The exclusion of Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, director and lead actress of the film Barbie, from the 2024 Oscar nominations surprised and angered many people. Barbie was the highest-grossing film in 2023 and also received many positive reviews from critics: the candidacy of Gerwig and Robbie was almost taken for granted, also because, in the opinion of many, it was precisely the remarkable work of both that contributed the most to its success and the success of the film.
Among the many outraged comments, the one from Ryan Gosling stands out, who received the nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film in which he plays Ken, the doll that embodies male stereotypes, the counterpart to the woman played by Robbie ( the Barbie who gives the film her name). Gosling commented on Gerwig and Robbie's exclusion:
There can be no Ken if there is no Barbie, and there can be no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people who most deserve this historic film celebrated around the world. No other person could receive an award for this film without his talent, drive and genius.
However, Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig have not yet commented on their exclusion from the nominations (which are still just nominations and do not necessarily mean winning an award). Another actress in the film, America Ferrera, who was nominated for best supporting actress, also said she was “incredibly disappointed” by the exclusion of Robbie and Gerwig. Journalist and former White House communications director Jennifer Palmieri commented on the story, saying, “He didn't direct himself, friends!”
– Also read: The 2024 Oscar nominations
In reality, both Robbie and Gerwig received nominations for Barbie, although not in their primary fields of acting or directing. Robbie is a producer among the Best Picture nominees, while Gerwig is among the Best Adapted Screenplay nominees. In general, Gerwig's exclusion was commented on by many to talk about how cinema is a male-dominated sector and there is a patriarchal culture that still makes it very inaccessible to women.
– Also read: “I Captain,” nominated for an Oscar