires you for this,” another said.
“This is straight-up workplace harassment. Forcing ur workers to do go*n faces or else they are fired is just weird af… just making everybody uncomfortable and making them do things that are not in their contracts,” a separate user said
Meanwhile, several others noted this wasn't the first time Larsson had made an illogical statement.
“She’s so terminally online, there’s absolutely nothing going on in that brain of hers. She literally lives and breathes internet,” a second voiced.
Some, however, also came out in Larsson’s defense.
Supporters called Larsson’s remark a wisecrack and accused critics of overreacting just because she is a woman
“She is joking btw. I think this is just her way of saying she wants folks that work for her to not be boring,” one person said.
“If this was a man y’all would be laughing,” claimed a third.
“Anytime a pretty successful girl tries to be funny, you all respond with such hostility,” a fourth wrote.
A fan went on to appreciate Larsson for “cracking me up so often.”
This was not the first time the singer made headlines after a seemingly playful remark spiraled into controversy.
Larsson’s abortion joke cost her millions earlier this year
A TikTok user posted a video of Larsson performing at a concert in March with the caption, “I didn’t know I was pregnant here, but at least my baby got to hear Midnight Sun before I aborted it.”
To this, the singer replied in the comments, “I ki**ed the performance, and then you ki**ed it after the performance purrrrr.”
Her dark humor ignited massive fury among anti-abortion groups, but she doubled down on her pro-choice stance.
“I feel like joking about stuff like this makes it something that we can also just talk about,” Larsson said in her defense.
“It doesn’t have to be taboo, it doesn’t have to be this bad thing that women do.”
In an April interview with The Guardian, Larsson said that she lost a $3 million brand deal over the joke, which was the biggest deal she had been offered in her life.
However, she said she did not care about the paycheck and branded those offended by her opinions as “losers.”
"Even as a joke I find that statement weird," a netizen said
