Zara Larsson joked that she would fire a member of her team who could not make a 'goon face' on command, prompting online users to question whether the pop star's bizarre team tradition was simply a joke or something more uncomfortable..

The Swedish singer made the remark during an appearance on the Las Culturistas podcast, where she discussed the unusual tradition among people she works with.

Larsson Explained Her 'Goon Face' Tradition

Larsson said she wants everyone around her to be capable of making the expression when asked.

'The people I work with, we have this thing,' she said. 'I want everyone around me to be able to do a goon face.'

Larsson described the expression as a test of whether someone was carefree, comfortable being themselves and able to be silly.

'To me, it's like, are you free, are you carefree? Are you yourself? Can you be silly?' she explained.

She then described what would happen if someone refused.

'If I ask someone on the spot to make a goon face, and they're like, 'I can't do this,' I'm like, 'You gotta go, you're fired,'' Larsson said.

The comment came during a comedic podcast conversation, but a clip of the exchange quickly spread online, where some viewers were less convinced by the joke.

The Comment Prompted Workplace Criticism

Several social media users questioned the idea of someone in a position of professional authority demanding a particular performance from a member of their team, even if the demand was supposedly made in jest.

One critic wrote that Larsson 'needs media training so badly', arguing that the comment could become problematic if she ever had a disgruntled former employee.

Another questioned how an employee could be expected to perform a 'goon face' if it was never part of their job.

A separate post called the scenario 'straight up workplace harassment', arguing that employees could feel uncomfortable being pressured into participating in something involving a sexually associated term.

However, not everyone interpreted Larsson's comment negatively. Some fans suggested she was simply describing an intentionally chaotic team culture and using an absurd joke to explain the kind of personality she enjoys having around her.

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'Goon' Has a Sexual Meaning Online

Part of the reaction comes from the fact that 'gooning' is not simply another word for pulling a silly face.

Online, 'gooning' is commonly used as sexual slang for prolonged masturbation, often involving pornography and edging. The phrase 'goon face' can therefore have a sexual association, even when it is used jokingly or as a meme.

The sexual association was also relevant because Larsson's podcast appearance itself centred on the term. The episode was titled 'GOONING', and the conversation included other references to sexual behaviour. Still, Larsson did not say her employees had to engage in sexual activity.

One Testimony Shows Why the Context Matters

The discussion also prompted one social media user to share a personal account of previously being hypersexual following childhood trauma.

The person said the behaviour began at around 13 and gradually faded by their mid-20s. They described being cast in sexualised roles and participating in behaviour with friends that included unexpected groping and pretending to come on to one another.

'But it wasn't really a joke, you know?' they wrote, later explaining that they believed their behaviour had been connected to unresolved trauma.

The testimony does not establish anything about Larsson's conduct or prove that her joke constituted harassment. It does, however, illustrate why sexualised humour and physical boundaries can be complicated, particularly in relationships where one person has professional power over another.

There is no indication that Larsson actually fired anyone for refusing to make a 'goon face'. The available comments appear to have been made as part of a comedic podcast conversation, leaving the internet to debate whether the joke was simply bizarre or crossed a line.

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