Ryan Gosling issued a statement about Barbie‘s Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie being snubbed in two key Oscar categories on Tuesday.
The actor had some strong words following Gerwig missing out on a best director Oscar nomination, and Robbie not being nominated for best actress. Gosling was nominated for a best supporting Oscar (along with his co-star America Ferrera), leading many to strongly criticize the nominations as snubbing the blockbuster film’s two biggest creatives.
“I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films,” the actor began. “And I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m also incredibly honored and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken.”
The actor continued: “But there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally celebrated film. No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.”
He continued: “Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees.”
“Having said that,” Gosling concluded, “I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film.”
Given that Oscar snubs are a rather routine annual event, Gosling’s statement is unusual — and reflects the unique level of criticism that the Academy’s nomination decisions received earlier in the day.
Barbie, of course, was not only the biggest hit of the year and helped to bring moviegoers back to cinema with the success of “Barbenheimer,” but was also nominated for best picture and, by any measure, was a very tricky project to pull off.
Here are some of the previous online reactions to the snub:
“Both Gerwig and Robbie ignored … it’s still so easy for Hollywood to overlook and discount artistic contributions of women — EVEN WHEN ITS THE POINT OF THE YEAR’S BIGGEST MOVIE!” wrote MSNBC host Jennifer Palmieri. “My God. It was nominated for best picture. Didn’t direct itself, friends!”
“The joke I made to my wife walking out of BARBIE: ‘Watch Gosling get nominated and Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie get shut out’ … just happened,” wrote sports host Joey Wright. “The Academy needs a REAL man in the mirror moment because the whole idea and premise of Barbie completely flew over their heads.”
“Greta Gerwig snubbed for Best Director?” wrote TV host Julie Stewart-Binks. “How is this even possible? Margot Robbie not nominated, but Ryan Gosling is? Did anyone even understand the plot of the highest grossing movie of all-time?”
“After Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie made a film about patriarchy that generated a billion dollars for Hollywood, the man in the film got nominated for a major award and I’m honestly not sure what I expected,” wrote columnist Brandon Friedman.
Gerwig was nominated for best adapted screenplay with co-writer Noah Baumbach, though that’s received criticism, too. Many felt the Barbie script should be categorized as an original screenplay, given that — as Gosling points out above — Barbie is “adapted” only so much as the dolls exist.
Still, Barbie wasn’t snubbed overall — the film received eight nominations. In addition to best picture, adapted screenplay, and the noms for Ferrera and Gosling, the film was also nominated for costume design, production design and received two nominations in the original song category.
Here is the complete list of this year’s Oscar nominees.
More to come.
