Last week, the nominees for the 2024 Oscars were announced. A wave of memes and complaints quickly erupted among social media users. All the confusion was caused by the absence of Margot Robbie AND Greta Gerwig in the “Best Actress” and “Best Director” categories, at the awards ceremony which will be presented on March 10th in Los Angeles.
The controversy generated by the Academy’s decision was so great that Ryan Gosling, star of Barbie and nominated for “Best Actor”, had to release a statement on his social networks.
“There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbiethe two people most responsible for this historic and world-celebrated film,” the actor said in the statement posted on his Instagram account.
Although many X (formerly Twitter) users denounced the absence of Greta and Margot among the nominees, this was the first mistake they made. Despite being excluded from the main categories, where everyone expected to see them, Both are nominated for other awards, which honor neither directing nor acting..
Margot Robbie, in addition to being the protagonist, is the executive producer of Barbie. This means that goes to the “Best Film” nomination received by the blockbuster short film.
The film is also nominated for “Best Adapted Screenplay”. If they won in that category, the statuette would go to Gerwig, who was also responsible for the screenplay.
Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig during the filming of “Barbie”. Photo: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. Images via APBarbie fans expressed this on social networks The absence from the main shortlist of the two women responsible for the feminist film of the year was ironic.. However, this story does not take into account the visible data and ends up fanatically transferring the fiction into a baseless reality.
Confusion between reality and fiction
Social media users described Greta’s absence as “disrespectful.” However, the absence of the director of Barbie in her master list does not make her a victim which is ignored year after year by the academy. And much less someone who was excluded because she was a woman.
Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig. The fact that the star and director of “Barbie” were not nominated for their roles sparked controversy. Photo: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/APGerwig is the first director whose first three films were nominated for “Best Picture”, the most anticipated category of the evening. Thanks to this year’s Oscars, Barbie adds to the young director’s list of successes, along with Little Women AND Ladybug.
The reality is, furthermore, the “Best Director” category this year is full of great talent and, unlike other years, there is a woman competing in the category. This is Justine Triet, the Frenchwoman who directed the film Anatomy of a fall.
They are also in the running for the Martin Scorsese Award. (The moon killers)Yorgos Latimos (Poor creatures) and Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer). They have all been commissioned to direct films nominated for “Best Picture”, and it is very difficult to think of removing one of them so that Greta can take their place.
FILE – Director Greta Gerwig poses for the media before a press conference for the film “Barbie.” in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, July 3, 2023. Gerwig, an actor, writer and director, most notably of the blockbuster “Barbie,” will chair the jury of the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May, the first American director to be named president of the jury , the festival announced Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)Ken won against Barbie
The real contradiction with the plot of Barbie came with the absence of Margot Robbie’s nomination in the “Best Actress” category.. This had one downside: They nominated Ken (Ryan Gosling) for Best Supporting Actor
Even though the actor showed his discontent with the situation, the reality is that his performance in the film is impeccable and stands out much more than Margot’s. The space given to Ken’s character development was extensive and intentional, and far from considered an injustice. That nomination is well deserved.
Although there was a surprise that did not follow the line of what happened in the awards season: the nomination of America Ferrera as best supporting actress for the role of Gloria.
Barbie and Ken (or Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling). She, without nomination, and he, nominated. Photo: EFE/Warner BrosAlthough at Critics Choice the actress was honored with the “See Her” award for her feminist work, she was not recognized all season for her work as an actress in Barbieand the Academy’s decision to nominate her was completely unexpected.
The cultural impact that the film has generated around the world Barbie in 2023 it is undeniable, and all the recognition obtained is deserved. However, the bigotry it engendered clouded the vision of many, who found injustice where there was none.
Source: Clarin
