What is the movie Barbie without Barbie? Ryan Gosling, who played the role of Ken in Barbie, was nominated for best supporting actor at the Academy Awards, while “lead actress Margot Robbie was left without a nomination for playing the titular character. Gerwig, who made more than $1.4 billion at the box office, also did not get a best director nomination.”
This decision has created a social media outbreak. Time quoted that “Gosling expressed his delight for his own recognition and disappointment for his colleagues in a statement late Tuesday.” Gosling stated “There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film.”
Some users drew attention to the incoherence of the Academy excluding Robbie and Gerwig for their parts in a movie that centers on the empowerment and self-discovery of women. “Barbie explores the gendered social phenomenon of women being expected to give up childhood joys and sacrifice for others.”
In the movie, Barbie Land is the utopian setting of the movie Barbie, where women rule the world. Barbies play presidents, lawyers, and justices of the Supreme Court. As opposed to this, Kens serve as accessories. Before Gosling’s character travels to the “real world” and discovers the patriarchy, most Kens spend their days attempting to impress Barbies.
Herald Editor in Chief adds how she understands the media but thinks people should focus more on how America Ferrera who plays the mother in the movie won best supporting actress. “Ferrera has been active, through her involvement with the organization Voto Latino and by appearing on various news programs, in getting Latinos in the United States to vote.”
After that, Gosling goes back to Barbie Land to instruct the other Kens on how to take charge and establish their authority. Another user said “Ryan Gosling getting a nomination and Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig NOT getting nominations feels like something happening in the Barbie movie to further illustrate the point of the Barbie movie.”
