On July 20, 2023, “Barbie” entered the big screen. Written and directed by esteemed playwright and actress Greta Gerwig, the movie truly broke the internet, causing a national pink craze and bringing necessary points about modern feminism and society to light.
“Barbie” is a movie revolving around the classic plastic dolls and their seemingly perfect lives in Barbie Land. When strange things start happening, Barbie and Ken travel to the “real world” to restore peace, where they discover a land completely opposite from their own. Through a series of twists and turns, Barbie discovers what it truly means to be a woman in the modern world.
From the moment it reached theaters, “Barbie” sparked controversy, with some disagreeing with its more progressive views of society and feminist messages. Recently, however, this controversy has become more extreme. The conflict was initiated in light of jokes presented by the host of the 2024 Golden Globes, Jo Koy.
Through his jokes, Koy referenced Barbie competitor, “Oppenheimer,” a movie about the Manhattan Project. Koy spoke of Oppenheimer as an esteemed, meaningful production, but described “Barbie” as the antithesis of its true meaning, degrading the movie with inappropriate comments. This, among other jokes regarding the Barbie movie sparked anger, with many feeling Koy’s comedy was inappropriate and sexist. Following the jokes, cameras panned to the audience, catching disheartened looks from the movie’s cast and crew. Other attendees also expressed disapproval of Koy’s remarks, including famous singer and actress Selena Gomez, who put her head in her hands. Her reaction garnered lots of attention on social media, causing fans of the movie to rush to social media to share their thoughts, many relating to her reaction.
From the moment it reached theaters, “Barbie” sparked controversy, with some disagreeing with its more progressive views of society and feminist messages.
Though this incident caused anger, the controversy only expanded after the announcement of the Academy Award nominations. To the excitement of many, Ryan Gosling, who starred as Ken in the movie, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. However, viewers were shocked to discover that Gerwig and starring actress Margot Robbie weren’t among the nominees.
Many felt that this lack of recognition showed the true message of the Barbie movie and shed light on the fact that in society, men are often recognized more than women, even, in this case, when the women around them performed just as well or better.
Gosling himself agreed with this sentiment and shared his thoughts about the nomination in a statement to The Times. When speaking about Gerwig and Robbie, Gosling expressed their importance in the creation of the film, and described how surprised and disappointed he was about their lack of recognition.
Even politician Hillary Clinton contributed her thoughts on X, sharing encouraging words reminding the two of their abounding support from fans.
Though the recent controversy surrounding “Barbie” is disheartening for many, it is an important reminder of the work to be done to create a more equitable world. Much like these recent events, the Barbie movie brings perspective to deep-rooted issues in today’s society and truly reflects the experience of being a woman, which is an impactful achievement, even more impactful than a nomination.
