On Jan. 23, the 96th Oscar nominations were released and social media platforms were quickly swarmed with public uproar. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences failed to acknowledge the successes of two women in entertainment within their nominations.
Ryan Gosling, who performed as Ken in “Barbie,” was nominated for the category of “Best Supporting Actor.” However, Gosling’s co-star Margot Robbie, who played Barbie, was left out of the “Best Actress” category and the director of the film, Greta Gerwig, failed to be nominated for “Best Director.” Fans of the film were devastated for these two women as their lack of recognition appears to snub and contradict the feminist intentions of “Barbie.”
“Barbie” is the highest grossing film of 2023. According to Variety, the movie generated 1.36 billion at the global box office. This made Gerwig the first sole women director to earn 1 billion box office sales in only 17 days. Evidently, the entire movie was a massive success and its vast fan base was taken with its realistic portrayal of what it looks like to be a woman in modern day society.
The movie highlights the ways in which women are overlooked due to patriarchal structures. Gosling’s nomination and Gerwig and Robbie’s lack of, ironically follows the plot of the movie. A man is being celebrated for his accomplishments while the women, who produced and starred within the project, are being rendered invisible.
The outcry for Gerwig and Robbie has gotten so loud that members of the “Barbie” cast have released statements.
Gosling mentioned on the day the nominations were released that “No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their [Robbie and Gerwig’s] talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.”
America Ferrera, who acted as Gloria in “Barbie” and received an Oscar nomination for “Best Supporting Actress,” echoed Gosling’s sentiments of disappointment. She said “Greta has done just about everything that a director could do to deserve it. Creating this world, and taking something that didn’t have inherent value to most people and making it a global phenomenon. It feels disappointing to not see her on that list,” she added, “What Margot achieved as an actress is truly unbelievable.”
While Robbie urged fans that there is “no way to feel sad when you know you’re this blessed,” the whole world is still affected. “Barbie” sought to empower females and yet the opposite is prevalent in the film’s nominations. Fans have had ‘kenough’ with women’s stories being overlooked.