The blockbuster earned eight nominations on Tuesday morning, but the Academy failed to recognize Barbie herself, Margot Robbie.
Barbie earned eight total nods when the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday morning, becoming the fourth most-nominated film of the year.
However, while the film did earn Best Supporting Actor and Actress recognition for Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera, and a Best Adapted Screenplay nom for Greta Gerwig and her husband and writing partner, Noah Baumbach, it also received two of the year's most notable snubs, with Gerwig getting shut out of the Best Director category, and Barbie herself, Margot Robbie, being left out of the Best Actress category.
Many disappointed fans took to social media in the wake of the announcement, decrying Robbie's snub, in particular, to further illustrate Barbie's message about women being overlooked for their achievements. (For her part, Robbie is nominated as a producer of the film in the Best Picture category.)
"Ryan Gosling, while deserving, got an Oscar nomination for Barbie while Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie didn’t? Completely proving the point of the movie in 20 f**king 24 you cannot make this up," one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"As wonderful as America Ferrera is in Barbie, her now iconic monologue being recognized but not Margot Robbie’s subtle mannerism of experiencing what it is to be human is baffling. She IS the movie," another chimed in. " #Oscars fumbled it real bad here."
"I don't pay much attention to award shows," admitted another user. "But Ryan Gosling getting a nomination and Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig NOT getting nominations feels like something happening in the Barbie movie to further illustrate the point of the Barbie movie."
The pair even got a shoutout from former First Lady and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who referenced her own popular vote win and electoral college loss in 2016 when she wrote, "Greta & Margot, While it can sting to win the box office but not take home the gold, your millions of fans love you. You’re both so much more than Kenough. #HillaryBarbie."
Still others were quick to point out the injustice of failing to recognize Gerwig's accomplishment in directing a critically acclaimed film that went on to become the highest-grossing film ever from a female filmmaker at the domestic box office, as well as the top-earning worldwide film of 2023, with nearly $1.5 billion to date.
"Maybe there should be an Oscar category for best film that directed itself, and Greta Gerwig and Sarah Polley and Barbra Streisand can throw themselves a giant party," one fan tweeted.
Yet another sarcastically pointed out: "Greta Gerwig: Made a critically acclaimed, culturally profound, feminist movie about Barbie and the patriarchy that made a billion dollars at the box office. Oscar nomination goes to … Ken."
"Greta Gerwig being snubbed at the #Oscars despite barbie being the ONLY $1 billion movie solely directed by a woman feels VERY sus to me…" another X user shared.
See below for more reactions to the Barbie snubs -- which somehow also included the film not being recognized for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
The 96th Academy Awards will be presented live from the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. PT on ABC. Until then, keep checking ETonline.com for complete Oscars coverage.
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