It is award show season, and, having already completed the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, and the Emmy’s, the Oscar nominations have been announced.² The biggest movie of the year got nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.³ ² However, they snubbed the two people who made it a reality: Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig. The two incredibly talented women deserved to be recognized by the Oscars, but the Academy’s judgment was way off.

Greta Gerwig is a major success and has been making waves as, who I would debate to be, the most influential female director of our time. She was Barbie's sole director, the first woman to earn over $1 billion on a solo project.⁵ While the other nominees made amazing films, 2023 was the year of Barbie, literally the highest-grossing film of the year. Along with this the fact that so many movies she has directed have been nominated for numerous awards, but she has only been nominated for best director ONCE, is a tragedy.⁴ Being so impactful, yet not recognized is just horrible, and many will agree that she deserves an Oscar.²

Along with Gerwig, Margot Robbie didn’t receive a nomination for best actress like many believed she would.² Barbie herself got snubbed, which I find to be insane. She is such a skilled actress and has been making so many waves in the industry with her iconic roles, like Naomi in the Wolf of Wall Street (her breakthrough), Harley Quinn, and of course Barbie. Again, the other nominees are very talented, and their films were great, but since summer, news of Barbie has been everywhere, and it’s undeniable that she deserves at least a nomination.

One of the biggest issues other than the fact they weren't nominated at all, was the fact that Ryan Gosling was nominated for best original song and best supporting actor.² He is very talented and “I’m Just Ken” was very good, but the male lead being the one nominated for a feminist movie, it’s as if the voters didn’t watch the film at all, or the message passed right over their heads. Gosling came out with the statement,

“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 be saying this, but I’m also incredibly honored and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken. 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. No recognition would be possible for anyone in the film without their talent, grit, and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement. Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees. Having said that, I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film.”¹

Even he, while still evidently grateful for the nomination (like anyone else would be), is completely disappointed alongside the public that Margot and Greta were snubbed. These mistakes made by voters to not have nominations for them is just another thing piled on top of the horrible jokes made by Jo Koy, with the evident proof that they haven't been taken seriously, which is such a shame. Barbie deserves awards and recognition in all categories; there is no denying that it is a cinematic masterpiece.

On a good note, America Ferrera, who also played a major role in the plot and the overall message of the movie with her emotionally moving speech that deeply affected a lot of viewers on what it’s like to be a woman in our time. Her brilliant performance was so impactful and she completely deserves the win for Best Supporting Actress, which she was thankfully nominated for.²