The film Barbie, which was released globally this past summer, broke barriers. Based on the Mattel doll that everyone knows, the film follows Barbie and Ken, having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbieland, until they get the chance to go to the real world and discover the joys and perils of living among humans. Barbie eventually suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence. The film was the top-grossing film of 2023, clocking in at the $1 billion mark worldwide, and expressing themes of individuality and feminism amidst patriarchal structures.
However, it seems like it was not capable of breaking through the barrier of Academy Award Nominations. The director, Greta Gerwig, and the lead actress, Margot Robbie, became the breakout story for being snubbed for not having nominations for Best Director or Best Actress. While I do not believe that a film’s worth or performances is based simply on award nominations or winning an award, it is interesting that the film, which makes comments on patriarchal systems and empowering female voices, received a nomination for supporting actor for Ken as Ryan Gosling, but not a nomination for the main protagonist that the movies is—quite literally named after—Barbie. Ken is a character who symbolizes patriarchal dominance in Barbieland, and Jodi Lipper's Instagram story summarized the reaction to this nomination well with a quote from the movie itself, "We're actually doing patriarchy very well" (Bernstein). America Ferrera's nomination for supporting actress was noted, but the focus on Gosling's character raised eyebrows worldwide.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that Barbie received several nominations, including Best Picture and an adapted screenplay nod for Greta Gerwig alongside Noah Baumbach. Robbie, who produced the film with her production company/team LuckyChap, will have the possibility of receiving an award on stage at the Oscars. And Gerwig is keeping her head on her shoulders, as she told Time “A friend’s mom said to me, ‘I can’t believe you didn’t get nominated,' and I said, ‘But I did. I got an Oscar nomination.’ She was like, ‘Oh, that’s wonderful for you!’ I was like, ‘I know!” (McArdle).
I can not help but wonder what this message is spreading to young girls. The award ceremony possesses influence and reputation, and reaches millions of people each year, with around 20 million people watching the 95th award ceremony last year (Bell). What message is being communicated to young girls that watched Barbie, happen to tune in to watch the Oscars, and see Ken get nominated but not Barbie herself? It seems extremely ironic, and perhaps could be a plot in the film.
The Oscars this year will be taking place on March 10th, 2024 in Los Angeles, with Ken set to perform “I’m Just Ken” and Barbie nominated for Best Picture with a total of eight nominations.
Works Cited
Bell, BreAnna. “Oscars Draw Nearly 20 Million Viewers According to Live+7 Ratings, Up 8%
From Last Year” Variety.
Bernstein, Joseph. “For ‘Barbie’ Fans Online, a Bitterly Ironic Oscar Snub” New York Times.
McArdle, Tommy. “Barbie Director Greta Gerwig Says 'Of Course I Wanted' Margot Robbie
to Get Best Actress Oscar Nomination” People.
https://people.com/barbie-filmmaker-greta-gerwig-margot-robbie-best-actress-oscar-
nomination-8548761
I am not at all very educated on film or the politics that goes into the awards for film, but I did watch Barbie, and have to agree it was frustrating to say the very least knowing that Ryan Gosling was nominated for his role, while Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie were not. Like you said, the glaring irony honestly made me question if the powers that be of the Oscars were trying to make some sort of joke or if perhaps they just really wanted to make the theme of the movie that much more authentic? In all seriousness, obviously Gerwig and Robbie are not owed a nomination just because of their gender and all the movie represented, but…
Thank you for your blog post! I didn’t know that Ryan Gosling was given an Oscar nomination and Margo Robbie was not. This situation mirrors the exact patriarchal dominance that the Barbie film takes a critical lens on—I’m baffled. On another note, feminism is not about men vs. women but about the mutual balancing and renavigation of perspectives. At the end of the day, the patriarchy and toxic masculinity doesn’t just hurt women; it hurts men as well. I think Gosling did a great job portraying the journey of a self-realizing man, with a pretty amazing performance that could actually inspire a male audience to embark on the process of change, self-actualization, and understanding for the feminist movement. So, a…