Ken is an Oscar nominee, but Barbie isn't.
The 2024 Oscar nominees were revealed on Jan. 23, and "Barbie" had a total of eight nominations, but leading actor Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig were not nominated in their primary categories. (Gerwig did get a best adapted screenplay nod and Robbie, as a producer, earned a nomination in the best picture category.)
Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken, and America Ferrera, who plays Gloria, both earned nominations for best actor and actress in a supporting role.
Robbie and Gerwig's Oscars snubs caused an uproar among some fans, who picked up on a correlation between the plot of the movie and the nomination circumstance.
One of "Barbie's" main points is how the patriarchy appears to reward men for simply existing. In "Barbie," Ken leaves the feminist utopia of Barbie Land and discovers the patriarchy — where he thrives. He then brings the principles, and horses, that he learned about in the real world to Barbie Land, upsetting the plastic community's idyllic dynamics.
Fans, after seeing the nominations list, concluded the snubs illustrated the plot, and the point, of "Barbie."
“No Oscar nomination for Greta Gerwig. No Oscar nomination for Margo Robbie. Ryan Gosling gets an Oscar nomination,” one X user wrote. “This is actually the whole plot of ‘Barbie.’”
"The snub of Barbie from the Oscar’s is the exact reason why Barbie needed to be made, and it’s obvious that people still didn’t get the point of the movie," another X user wrote.
“Greta Gerwig: Made a critically acclaimed, culturally profound, feminist movie about Barbie and the patriarchy that made a billion dollars at the box office,” author Shannon Watts posted on X. “Oscar nomination goes to … Ken.”
"I don’t pay much attention to award shows," an X user wrote. "But 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."
There was backlash to the backlash, too.
Other commentators noted that "Past Lives" star and director — Celine Song and Greta Lee – both were shut out of their categories, though the movie earned a best picture and best original screenplay nod for Song, but their snubs didn't get as much attention as "Barbie's".
Others also saw the snub conversation dismissing Justine Triet and Sandra Hüller's work in "Anatomy of a Fall." Triet was nominated for best director and Hüller for best actress.
"Barbie" Stars — and 2024 Oscar nominees — Gosling and Ferrera also spoke out about Robbie and Gerwig's snubs.
After saying he was "extremely honored" to be nominated in a statement, Gosling honored his collaborators.
"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," Gosling added.
While calling into TODAY Jan. 23, Ferrera reacted to the snubs, saying, "It’s really a disappointment."
"It’s just so undeniable what they created, how unprecedented, how unexpected," Ferrera continued. "You know, Greta wrote this brilliant script with her partner and then as a director, created a whole world, and, to me, she is an incredible, masterful filmmaker."
