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Susan Young is the Bangor Daily News opinion editor.
I don’t watch a lot of movies. In fact, I’m pretty illiterate when it comes to pop culture.
Last year, I did see the Barbie movie, however. It was an entertaining film, with great costumes and eye-catching scenery. It made some important points about the difficulties of being a woman, often in humorous ways. However, I did not find it to be the history-making social commentary or revolutionary affirmation of women that some of my friends saw.
Taking a step back from the movie, the Barbie doll was, in fact, revolutionary. Her proportions, which may have contributed to ongoing unfair expectations of what women should look like, were absurd. But, she was an independent woman at a time when women were not, legally, allowed to be independent. She owned a dream house and a cool car. She had — and was beautifully attired for — numerous jobs, including an astronaut and surgeon, long before women were considered for these jobs in the real world.
She did these things without having to have a husband or boyfriend. For some girls, Ken was part of the mix, for others he was not. Ken was not essential to Barbie’s world or her happiness.
This theme of Ken’s secondariness was central to the Barbie movie. Barbie and her female-led world were doing fine until she and Ken travel to the real world where they see the patriarchy on full display. While Barbie is dismayed and confused, Ken is inspired. When he returns to Barbie Land, he and his male friends have a turn at being the top dolls, doing manly things and making the women subservient. It ends with a bit of violence and humiliation, and an appreciation for the vital roles that both women and men can play.
Ken learns, as the saying goes, that there is no Ken without Barbie.
So, it was a bit of life imitating art imitating life when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its Oscar nominations on Tuesday and there was Ken on the list, but not Barbie or Barbie’s creator.
Ryan Gosling was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor in his role as Ken. Margot Robbie, who played Barbie, and Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote and directed the film, did not receive individual nominations, although the film did receive nominations in other categories, including best picture.
“I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films,” Gosling said in a statement on Tuesday.
“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,” he added. “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.”
I sympathize with members of the Academy who must wrestle with difficult questions of what makes an award-winning movie and an award-winning performance. However, if the Academy is going to honor a man who played a significant role in a movie about the power of women without also honoring the two women who played even larger roles in making that movie a reality, the whole sad point of the Barbie movie has been brought to life.
Yes, the Academy did honor America Ferrera with a nomination for the best supporting actress for her role as Gloria, a real-life mom and Mattel employee who makes a trip to Barbie Land.
Her two-minute monologue about the contradictions of being a woman is essential watching, if not Oscar worthy on its own.
“It is literally impossible to be a woman,” she begins. “… You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining. … You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line.”
“It’s too hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault,” she adds.
Off screen, we’re seeing these contradictions play out once again with the Oscar nominations.
So, I’d like to thank the Academy for that reality check that being a woman — in reality and in the movies — is indeed a thankless job.
