Greta Gerwig and Margo Robbie didn't get Oscar nominations, and the fan outrage has been insane, but everyone needs to sit down and relax
By Alex Richard
With the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards announced, the controversy came in droves. As always, fans are quick to voice their opinions and disappointment when their favorite films and/or actresses aren’t recognized by the Academy as much as they think they should be. This year the biggest so-called “snub” was Barbie, one of the biggest movies of 2023 and a very loyal fanbase. Neither Margot Robbie or Greta Gerwig were nominated for Best Actress or Best Director respectively, and their fans are outraged. Co-stars Ryan Gosling and Simi Liu both have released statements on Robbie and Gerwig not being nominated. Even former vice-president Hillary Clinton put out a statement saying that they are both “so much more than Kenough."
I understand the disappointment, but I think a majority of the response has been very bad look for the lovers of this movie and it is making movie lover community unnecessarily toxic. I also think that some are just not understanding how award season works and the heartbreak that comes with it.
The Academy "Missed the Point" of Barbie
This has been a common viewpoint from Barbie fans since the nominations came out. And if you don’t think about it much, it makes some sense. Barbie is a movie that while being a fun comedy, is about the struggles that women face every day and the problems with the patriarchy. How DARE the Academy nominate Ryan Gosling for his performance as Ken and NOT Margot Robbie for her role as Barbie?!!
It’s simple; they are not in the same category. It is not like Ryan Gosling stole a Best Actress nomination from a deserving actress. If that happens, then we should all be considered. Gosling gave a great performance as a supporting actor, in a year where his performance ranked highly among other supporting actors. No one should have been shocked that Gosling got a nomination, he and Robert Downey Jr were both locks since their prospective movie came out.
Margo on the other hand was in a stacked category. I’ll touch on it more later, but there were 7 or 8 strong contenders to be nominated for Best Actress, and in my personal opinion, her performance wasn’t on the level of many of the nominated and non-nominated actresses this year. People have to remember that it is not Barbie and Ken who are up for these awards.
Putting Down Other Nominees
The most unhealthy part of any Oscar snub conversation is how it either puts down those who are nominated or takes the attention off of these brilliant performers and directors who did happen to have the craft recognized.
There were so many newcomers nominated this year that should have the spotlight on them. Lily Gladstone made history by becoming the first Native American woman to be nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon. Justine Triet, director of Anatomy of a Fall, became the first French female director to be nominated for Best Director, despite her own country not supporting her film because of her political views. Hell, even America Ferra who got her first nomination for Barbie, is getting overshined. I understand that people may get disappointed but comments like Mary McNamara's gives movie fans a bad reputation. It’s not that serious. Not to mention…
They Were Both (Technically) Nominated!!
Did you guys know that the winner of Best Picture goes to the producers of the film? Although it may not seem like it, I am in the belief that Greta Gerwig should have been nominated for Best Director. But it is not like she was ignored by the Academy; they are acknowledging her work with the Best Adapted Screenplay nomination and saying that the movie she made was one of the best movies made that year. There are only 5 spots for Best Director, and just because Barbie was the biggest movie doesn’t automatically make it the best. Also, Barbie got nominated for eight Oscars, no small feat!!!
Barbie fans and movie fans in general, being passionate about your favorite movies is awesome and that is the fun of watching and enjoying films; finding something that you can connect with and relate to. But I feel like sometimes we care more about these awards than the actual actors. Take Leonardo DiCaprio for example. After arguably being snubbed of a nomination, he didn't release a statement on how he got robbed. Instead, he posted a long congratulatory message to his co-star that just made history. Maybe in this case, we should all be a little bit more like Leo. He seems like a pretty good guy, most of the times.
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