“I’m tired of seeing myself and every woman doing the impossible for others to love us,” said Gloria, from the movie “Barbie”.
When a blockbuster movie that has high success among critics and fans is nominated for seven Oscar categories including best picture but not best director— this leaves people puzzled with the question of, “did it direct itself?”
But, this movie wasn’t director Greta Gerwig’s 2023 “Barbie”, this was director Barbra Streisand’s 1992 “The Prince of Tides”. This snub was so controversial for the time that even Billy Crystal called it out on stage before his opening song at the 64th annual Academy Awards.
“Seven nominations on the shelf, did this film direct itself?” said Crystal.
This is the exact question that fans are asking today about “Barbie”. “Barbie” generated more than 1.4 billion dollars. This would be the most money that any movie in 2023 would generate. Not only did Gerwig not receive a nomination for Best Director for this blockbuster movie, but lead actress Margot Robbie would also be passed over, or snubbed, for a nomination for Best Lead Actress.
To truly make the situation worse, Ryan Gosling was nominated for best supporting actor for the same movie and not only was he nominated for it, the song that he sung in “Barbie” “Im Just Ken” won “Best Song” at the 29th annual Critics’ Choice Award. Not only did it win but it won against “What Was I Made For?” A song that was also in “Barbie”, sung by Billie Eilish.
This situation truly signifies the moral of the story for the movie “Barbie.”
Of the 13,253 nominees that have been nominated for an Academy Award since 1929, 17% were women. This is a 5 to 1 ratio of men to women nominees. And of that 17% less than 2% are women of color.
This history of women getting snubbed at oscars is one that isn’t new.
- In 1977, Lina Wertmuller was the first woman to ever be nominated for Best Director– she was not chosen as the winner.
- In 1986, director Randa Haines of “Children of a Lesser God” was nominated for five Oscars — Best Director was not one of them.
- In 1991 “Awakenings” directed by Penny Marshall received three Oscar nominations — Best Director was not one of them.
- In 1993, Jane Campion was nominated for Best Director for “The Piano” — she was not chosen as the winner.
This list can go on. This list of women doing the impossible and making amazing things happen to impress others, only to go underappreciated.
But this story isn’t only Hollywood’s to tell. This is moms’, aunts’, big sisters’, oldest daughters’. This story is teachers’ a
nd students’. This story belongs to underpaid women that work a job that overworks them.
“Nominating Ken but no Barbie is literally the plot of the movie,” Brad Meltzer, X (formally known as Twitter) handle – @bradmeltzer
