Seeing “Barbie” in its pretty pink glory among the 2024 Oscars’s Best Picture nominees felt like a girlhood fantasy come true. However, conversations about the movie shifted from celebration to discontent when director Greta Gerwig and lead actress Margot Robbie were not nominated in their respective categories. In an otherwise groundbreaking year for women in film, these “snubs” have dominated the discussion at the expense of the successes from an array of diverse women.
The fundamental issue is that there is an unspoken question posed with the idea of “snubs:” who do we remove to make more space? It’s an insulting question to ask when Lily Gladstone just became the first Native American woman to be nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Justine Triet became the ninth woman nominated for Best Director in Oscars’ history. Foreign filmmakers like Triet and women of color like Gladstone have historically been the ones tossed aside, which is why their nominations hold so much gravity. When society prioritizes “Barbie” over them, it’s implied that there’s not only someone better to talk about, but better suited for the praise.
The subject of snubs altogether is not only damaging to the women who were nominated, but the women who were not as well. Celine Song did not get a directing nod for fellow Best Picture nominee “Past Lives,” but her name and “Past Lives” actress Greta Lee’s often go unmentioned, along with those of deserving filmmakers without any nominations. When outrage over “Barbie” drowns out these equally talented yet neglected women, it exposes society’s unconscious preference for two well-established white women.
Undeniably, “Barbie” is the most popular movie of the year. It’s transparent with its feminist themes. People love it. But, that doesn’t mean it deserves every nomination. With an indie darling director and a powerhouse lead, “Barbie” never had to be good in order to be loved. It’s a delight that it is good, but it isn’t perfect: it has a built-in car commercial and a confused allegory for oppression with the Kens. When marginalized women have created masterpieces to receive recognition (Chloé Zhao’s Best Picture and Golden Lion winner “Nomadland” comes to mind), seeing “Barbie” and its imperfections be championed above them is a slap in the face.
Films like “Past Lives” and Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” don’t fit into the mold of a typical blockbuster. They explore feminism through morally gray heroines, with one being a woman of color. They are also partially in foreign languages. Gerwig and Robbie, established in the industry as they are, have received countless nominations in the past and they will continue to. However, we need to focus on newcomers who have finally been recognized despite the bigotry that might exist in the film industry.
The idea of snubs has been linked to prejudice in the past, but here it has been weaponized against real accomplishments. Similar to how Gerwig recognizes the implicit biases held against women in “Barbie,” it is important to look at the biases that stop people from championing the successes of Gladstone, Song and Triet, who will finally be recognized at the Oscars on March 10.
