Margot Robbie took method acting to the bank on the set of Barbie.
With the star-studded silver screen adaption of the classic Mattel doll set to hit theaters next week, Barbie Land is all the rage. Under the inspired direction of Oscar-winning creative Greta Gerwig, Robbie stars as the titular character alongside Ryan Gosling’s Ken in what looks to be a perfectly on-point, peppy, pinkalicious take on the beloved character. But according to Ken himself, that focus on pink permeated the set even after the cameras stopped rolling.
Related: ALL The Fabulous Outfits From The Barbie Los Angeles Premiere!
In an interview with People published Sunday, Gosling explained that his leading lady merged Barbie’s aesthetic with the famous rule from Mean Girls: “On Wednesdays, we wear pink.” He dished:
“Margot had this pink day once a week, where everyone had to wear something pink.”
Sounds like she was really trying to stay in character — and bring a bit of Barbie Land to the real world! And apparently, there were even consequences if you didn’t show up according to the strict dress code:
“If you didn’t, you were fined. She would go around collecting the fines, and she would donate it to a charity.”
Gotta commit to the bit, we guess! While the thought behind Margot’s move may have been in the right place — team-building, giving to charity — many social media users have since begun to criticize its execution.
One Twitter user pointed out the major difference a fine would mean to an A-list celebrity versus a lower-paid member of the crew:
“Imagine being a grip, this is maybe one of two jobs you’ll get this year, and you either have to spend money to buy a pink shirt if you don’t have one, or get fined. I sometimes marvel at how blind Hollywood celebs are at seeing what they look like to the outside world.”
Related: Margot Dished On How She Filmed THAT Iconic High-Heeled Foot Scene!
With that light shed on it, the innocent little ritual definitely takes on a whole different layer of complexity. See some varying perspectives (below):
The 24 year old grip that’s been working for the past 13 hours when Margot Robbie skips up to him to collect his no-pink-fine for the 4th time: pic.twitter.com/WKsxekbGOS
— pj (@PJA033) July 8, 2023
Margot Robbie collecting the fine from the key grip who makes 100x less than her: pic.twitter.com/2KeIWC2Khu
— Trevor™️ (@TheTrevbear) July 8, 2023
Imagine being an underpaid crew member and you forgot to wear pink ????
— T’Challa Fan (@2TChalla2Stan) July 8, 2023
Sounds terrible. Very “We’re a family!” toxic workplace vibes.
— Mike (@michaelcollado) July 9, 2023
that one crew member that only owns dark clothes running away from margot robbie every week pic.twitter.com/2EHkRUgU6Y
— trish (@D1LFMILLER) July 8, 2023
Everyone upset about this yelling “what about the crew” has no idea what life is like as crew. We’ll often get requests on what to wear – strict show blacks, no certain brands, no logos, certain gear, no sports teams, etc. We do it, do the job, move on.
— Nickrob (@Nickrob) July 9, 2023
would love to hear from an actual crew member about how this was enforced bc i have a very hard time believing margot was targeting PAs with these “fines” and the quote tweet theories are downright idiotic like please shut up
— kat! (@aristokatic) July 9, 2023
me defending margot’s pink tax pic.twitter.com/LaTuU2EEmj
— finn (@ludgatesfilm) July 9, 2023
great story to drop mid-writers strike
— joy????️⚧️ (@illjoy_) July 9, 2023
Ultimately, though, Gosling claimed the production actually loved the tradition, and even got “excited” over it as a way to “show their respect and admiration” for Margot. He told the outlet:
“What was really special was just how excited the male crew members were. At the end of the film, they all got together and, with their own money, made pink crew shirts with rainbow fringe. It was this opportunity for them to show their respect and admiration for what Margot and Greta were creating. It was almost like that scene at the end of Dead Poets Society, where they all get on their desk and say, ‘O captain! My captain!’”
Definitely lots of hot takes on this one… The question is, what’s yours? Do you think a wear pink or be fined rule was a fun tradition for the set, or a misguided move by a millionaire? Let us know in the comments down below!
[Images via Warner Bros. Pictures/YouTube & Nicky Nelson/WENN]
