LOS ALAMITOS, CA – This year’s Oscar nominations were released on Jan. 23, 2024, with a film director and lead actress notably snubbed. “Barbie”’s Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie were not nominated for Best Director and Lead Actress; however, actor Ryan Gosling, who co-starred with Robbie, was nominated by the Academy for Best Supporting Actor. This surprise left Gosling, his fellow film stars, and “Barbie” fans alike in understandable shock and anger, criticizing the Academy for what some viewed as a moment of sexism that went against the core values of the “Barbie” movie itself. 

In a statement to CBS News, Gosling expressed his gratitude for his nomination by the Academy and went on to praise Gerwig and Robbie for their excellence, saying that their hard work was the sole reason for his own nomination.

“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,” Gosling 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.”

On the other hand, what are people who oppose another nomination for Gerwig and Robbie saying?

While the prevailing sentiment from “Barbie” fans has been outrage at the omissions, others argue that the film certainly got its due considering the Academy has not been nominating many blockbusters over the past 20 years. This could be in part because many current blockbusters are less original than older blockbusters like “E.T.” or “Titanic” or simply because so many are derivative sequels. 

“These days, the top-grossing films are usually either sequels, superhero movies, or sequels to superhero movies,” said Dave Karger, a Turner Classic Movies host and Entertainment Weekly award correspondent. “Those aren’t the kind of films, by and large, that speak to the Academy.”

In any case, indie films are more commonly nominated for categories like Best Picture, which is what makes “Barbie”’s eight nominations, including one for Best Picture, so surprising to some. This has led some to claim that to argue for another nomination (such as Best Director or Best Actress) for “Barbie” is simply overkill.

However, what these commenters miss is the originality of the “Barbie” and the raw emotional authenticity it presents to its audiences. “Barbie” made movie history when viewers first listened to America Ferrera’s captivating monologue about the pressures of being a woman. The film both re-introduced an iconic piece of pop culture while also speaking out about modern issues that society would rather avoid. Originality is written all over Gerwig’s “Barbie.”

Others claim that the only reason why Margot Robbie wasn’t nominated was because her performance was “less noteworthy” in comparison to Gosling’s.

“#MargotRobbie was not snubbed at the #Oscars2024. As we said at the time, she’s a great actress but crucially *she is not Barbie.* She is ironically too smart. Ryan Gosling *is* Ken. He plays dolls. The academy rewards performances where role and persona match precisely,” said X user @performpod. 

Does “Barbie” deserve this backlash, after all of its massive success?

As a stunningly complex production involving numerous cast and crew and a $100 million budget, “Barbie” was a behemoth of a project to produce. The production budget was only dwarfed by the publicity budget, which numbered $150 million. Additionally, Gerwig’s acceptance of writing and directing such an iconic role was no easy task, particularly since it would be so public. 

“There is a moment where you’re like, ‘Wow. I’m way out there. Like, if this doesn’t work, it will be a pub– [laugh] very public,’” said Gerwig to CBS News.

Released in the summer of 2023, “Barbie” dominated the field. The movie earned $337 million alone worldwide on its opening weekend, the biggest debut of 2023 and the largest box office victory for a female director in the history of film. According to a poll by The Quorum, 6% of people who saw “Oppenheimer” did so because “Barbie” was sold out. 

Gerwig is currently the only female director whose first three films all were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. However, as a director, Gerwig has only ever been nominated for her film “Lady Bird.” Since the Academy’s directors branch, which decides the nominations in this category, is made up of over 75% men according to the Hollywood Reporter, many X (Twitter) users have claimed that this was an act of blatant sexism and a sign that the Academy needs a complete makeover.

Even Margot Robbie herself chimed in on this debate about Gerwig in a statement.

“Obviously, I think Greta should be nominated as a director,” she said. “What she did is a once-in-a-career, once-in-a-lifetime thing… But it’s been an incredible year for all the films.”