Actors Ryan Gosling, left, Margot Robbie, center, with director Greta Gerwig on the set of “Barbie.” Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. Pictures via Associated Press
The running gag in “Barbie” is that Margot Robbie’s titular character is “everything,” while co-star Ryan Gosling plays “just Ken.” But this week, it was Gosling who earned an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, while the movie’s linchpin female duo – Robbie and director Greta Gerwig – were snubbed.
His response to earning his third Oscar nomination was a mixed bag.
“I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films,” Gosling said in a statement to news outlets Tuesday.
“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,” he said. “No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their 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 was the only woman to be recognized for an acting role in the film, which is a piece of feminist art intended to show women shaking off the yoke of patriarchy.
The gaps on “Barbie’s” nomination list triggered a mixture of confusion and outrage among the film’s fans, who were quick to point out the glaring irony of it all. It’s worth noting that “Barbie” still racked up eight Oscar nominations, including best costume design, music, production design, adapted screenplay writing (for which Gerwig was named as a writer) and best picture (for which Robbie was named as a producer).
After the nominations were announced, Simu Liu, who starred as one of the film’s many Ken characters, tweeted that he had witnessed firsthand “just how hard Greta and Margot had to fight to get Barbie made, and how flawlessly they executed.”
“Together they started a movement, touched the world and reinvigorated the cinema,” he said. “They deserve everything. They ARE everything.”
And, because the year is 2024, even Oklahoma’s Department of Wildlife Conservation weighed in with its take:
While Gerwig and Robbie have not made a public statement, a video shared by “Barbie” actor Ana Cruz Kayne showed the two joining the film’s cast members in celebrating the film’s Oscar haul.
“Barbie” is the third film directed by Gerwig to be nominated for an Academy Award.
This year’s nominations were historical in other ways – including Lily Gladstone’s as best actress for her role in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” making her the first Native American to be nominated in the category.
Some social media users pointed out the irony that Gerwig’s script for “Barbie” weighed in heavily on women receiving due credit for their work.
As Ferrera, playing the character of Gloria, said in a monologue in the film: “I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us.”
She continued: “Never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that, but also always be grateful.”
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