After two particular omissions concerning Barbie’s 2024 Oscar nominations, the Academy appears to have attempted and failed to correct the error.
Summary
The Academy tried and failed to make up for its error at the 2024 Oscars, when Barbie was the unhappy receiver of two nomination snubs. The 2024 Academy Awards list features numerous accomplished individuals, including Barbie not receiving any of the five most coveted prizes, but also directors, composers, actors, actresses, and the innumerable members of the crew who work tirelessly behind the scenes to create feature films. It didn’t matter if Barbie wasn’t physically present at the 2024 Oscars; the picture was still widely hailed as a major hit that year.
Barbie was among the most-mentioned 2023 films at the ceremony, what with Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” act and all the references to the so-called “Barbenheimer” phenomena. Still, there was some controversy about the film’s attendance at the Oscars. The Academy attempted to hide its gaffes during the ceremony, ignoring factors such as Ryan Gosling’s candidature (and possible win) for his role as Ken and the widespread belief that the picture was overlooked.
Avoiding Major Backlash: Ryan Gosling’s Unexpected Best Supporting Actor Win
The Oscars were about to spark another controversy about Barbie when Robert Downey Jr. won an Oscar.
There was substantial criticism of the choice to nominate Ryan Gosling for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ken. Many felt that the possibility of an award for Gosling’s participation went against the spirit of Barbie’s story, which revolved around feminist movements. Even more aggravating for Barbie’s detractors was the fact that Margot Robbie was not nominated for Best Actress. The message about positive masculinity that Barbie included in Gosling’s performance was nonetheless met with this kind of reaction.
In [Robert Downey Jr.] winning the award, the backlash towards Gosling’s nomination was certainly lessened.
But by denying Gosling the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, the Academy spared itself a deluge of more criticism. It was Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer that justly earned him the Oscar. Given Oppenheimer’s several Oscar wins and Downey Jr.’s outstanding performance in the picture, he seemed a clear favourite to take home the trophy. No one was quite as outraged about Gosling’s nomination when he won the award. The Academy still managed to stir up outrage with its two previous nomination snubs, so this probably didn’t help.
The Ultimate Original Song by Barbie Try as it may, Win was unable to get a nomination.
The medal should have gone to Robbie and Gerwig, but Eilish’s song seemed to calm the irate audience.
The Academy apparently went to even further lengths to make up for its nomination loss, even if Gosling did not take home the trophy for Best Supporting Actor. Even though Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone were heavy favourites to win for Killers of the Flower Moon and Poor Things, respectively, many thought that Margot Robbie should have been nominated for Best Actress as the titular Barbie. In addition, another choice that sparked uproar was the omission of Greta Gerwig’s candidature for Best Director, Barbie.
Given this new criticism, the Academy perhaps thought that by presenting Barbie with Billie Eilish’s Best Original Song Oscar, it would make up for not nominating Robbieand/or Gerwig. Despite competition from other songs, including “I’m Just Ken,” Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” was named the winner. Based on its performance at the 2024 Oscars, most would agree that the second song has been more influential on popular culture. So, the Academy’s decision to honour Eilish’s song appeared to be an attempt at making up to the people who had legitimately criticised the Oscars for ignoring Gerwig and Robbie.
Note
Regardless of pop culture image, Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” has a much bigger thematic and emotional impact on the story of Barbie, explaining its Oscar win.
The Academy Awards Did Nothing To Apologise For Their Excruciating Barbie Snubs.
Regardless of the other honours given by the Academy, Gerwig and Robbie ought to have received nominations.
The Academy still hasn’t made up for its Barbie-related snubs, even though Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” won. Gerwig and Robbie ought to have received some sort of acknowledgment for their work, even though Emma Stone and Christopher Nolan were justly given the Oscars for Best Actress and Best Director, respectively. Barbie was able to transcend its primarily humorous tone and capture the themes of Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s script thanks to Robbie’s extraordinarily emotional, deep, and meaningful performance.
Barbie deftly walked the balance between its humorous and sombre tones because to Gerwig’s screenplay and, most significantly, her competent direction. Barbie certainly wouldn’t have become the global phenomenon it was—much alone one of the finest films of 2023—if it weren’t for Gerwig and Robbie’s contributions. The Academy’s meagre efforts to make amends for passing on Gerwig and Robbie in favour of Barbie were, in the end, entirely insufficient.
Source: ScreenRant
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