Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s ambitious collaboration in 2023 surprised everyone. Barbie cemented itself as the year’s biggest box office success, grossing more than $1.4 billion globally.
The fantasy comedy about patriarchy and self-acceptance through the lens of Mattel’s iconic doll went head to head against high-profile Oppenheimer, a documentary feature on the father of the atomic bomb, and comfortably came out on top both in domestic and international markets.
Accordingly, many expected Gerwig’s film to also dominate the awards season. However, Oscar snubs in major categories have left many Barbie fans, not least Hillary Clinton, shocked and disappointed.
Hillary Clinton Sends a Message to Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie
After sweeping key awards at the Golden Globes as well as the Critics Choice Awards earlier this month, Oppenheimer is now leading the pack of the 96th Academy Awards nominees with 13 nods.
Meanwhile, the other half of Barbenheimer has earned eight nominations. Not only has it been left behind by Christopher Nolan’s epic biographical thriller but it’s also trailing Poor Things and Killers of the Flower Moon.
More than the total number of nods, the snubs in two notable categories have shocked many. Margot Robbie, who was the soul of the hit film, has been overlooked for Best Actress. Meanwhile, Greta Gerwig – the highest-grossing female director of all time – isn’t in the running for Best Director.
The Academy’s decision to shut out Gerwig and Robbie for the two categories hasn’t gone down well on social media. Politician Hillary Clinton took to X to send a message of support to Gerwig and Robbie, writing:
“Greta & Margot, While it can sting to win the box office but not take home the gold, your millions of fans love you. You’re both so much more than Kenough.”
While the wordplay from Clinton is impressive (and repetitive) many might see it as a dig at ‘Ken’ as Ryan Gosling has been nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
What Ryan Gosling Said About Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s Oscar Snubs
Gosling, who played the main Ken of Barbie Land, was quick to express his disapproval, insisting there’s no Ken without Barbie.
The La La Land star, who earned his third Oscar nomination, released a statement, wherein he expressed his delight for the honor before raising question marks on the exclusion of Gerwig and Robbie. A part of the statement read (via Instagram):
“And I never thought I’d being saying this, but I’m also incredibly honored and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken. But 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.”
Another Barbie star, America Ferrera, who got plenty of people talking with her monologue about unfair expectations women deal with, scored an Oscar nomination for her supporting role. Akin to Gosling, Ferrera also outlined she’s incredibly disappointed with the two snubs.
