No one asked for “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” to share this ridiculous connection they have forged, as the two films were released on the same day. We’ve seen plenty of major films get the same release dates. Maybe it’s because the two films are so different, but for months, film fans were hyping up the “Barbenheimer” double-feature. This led to massive opening weekends for both films, more than Warner Bros. and Universal could have hoped for. But now, Warner Bros. is apologizing to its own employees for embracing the “Barbenheimer” movement.
Much of the social media hype for “Barbenheimer” featured fans creating mash-up memes combining elements of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” Why? Well, as mentioned above, the contrast between a ridiculous, over-the-top pink film about a doll and another film about the very serious creation of the atomic bomb made for some silly imagery. In the United States, and most of the rest of the world, an image of Barbie and J. Robert Oppenheimer riding in a pink car away from a mushroom cloud explosion is pretty funny. However, if you live in Japan, for instance, that same image is horrifying considering the real-life implications of what that mushroom cloud means. Now, Warner Bros. is having to walk back social media interaction encouraging the spread of “Barbenheimer” memes.
Recently, Warner Bros.’ official Japanese “Barbie” Twitter (err, X) page shared a post where WB’s Japan office condemned its own studio for encouraging the spread of “Barbenheimer” imagery that made light of the very real bombings that occurred after the creation of the atomic bomb. In Japan, it’s reported that more than 250,000 people lost their lives due to the dropping of the atomic bombs in 1945. So, as you might imagine, Japan is very sensitive when it comes to jokes about the subject.
“We consider it extremely regrettable that the official account of the American headquarters for the movie ‘Barbie’ reacted to the social media postings of ‘Barbenheimer’ fans,” Warner Bros. Japan tweeted. “We take this situation very seriously. We are asking the U.S. headquarters to take appropriate action. We apologize to those who were offended by this series of inconsiderate reactions.”
As you might expect, it didn’t take long for Warner Bros. to respond to this criticism and walk back its earlier social media interactions.
“Warner Brothers regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement. The studio offers a sincere apology,” said WB in a statement (via Variety).
Again, it’s a tough spot for Warner Bros. to be in. Sure, the studio should have thought harder about embracing the memes, but there’s no doubt that the wild box office totals were helped immensely by this fan support. Without the “Barbenheimer” movement, you have to assume that earnings would have not been as huge. That said, poking fun at any sort of atomic bomb memes probably isn’t a good look for a huge multi-billion-dollar corporation, huh?
“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” are both in theaters now.