Plastic fantastic

"Why didn't Barbie tell me about patriarchyA system of society where men hold power and women are excluded. ?" Ken asks a passer-by heatedly. Later, he shares his newfound knowledge proudly with his fellow Kens: "Everything, basically everything, exists to expand and elevate the presence of men."

The hit blockbusterA product, especially a film, that is a big success commercially. Barbie, which drew record numbers to cinemas last summer, tells the story of a fictional Barbie world run by women. But when Ken travels to the Real World and brings patriarchy back with him, their society is thrown into conflict.

It was the year's highest earning film. But for many, it was a much greater cultural phenomenon. Many connected with its playful but still hard-hitting treatment of everyday sexism. It was expected to win big in this year's award season.

But instead, fans were left with a bitter irony. Whilst director Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, who played the film's eponymousThings that are named after a person or place, etc. protagonist, were both left out, the Academy did nominate Ryan Gosling's Ken - the film's male antagonistA character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or threat. .

It is one of the biggest snubsIgnoring or treating rudely. in recent history, some say. Social media users rushed to accuse the awards of structural sexism. After all, Gerwig was not the only successful female director who failed to achieve a nomination: Celine Song and Ava DuVernay, who directed two of the most highly-acclaimed films of last year, were also neglected.¹

In nearly 100 years of the OscarsA colloquial name for the Academy Awards, named after a nickname for the golden statue given to winners., only three women have won the accoladeAn award, honour or privilege given to someone. for Best Director. Only eight women have ever been nominated, compared to 450 nominations which went to male directors. This year, only one woman is nominated.

But this year's nominations have celebrated several other historic firsts. Lily Gladstone, who starred in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, was the first ever Native actress of American descent to be Oscar nominated. Roughly a third of all Academy nominees were women, and 19% hailed from underrepresented groups.²

As many have pointed out, the Academy does not traditionally favour flashy box office smashes. In fact, over the last two decades, blockbusters have rarely received top accolades at the ceremony. Instead, films regarded as particularly socially important or artistically innovative are rewarded.

Barbie was clearly a huge commercialRun or maintained to make a profit. success. But was it an artistic triumph? For industry bigwigsImportant people. , the film was nothing more than a big-budget popcorn movieAn informal term describing a film that is popular but is viewed as without artistic merit. which brought a boost to the box office. But as a cultural moment, it clearly spoke deeply to some women's experiences.

It is a duality that has haunted Barbie since its inceptionBeginning.. The New York Times summarised critics' takes on the film as being torn between seeing it as "slickly subversiveSeeking to disrupt a long established system. or inescapably corporateRelating to large companies. ".³

Some see it as an elaborate marketing ployA cunning plan or tactic. for a multibillion-dollar company. But others were impressed by the film's sharp feminist message, particularly praising a monologue by America Ferrara's Gloria in which she bewails the social expectations placed on women.

Many have been quick to point out that Barbie still secured an impressive eight nominations - hardly what you would call "snubbed". But others underline that fellow blockbuster, Oppenheimer, with its almost all-male cast, is in the running for a whopping thirteen awards. Are women's stories simply seen as less valuable?

Is the patriarchy fighting back?

Yes: Barbie was an unmatched cultural phenomenon this year. Its influence has been so pervasive. The Academy failing to acknowledge this speaks to structural sexist attitudes.

No: Barbie clearly had widespread appeal, but it was ultimately not a huge artistic achievement. Just because something is mainstream and commercially successful, it does not mean it deserves accolades for being a great film.

Or... The decision may not be sexist, but it is clearly tone deaf. The Academy should be rewarding Barbie for driving audiences back to cinemas after the pandemic.