Barbie was the unfortunate recipient of two nomination snubs at the 2024 Oscars, with the Academy both trying and failing to make up for its mistake during the ceremony. Despite Barbie not taking home any of the five most prestigious awards, the Oscars 2024 winners list consists of many talented names, from actors and actresses to directors, composers, and the other countless behind-the-scenes crew members who are responsible for crafting feature films. Regardless, Barbie‘s presence at the 2024 Academy Award ceremony was felt for a number of reasons, as the film remained one of the most celebrated of 2023.
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From Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” Oscars performance to the various references to the so-called “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, Barbie was naturally one of the more-referenced 2023 movies at the ceremony. That said, the film did not completely avoid controversy regarding its presence at the Academy Awards. Elements including the nomination, and thus the potential win, for Ryan Gosling’s performance as Ken to the snubs many thought the film received, the Academy tried to sweep its mistakes under the rug during the ceremony.
2024 Academy Award Nominations For Barbie | Potential Recipient(s) | Oscar Winner |
|---|---|---|
Best Picture | David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner | Oppenheimer – Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, and Christopher Nolan |
Best Supporting Actor | Ryan Gosling as Ken | Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss (Oppenheimer) |
Best Supporting Actress | America Ferrera as Gloria | Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb (The Holdovers) |
Best Adapted Screenplay | Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach | Cord Jefferson (American Fiction) |
Best Costume Design | Jacqueline Durran | Holly Waddington (Poor Things) |
Best Original Song (Two Nominations) | Billie Eilish/Finneas O’Connell – “What Was I Made For?” Mark Ronson/Andrew Wyatt – “I’m Just Ken” | Billie Eilish/Finneas O’Connell – “What Was I Made For?” (Barbie) |
Best Production Design | Sarah Greenwood (Production Design) and Katie Spencer (Set Decoration) | James Price and Shona Heath (Production Design) and Zsuzsa Mihalek (Set Decoration) (Poor Things) |
Ryan Gosling Not Winning Best Supporting Actor Avoided Major Backlash
Robert Downey Jr.’s Academy Award saved the Oscars from causing more Barbie-related divisiveness.
Regarding Gosling being nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Ken, this decision received some backlash. Given that the primary themes and messaging of Barbie‘s story surrounded feminist movements, many thought that Gosling being potentially awarded for his role missed the point of the film. This was only bolstered by the fact that Margot Robbie did not receive a nomination for Best Actress, fueling the flames of Barbie‘s backlash. Despite Barbie including messaging regarding topics like positive masculinity through Gosling’s performance, this backlash was still prevalent.
However, the Academy avoided an explosion of further backlash by not awarding Gosling the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Instead, the award was rightfully awarded to Robert Downey Jr. for his performance as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer. Downey Jr. was always the favorite to win the award, from Oppenheimer‘s Oscar sweep in several categories to the overall standout performance he gave in the film. In winning the award, the backlash towards Gosling’s nomination was certainly lessened. That said, this did not necessarily help the Academy in avoiding the controversy it caused for two other nomination snubs.
Barbie’s Best Original Song Win Tried To Make Up For Its Nomination Failure
Eilish’s song rightfully won the award, though it also seemed to appease those angry at Robbie and Gerwig’s snubs.
Despite Gosling not winning Best Supporting Actor, the Academy seemingly further tried to rectify its nomination failure. As mentioned, many felt that Margot Robbie should have been nominated for Best Actress as the titular Barbie, even if the likes of Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone were favorites to win for Killers of the Flower Moon and Poor Things respectively. Moreover, another nomination failure was the lack of a nod for Greta Gerwig as the director of Barbie, another decision that caused a sense of outrage.
In light of this further backlash, the Academy likely hoped that Billie Eilish’s Best Original Song Oscar for Barbie would rectify its failure to nominate Robbie and/or Gerwig. Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” won the award over several other nominations, including its peer, the aforementioned “I’m Just Ken.” Many would agree that the latter song has had a greater impact on pop culture, as evident by its performance at the Oscars 2024 ceremony. As such, the win for Eilish’s song seemed like the Academy’s way of apologizing to those who rightfully called the Oscars out for snubbing Gerwig and Robbie.
The Oscars Failed To Make Amends For Its Massive Barbie Snubs
Gerwig and Robbie should have been nominated regardless of the Academy’s other awards.
Regardless of the win for Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”, it remains the case that the Academy failed to make up for its Barbie-related snubs. While the likes of Christopher Nolan and Emma Stone were rightfully awarded the Oscars for Best Director and Best Actress respectively, Gerwig and Robbie should have at least been recognized for their efforts. Robbie’s performance in Barbie was incredibly emotional, complex, and profound in a way that allowed the movie to transcend its mostly comedic tone and nail the themes of Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s script.
Stemming from this, Gerwig’s writing and, most importantly, assured direction meant that Barbie could easily tread the line between its comedic and serious tones. Without either of the efforts from Gerwig and Robbie, it is safe to say Barbie would not have become the cultural phenomenon it was, much less one of the best movies of 2023. Ultimately, the small steps made by the Academy to rectify its mistakes in snubbing Gerwig and Robbie for Barbie were simply too little, too late.
