Illustrated by Jay Burdine

You cannot picture the summer of 2023 without thinking of “Barbie” and the stir it caused among moviegoers everywhere. Directed by Greta Gerwig, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and marketed as a story about womanhood and feminism, the movie was destined to be a hit. However, the response to the movie was more complicated than expected. Some lauded the film for its wit and approach to anti-patriarchy themes, while others pointed out that the lack of nuance made it another piece of white feminist media that did not serve all women.

While “Barbie” might have taken a shallow approach to feminism, the recent awards season has shown that maybe some are in need of a basic refresher on the topic. During the Golden Globes, host Jo Koy made insensitive and objectifying jokes about the movie and cast in a pathetic attempt to garner some laughs. Not only was the film and cast treated with such crude jokes, but also “Barbie” did not win Best Motion Picture, Greta Gerwig did not win Best Director and Margot Robbie did not win Best Performance by a Female Actor. The Golden Globes’ treatment of the film was met with outrage and disdain at how, even in a movie with a relatively simple and straightforward message, the male organizers could miss the point so completely.

The importance of “Barbie” was demonstrated on the Golden Globes red carpet when Recess Therapy — a TikTok account in which content creator Julian Shapiro-Barnum interviews kids — took two girls to interview the stars before the awards. The two girls, Amina and Avery, got to interview the cast of “Barbie” and excitedly talked to each of the actresses who played different Barbie variants. Perhaps the most moving interview was when they were able to interview Issa Rae, who plays President Barbie in the movie, and both girls immediately said they wanted to be President Barbie. While “Barbie” may not be making moves to further feminism on an intersectional or global scale, the impact it has on young viewers cannot be ignored or downplayed.

“Barbie” was notably snubbed again in the 2024 Oscars nominations, with neither Margot Robbie nor Greta Gerwig receiving a nomination for Best Actress or Best Director, respectively. Ryan Gosling was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. With the buzz stirred up by “Barbie,” it seems odd that the male (side) character was nominated while the main character and director received nothing. In the residual anger felt from the treatment of “Barbie” at the Golden Globes, these nomination choices were met with cries of how the point of “Barbie” had once again been lost.

While it is disappointing, especially to fans of the film, that neither Greta Gerwig nor Margot Robbie were nominated for the Oscars, it is important to remember that there is more to feminism than the “Barbie” movie. Lily Gladstone became the first Native American actress to ever be nominated for Best Actress. America Ferrera, a Latina actress who starred alongside Margot Robbie in “Barbie,” was nominated for Best Supporting Actress (although the cries calling for Robbie and Gerwig’s nominations seem to have drowned out their co-star’s accomplishment). While we call out the Academy for their sexist treatment towards “Barbie,” we should not forget the strides made by other women in the process, especially women of color.

The treatment of “Barbie” this awards season is a good reminder of the struggles women continue to face and the hurdles they must jump over to be taken seriously. Ken (and Ryan Gosling) seem to be getting more attention than any of the women in the film. Whether or not you consider “Barbie” a true feminist work, the fact stands that it is a movie by a woman about women, and it deserves more respect than it has been given.