The summer of 2023 was truly iconic – thanks to one of the most iconic moments in cinema when two of the biggest and most awaited films of the year- ‘Barbie‘ and ‘Oppenheimer‘ were released on the same day. The former, a colorful and playful adaptation of the beloved doll, and the latter, a somber biographical drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb; this unexpected pairing, dubbed ‘Barbenheimer’, captured the attention of audiences and sparked a flurry of online discussions and memes.
On the surface, the two films seem worlds apart in terms of tone, subject matter, and target audience. ‘Barbie‘ promised a fun, feminist, escapist experience, while ‘Oppenheimer‘ offered a weighty, historical drama. Yet, as the release date approached, the internet couldn’t help but delight in the contrast between the two. Memes and jokes abounded, pitting the lighthearted, pink-hued world of Barbie against the dark, intense realm of Oppenheimer. As this iconic era of 2023 completes a year, here’s a look back to all the iconic moments of this clash, and a thorough examination of who actually won the battle.
Painting The World Pink
In those few months leading up to the release of ‘Barbie’, the film made sure to paint the entire world pink. Barbie merchandising was bombarded the entire summer, in addition to a rigorous media tour that saw the Barbies and Kens on the covers of almost every magazine. Warner Bros. and Mattel rolled out pink products in collaboration with everyone from Bumble to Bloomingdales.
Brands released pink-themed versions of their products, the film was the most talked about topic on the internet for entire months, everywhere you go, you would most certainly see a part of your town drenched in pink.
The film gave out a classic example of how successful marketing can lead to a successful film and the millions of dollars invested in the film were absolutely worth it. A huge crowd of women got the honor of reviling their childhood, and the color pink got a break from the hate it usually gets. Even years later, I bet this summer will forever be remembered as the summer when we painted the world pink.
In Case You Missed It: Cillian Murphy Says Barbenheimer “Was A Great Moment For Cinema” Ahead Of Oscars Showdown Between ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’
The ‘Barbenheimer’ Memes
Creativity was at its peak this year. Memers, bloggers and bloggers, and editors churned out a ridiculous amount of crossover memes and posters between Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer and Margot Robbie’s ‘Barbie‘.
Barbenheimer poster art by @SteveReevesArt pic.twitter.com/75ompodFPJ
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 11, 2023
The clash gave creators a chance to show off their creativity by coming up with the most fun content that we probably have never seen during the release of any other film.
‘Barbenheimer’ poster pic.twitter.com/Mic03Rlxf1
— vintagefantasy (@vintagefantasy_) July 24, 2023
In Case You Missed It: “I Kinda Wanna Let Them Cook”: Netizens Approve The Popular ‘Barbenheimer’ Trend Getting Transformed In A Motion Picture
‘Barbie’ And ‘Oppenheimer’ Owned The Awards Season
As expected, both the films swept most of the nominations that year, with ‘Oppenheimer’ taking the lead with several main category awards, including a Best Actor award for Murphy, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr and Best Director for Christopher Nolan along with the film winning Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Original Score and Best Film.
‘Barbie’ didn’t exactly excel in this film as the film failed to take home a lot of awards- something that also led to a lot of backlash for the award ceremonies. Many perceived this as the chairs of award ceremonies refusing to acknowledge ‘Barbie’ as a serious film as compared to Nolan’s historical biopic.
In Case You Missed It: “The Perfect Storm”: Martin Scorsese Admits ‘Barbenheimer’ Phenomenon Provides Cinema With Hope
‘Barbie’ Won The Box-Office Battle
‘Barbie‘ not only outperformed ‘Oppenheimer‘ at the worldwide box office but also surpassed Christopher Nolan’s 2008 smash hit superhero movie ‘The Dark Knight‘ to become Warner Bros.’s highest-grossing US film ever. Barbenheimer’s cumulative opening weekend total in the US was $310.8 million, making it the fourth highest ever. ‘Barbie‘ alone had a final earning of $1.446 billion against ‘Oppenheimer’s‘ $976 million.
With ‘Barbie‘, Greta Gerwig surpassed Jia Ling’s 2021 Chinese comedy ‘Hi, Mom‘ to become the highest-grossing film directed by a woman. The phenomenon was known as “Barbenbillion” when the movie made over $1 billion at the box office worldwide.
‘Oppenheimer‘ also happened to be the highest-grossing biopic of all time.
In Case You Missed It: ‘Barbenheimer’ Outgrosses ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ At The Global Box Office
Which One Was Better, ‘Barbie‘ Or ‘Oppenheimer‘?
Looking at the two films’ performance at the box office and award shows, ‘Barbie‘ was definitely a bigger winner at the box office, with ‘Oppenheimer‘ taking home the majority of the awards of the season.
But looking at the cultural impact, ‘Barbie‘ definitely wins this one. For an entire year, Margot Robbie was the critically acclaimed Hollywood icon, bringing in the pink fever, and bringing back nostalgia for an entire generation of people. The film’s heartfelt and emotional message also was a significant factor in the film, initiating conversations about feminism, patriarchy and beauty standards surrounding women.
In the end, the question of which film was ‘better’ – ‘Barbie‘ or ‘Oppenheimer‘ – becomes a matter of personal preference. Both films served their purpose, providing a much-needed escape into a world of nostalgia and fantasy, and a sobering examination of our collective history, respectively. While ‘Barbie‘ dazzled us with its vibrant colors and empowering message, ‘Oppenheimer‘ left us pondering the weight of responsibility and the human cost of progress.
Seeing how both films add to the vast tapestry of cinematic storytelling—rather than contrasting or comparing them—may hold the key to the genuine magic of the ‘Barbenheimer‘ phenomena. In the end, there’s room for both Barbie and Oppenheimer in our hearts.
You Might Like To Read:
