It Will Never be “Kenough” to be a Woman in Hollywood: Why Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig Deserved Academy Award Nominations for the Hit Film Barbie
The Academy has recently received a new renovation. In come mini-fridges, dumbbell racks, punching bags, and wall-mounted cowboy hats: the home of the Oscars has just revealed itself to be yet another one of the mojo dojo casa houses featured in the Barbie movie.
The Barbie movie was the only billion dollar movie solely directed by a woman, whose 2023 success was directly attributed to the powerful female duo heading the creative project—director Greta Gerwig and leading actress and titular Barbie, Margot Robbie. However, come the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards, neither woman received nominations for their respective categories. Art imitates life, and the Oscars this year have been no exception. For, much like in the movie, the patriarchy has pushed Barbie to the sidelines, while one of the biggest nominations for the film goes to the leading supporting male actor—Ken.
It is crucial to acknowledge that—yes—Gerwig and Robbie have both received nominations tangentially through the Best Picture category and that the Academy nominated both Gerwig and Noah Baumbach for screenwriting. Moreover, the board nominated America Ferrera for best supporting actress and the movie for costume design, original songs, and production design. However, without Robbie and Gerwig, there would be no Barbie, no critical acclaim, no box-office success.
It is evident that Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie should have received nominations for the categories Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Director respectively. This is due to Gerwig’s hand in the movie’s cultural impact and commercial success, as well as Robbie’s stellar performance.
The Barbie movie would not have had its groundbreaking success without the leadership and direction of Greta Gerwig. She was the mind behind the film’s witty and subversive storytelling, its social commentary on societal gender roles, and its immense viral sensation. Barbie, in its opening weekend alone, pulled a massive $162 million at the box office, numbers critics doubted would come from a movie about a doll, a commercial product. Would people have shown up to the movie theaters in pink droves without Gerwig’s direction? Would the entire “Barbenheimer” sensation have existed if not for her? Nobody other than Gerwig, who was responsible for the creative and introspective films Lady Bird and Little Women, could have told a story so deep, analytical, and empowering while simultaneously so aggressively camp and—well—bubblegum. Her snub in the category for Best Director calls into question the leaps and bounds women must come to in order to be recognized for their talents and diligence. Gerwig achieved so much: what more does Hollywood demand for her to receive commendation for her contributions to both cinema and pop culture?
In addition to Gerwig’s expert leadership, Barbie would not have had as immense of a cultural impact without Margot Robbie playing the leading “Stereotypical Barbie.” She was a critical player in one of the movie’s core messages: it is impossible for women to live up to the extreme and unrelenting demands of the patriarchy. Robbie plays the quintessential, perfect Barbie, her top-notch acting portraying how it is impossible for even the most idealized and perfect woman to simply be a woman. The film’s call to dismantle gender roles and push for greater equality could not have occurred without Robbie. By nominating Ken—Ryan Gosling—without Barbie, the Academy seemingly contradicts the message regarding egalitarianism and gender equality presented in the film. As the movie states, “It’s Barbie, and it’s Ken”—they’re equals and must be represented and treated as such. The nomination of both supporting actors Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera, moreover, would not be possible if there was no figure to be supported, if there was no Margot Robbie in the picture.
It is a genuine shame that neither woman apparently seemed to receive proper recognition for not only their contributions to the movie’s box office success but also the greater sphere of pop culture. Hollywood has proved, once more, that it is never “Kenough” to be a female in the film industry.
