Outrage After Oscars Snub Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig

Barbie may have broken the box office-

You should stop by.

… Becoming the highest grossing film by a female director in history. But to the surprise of co-stars and fans, it wasn’t enough for the film’s star Margot Robbie, or its director Greta Gerwig, to get an Oscar nomination.

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While the film did receive eight nods, including Best Picture-

There is no ‘just Ken.’

… Ryan Gosling, who was nominated for his role as Ken, spoke out about the snubs, writing, “There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.”

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Co-star America Ferrera, who clinched her first Oscar nomination, telling Entertainment Weekly she is ‘sad and disappointed’ about the women being overlooked, adding, “They deserve to be acknowledged for the history they made, for the ground they broke, for the beautiful artistry.”

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On social media-

This is one of the biggest snub Oscar lineups I think I’ve ever seen.

… Fans were fuming.

How did Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie not get nominated for Oscars?

One posting, “Ken getting nominated and not Barbie is honestly so fitting for a film about a man discovering the power of patriarchy in the real world.”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t too surprised because the Oscars have a pattern of snubbing comedies, and they also have a pattern of snubbing movies directed by women.

Congratulations to those men.

In 2020, the academy received criticism after all of the nominees for best director were men. That same year, Cynthia Erivo was the only person of color nominated in any of the acting categories. And who could forget the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag that went viral in 2015 after no actors of color were nominated?

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While past efforts have been made to increase diversity among its voting body, the academy now finding itself back in the spotlight after the women behind Barbie are boxed out of some of the top prizes.

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NBC News has reached out to Robbie and Gerwig for comment, and we have not yet heard back.

Okay, so now we’re all-

Wow.

The next question is-

Bad. Bad.

Well, yeah, but also, who decides and how did this happen?

Exactly.

It’s so insane.

So now the entire academy votes on these nominees, right? But, “How did we get here?” is the big question.

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Actors vote for actors, directors vote on directors, editors vote for editors when it comes to the nominees. There are certain categories that don’t fall into this, but you’re voted on by your peers-

Your peers.

Your peers.

… Essentially.

But that doesn’t explain why Greta Gerwig wouldn’t be nominated by her peers.

And what’s interesting … Well, exactly, right? And so we don’t know why certain people get nominated and don’t, but it’s all tabulated behind the scenes.

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And what’s interesting to me is, how do you get nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, which she and her partner did, and then you don’t get nominated for Best Director, but you’re nominated for Best Film?

Yeah.

So let’s just pretend that Barbie does win Best Film, but then you haven’t won Best Director.

Yeah.

I find it to be quite confusing.

I mean, in the past, nearly always Best Director and Best Picture nominations go hand in hand.

You’re right.

By tradition.

You’re right.

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And also, remember, Barbie won big at the Golden Globes.

Yeah.

But now that the HFPA and that voting body has changed so much, it’s not really a precursor anymore for who might get nominated or even when.

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And also-

I just want to make sure I understand.

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So Margot Robbie would’ve been nominated by fellow directors?

No, actors.

No, Margot Robbie would’ve been nominated by fellow actors.

Ken. Ken, come on, stay with us.

Yeah, so you’re nominated by your peers.

Wow.

We got this. We got this.

But I also just want to point out one other thing though.

[inaudible 00:03:43].

Leonardo DiCaprio, who got a lot of buzz for his starring role in Killers of the Flower Moon, he was not nominated.

Yeah.

The Color Purple musical film, not nominated for Best Picture.

Yeah.

There were a lot of other things that upset people outside of Barbie this year.

Right. Yeah. Yeah.

And the Oscars, like I said, is no stranger to controversy with all of their issues with diversity over the years.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

It’s just-

Why did they go in on you, Craig?

For fun.

Well, that’s part of the … It’s part of the [inaudible 00:04:06].

Okay, just wanted to-

Because Al-

I’m fixed now.

Because Al, that’s usually your job.

Because you weren’t here.

Right?

[inaudible 00:04:14] when you come to my defense here.

I’m just kenning back here.

That’s so rare.

Sorry.

Thank you.

It is … I mean, it’s interesting.

By the way, I meant Greta Gerwig. I meant … So her peers were voted on.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

And you know what though? I just have to say, I really love that Ryan Gosling came out and says, “There’s no Barbie without Ken. There is no Barbie film without Greta Gerwig.”

Yeah.

Of course.

Of course.

And it’s funny because it’s literally the plot of the movie.

Exactly.

But whatever.

Not great.

You know? It’s Barbie.

Every year people are upset about somebody not getting nominated.

I know. Exactly.

Every year.

Sorry for calling you Ken. I just couldn’t help it.

You’re not sorry.

Just teasing.

You’re not sorry.

Like a little sorry.

She’s not. She’s …

Half sorry.

(04:47)
All right. Chloe, thank you so much.

Thanks.

Thank you, Chloe.