It's official: "Barbie" got its glitter and gloss at the Oscar nominations, but not without some controversy. Ryan Gosling, shining in his Ken role, snagged a nod for best supporting actor, but his Barbie counterpart, Margot Robbie, and the film's maestro, Greta Gerwig, were conspicuously snubbed. As Gosling put it in a statement to CBS News, "I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films." The dolled-up irony wasn't lost on anyone—Ken, not Barbie, is vying for the golden statuette.
Gosling's golden-hearted sentiment was hard to misread: "And I never thought I'd be 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," according to CBS News. At the same time, America Ferrera, hailed for her Mattel employee role, did earn praise and an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress, rounding out the "Barbie" film's total eight nominations.
While the film made a plastic-fantastic $1.4 billion globally, it apparently didn't dazzle the Academy enough to honor Robbie or Gerwig in the top acting and directing categories. The snub has sparked a conversation about the film's underpinnings of female empowerment and the message that women can do anything a man can do - especially when the woman who brought Barbie to life is left off the nominating list.
Showing a jointed stance with his leading lady and director, Gosling also said, "To say that I'm disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement," in an interview touted by Variety. He credited the duo with making audiences laugh and cry, "pushing the culture and they made history." Their Oscar exclusion didn't reflect the film's monumental impact, nor did it give due credit to Gerwig's vision and Robbie's portrayal of the iconic doll.
Meanwhile, despite the omission, "Barbie" rolls into the Oscars with impressive momentum, boasting eight other nominations, including one for best picture. Gerwig hasn't been left completely out in the Hollywood cold, having grabbed a nod for best adapted screenplay, meaning she wasn't entirely forgotten by Academy voters.
