It was a film that changed the world. A hot pink trail blazed for the future generation of women. It was a film about empowerment, humanity, laughter and love – not just for women, but for all humans.
Clearly, Jo Koy did not get the true message of the film.
The American comedian delivered the opening monologue at the 81st Golden Globes on Sunday, making a reductive, sexist joke about Barbie, the groundbreaking film directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Australia’s own Margot Robbie.
“Oppenheimer is based on a 721-page, Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project,” he said.
“And Barbie is based on a plastic doll with big boobies.”
The silence that fell over the crowd said it all. But what was even more telling was when the camera cut to Barbie’s director in the crowd.
Greta Gerwig is the woman behind the game-changing film, the person that created a movie that made women so much more than the misogynistic, patriarchal ideals around their bodies and what they looked like.
She didn’t laugh at his joke. She didn’t stand up, yell, make a fuss, or even dramatically walk on stage and slap Koy across the face and tell him to keep Barbie’s name out his f***ing mouth. It would’ve made for good press if she did, I’m sure.
Instead, she nodded her head. Like she expected a joke like that to be made. Like she was waiting for it.
She nodded because this is exactly why she made the film. She nodded because she registered yet another victim of the patriarchy. She nodded because, despite all the success, all the accolades, she knew something like this was coming.
Barbie was right: “The real world is forever and irrevocably messed up.”
Barbie portrayed not just women, but all humans, as victims of the patriarchy. Patriarchy conditions women to want to look and act in ways that appeal to men. Patriarchy conditions men to want to be tough, to never show emotion, and even to be violent to get what they want.
Through Gerwig’s clever writing and directing, the end of the film proved this point – how we are all subjected to patriarchal ideals. And by the end of the film, the characters found ways to rise above them and to be themselves.
Barbie wanted to be “a part of the people that make meaning, not the thing that is made”. And Ken? Well, he realised he’s “Kenough” being just Ken.
But in a matter of seconds, Jo Koy reduced the film and, in particular, Margot Robbie’s body, to exactly what Barbie fights against – misogyny, sexism and a complete disregard for womankind.
By the lack of laughter from the crowd, Koy’s joke does not, and should not, take away the worldwide success of Barbie. The 81st Golden Globes saw Barbie receive a whopping 10 nominations. The movie was up for best musical or comedy, best actress, best director and more.
At the end of the night, the Barbie team walked away with a Golden Globe in the inaugural category for cinematic and box office achievement. It was the highest-grossing film of 2023, exceeding $1.4 billion (US) at the global box office.
No doubt Koy’s words would be ringing in the ears of those who attended the ceremony, especially the Barbie team. The story is also making headlines, trending on social media and unquestionably will be the topic of conversation at the dinner table tonight.
But I hope that people forget about this moment in the future, and instead remember the true message of Barbie. If you don’t remember the true message, I highly recommend watching the film again. And again. And once more for good measure.
And if you think Jo Koy’s joke was really just a joke and women just can’t take jokes anymore? Well, to quote Barbie again: “Either you’re brainwashed or you’re weird.”