When the Barbenheimer social media frenzy began, I decided to remain detached from it at all costs. I didn’t read anything about the Barbie movie and decided I had no interest in seeing it. I thought it was pink, girly, and trite. I had decided I wanted to see Oppenheimer. Knowing a little about the Manhattan Project, I decided not to read anything more. A three hour movie is infinitely better if you’re not certain what will happen next. Obviously, I knew the end. However, three hours is a lot of additional information.
Barbenheimer is a portmanteau, a word made up by putting two other words, or titles in this case, together. Apparently it began life as a tweet in early 2022, and grew exponentially from there into an enormously popular meme sensation. There are myriad articles on the internet postulating why these two movies were released on the same day. Was Warner Bros retaliating against Christopher Nolan for taking his movie to Universal? Was Universal making a point, because Nolan moved to Universal after Warner Bros’ Project Popcorn, (streaming box office movies during COVID) failed? Who knows? Regardless of the reason, eventually both companies ran with the huge marketing opportunities, and the movies were offered as a double feature in many places. Evidently, 18.3 million people viewed both films as a double feature on the opening weekend.
The reaction to this was extremely negative in Japan. The Japanese audiences thought it was highly inappropriate to place Barbie and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, anywhere near each other, for any reason. I can understand this perspective. I believe the Japanese also see the bombing somewhat differently to Westerners. The war was over, for the most part. The Japanese believe the Americans dropped the bomb on Hiroshima unnecessarily, because they wanted to see the technology work and because they had spent so much money creating it. The Nagasaki bomb was even less necessary. The Japanese leaders were in discussion about surrender before the dropping of the bombs. Did the bombing hasten the end of the war? Maybe, maybe not.
Oppenheimer was a great movie. I saw it at IMAX, filmed on IMAX film cameras and on the massive screen. I didn’t check my watch once and was totally engaged for the entire three hours. Oppenheimer was portrayed as a man who was all about the science. There was a lot of post bombing, closed, military courtroom scenes where he is being interrogated about his Communist past and motivations. Also his relationships with foreign scientists. Historically interesting and morally significant, without trying to delve too far from the physics and the politics. I watched the movie with the gravity with which I think the subject deserves.
After reading a review on Facebook about Barbie, I decided I needed to see it. The review had garnered the poster a barrage of abuse. I realised I didn’t understand what the movie was about. So my friend Robbie and I went to see the movie. The previews started, and there were some of the Barbies I had owned as a kid. Pretty in Pink Barbie. Oh, the nostalgia. The movie was excellent. The cast, the costumes, the set, the story arc, all good. The message was huge. When America Ferrara speaks about all the things women are expected to be and not to be, I was nearly moved to tears. The Barbie movie is not about Barbie, as such. The Barbie movie is about women, and humans. It is about what all humans want. There is a transgender actor playing one Barbie, and there are women of all sizes, all colours, and all backgrounds playing other Barbies. I walked out of the movie feeling inspired, refreshed, and entertained. It was not pink, it was not girly, and it was certainly not trite.
In conclusion, I wouldn’t have put these movies in the same word. I wouldn’t put them is the same meme. I’m at a loss as to why this phenomenon is a thing. I think it detracts from both, in different ways. However, I do recommend seeing both movies. They both have something to offer.
To read more of Kylie’s work, please visit; https://mountainashchapter.com.au/?author=3
The poster above is designed by Sean Longmore. The other two photos are Stu, my husband, and me, as Barbie and Ken. Made using BaiRBIE.me AI on the website.