The Academy Awards (Oscars) snubbed Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig in the best lead actress role and best director roles and it has got people talking.
Although the film was nominated for best picture, certain categories were missing.
The Associated Press called Gerwig’s snub “one of the biggest shocks in recent memory”.
With 10 films nominated for best picture and only five slots for directors, some films have to land in the “must have directed themselves” category.
Before the nominations were announced, there were hints that Barbie’s originality would be underestimated.
Dave Karger, Turner Classic Movies host and author of 50 Oscar Nights said that the Barbie snub would be remembered for long.
“It’s definitely not a good look that the Academy members left out Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie for directing and starring in a movie that’s largely about how impressive women are often marginalized.”
“Even though they both received nominations for their work on Barbie in other categories, these two high-profile omissions will be remembered — and they will sting — for a long time,” Karger tells PEOPLE.
The film’s comedic nature may have also affected overall nominations, he adds.
“I do think that the Academy membership has a bit of a bias, unconscious or otherwise, against true comedies and towards heavier dramas,” says Karger.
“Greta and Margot surely made it onto thousands of ballots, but since those ballots are weighted towards voters’ No. 1 and No. 2 favorites, we can assume they simply didn’t earn enough of those top-tier votes.”
Barbie was the highest-grossing film of 2023 following its July release.
The comedy nabbed eight Academy Award nominations this year, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling, and Best Supporting Actress for America Ferrera.
