Whoopi Goldberg has said there is no such thing as Oscars “snubs” amid the outrage over Greta Gerwig and Margot not being nominated for Best Director and Best Actress for Barbie.
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Barbie earned a total of eight nominations for the 2024 ceremony, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, but the shut-out for Gerwig and Robbie in the Best Director and Best Actress categories has resulted in a backlash against the Academy.
“The message of all of that is not lost on me, but one question I have — and maybe Whoopi is the only one that can answer this — when does it become a snub?” Sara Haines asked Goldberg on The View (via Entertainment Weekly). “I know the film, I know the greatness and the money, but that assumes someone else shouldn’t be in there.”
in response, Oscar-winner Goldberg said that “everybody doesn’t win” and “you don’t get everything you want to get.”
“There are no snubs,” said added. “That’s what you have to keep in mind: Not everybody gets a prize, and it is subjective. Movies are subjective. The movies you love may not be loved by the people who are voting.”
Due to Gerwig and Robbie being nominated for Best Director and Best Actress at the majority of award ceremonies prior to the Oscars, including the Golden Globes and Critic’s Choice Awards, many assumed that their Oscar nominations would be a forgone conclusion.
Ryan Gosling, who earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actor thanks to his performance as Ken, issued a statement expressing his disappointment at Gerwig and Robbie not being nominated for their respective categories.
“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,” Gosling wrote.
“Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. Their work should be recognised along with the other very deserving nominees. Having said that, I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film.”
America Ferrara, who plays Gloria in Barbie and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, told Variety that it was “incredibly disappointing” to see Gerwig and Robbie’s names missing from the Best Director and Best Actress categories.
“Greta has done just about everything that a director could do to deserve it,” Ferrera said. “Creating this world, and taking something that didn’t have inherent value to most people and making it a global phenomenon. It feels disappointing to not see her on that list.”
Hilary Clinton also weighed in, but her message of support for Gerwig and Robbie was promptly mocked by social media users.