I love Ryan Gosling. I really do. I cry every time I watch his 2004 film The Notebook. I want to be the one who kissed him in the rain instead of Rachel McAdams. I also loved him in Barbie. I thought he did a stellar job as Ken. I’m Just Ken has been on repeat in our car. He sung and danced and wooed us all. His performance was more than #kenough.
But as he said in the film, “there is no Ken without Barbie.”
And yet, here we are, with Gosling nominated as best supporting actor, and not a single nomination for actor Margot Robbie in the category of Best Actress nor did Greta Gerwig receive a nomination in the best director category. Really? Really?
Like I said, I love Ryan. And he has not sat in silence.
He released a statement suggesting he was also outraged at the lack of recognition for two of the biggest names in Hollywood.
“I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films.
And I never thought I’d being saying this, but I’m also incredible honored and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken,” he said. “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.”
Yes Ryan, there is no Ken without Barbie.
And then there’s the fact that Barbie was the top-grossing film of 2023. The film passed the $1 billion mark worldwide. It was a phenomenon. I saw it three times with my girls. They loved it. I loved it. Millions of people around the world loved it.
Obviously, Barbie didn’t completely fall off a cliff. The film was nominated for eight Oscars. America Ferrera, the woman behind the now iconic speech about the reality of existing in this world as a woman, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
America has also commented on Greta and Margot’s snubs. “I was incredibly disappointed that they weren’t nominated. Greta has done just about everything that a director could do to deserve it. Creating this world, and taking something that didn’t have inherent value to most people and making it a global phenomenon. It feels disappointing to not see her on that list,” she told Variety magazine.
As mentioned, our friend Ryan is up for Best Supporting Actor. The film was also nominated for Best Picture (Margot was nominated as a producer for this category), Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Adapted Screenplay (Greta will front this award) and twice for Best Song (‘What was I made for’ and ‘I’m just Ken’).
The internet, as expected, has gone bananas. Comedian Halan Scott asked: “How does a film like Barbie get a ton of Oscar nominations yet they leave out two of the visionaries behind the biggest film of the year: Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig? Like the film, good enough to be nominated for Best Picture, is literally called Barbie and you don’t nominate the actual Barbie? Absurd.”
Can someone please explain to me why wasn’t Margot nominated for best actress? And why wasn’t Greta nominated as best director? Like, WTF? I know that right now, both women are probably not feeling #kenough and I can’t help but feel deflated after the enormous high the film brought all of us last year.
“It’s literally impossible to be a woman,” said America Ferrera as Gloria in Barbie.
Yes. Yes, it is. Because you work and work and work, and hit the peak of your career, only to be left off a rather important, career-defining list. And Margot has worked. Boy, she’s worked.
“Everyone’s like, ‘overnight sensation.’ It’s not overnight. It’s years of hard work,” she once said. “If there aren’t roles you want to play, then you’ve kind of got to create them. I’ve got big, big dreams for the future.” Barbie was on of those big dreams. And she smashed it out of the park. She deserved to be nominated for best actress. The end.
Then there’s Greta. No big deal that last year she became the first female director behind a film that surpassed $US1 billion in global ticket sales. Only, it’s a monumental deal and she deserves recognition. All women do.
Margot and Greta, if you’re reading this (I know you’re not, but just in case), you were the stars of 2023. You both deserved to be nominated for your brilliance. We need role models like you being recognised for your hard work, because it gives us all hope. And without hope, what do we have?
