How to win an Oscar

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

At the 96th Oscars nomination announcements, actor Jack Quaid and Zazie Beetz set a positive tone.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JACK QUAID: For anyone in the film industry, no matter where you’re from, to be recognized by the academy is a dream come true.

ZAZIE BEETZ: To be nominated can be life-changing.

DETROW: But the Oscar nominations can be messy. Almost every year, off-screen drama pops up about something, often about who did or didn’t get nominated. This year was no exception.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BARBIE”)

RYAN GOSLING: (As Ken) Hi, Barbie.

MARGOT ROBBIE: (As Barbie) Hi, Ken.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As Barbie) Hi, Barbie.

ROBBIE: (As Barbie) Hi, Barbie.

SIMU LIU: (As Ken) Hi, Barbie.

GOSLING: “Barbie” was the biggest movie of 2023, and it wound up with a very respectable eight Oscar nominations, including best picture. Two nominations it didn’t get? Best director for Greta Gerwig and best actress for Barbie herself, Margot Robbie. Outrage poured across social media. And adding insult to injury…

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GOSLING: But it’s Barbie and Ken. There is no just Ken.

DETROW: Ryan Gosling proved Kenough for the Academy, getting the nod for best supporting actor. Now, Robbie did receive a nomination as a producer for “Barbie,” and Gerwig was nominated for best adapted screenplay, but fans were not appeased. Even Hillary Clinton chimed in on X, formerly known as Twitter. But Oscar pundits say the “Barbie” snubs weren’t totally unexpected.

AMANDA DOBBINS: The academy does not have a great history with comedy, and I think the Margot Robbie performance was classified as that. It does not have a great history with IP. It does not have an illustrious history with female directors or stories centered around women. So there were a lot of things here that seemed like they could break the wrong way.

DETROW: Amanda Dobbins co-hosts the movie podcast “The Big Picture” for the website The Ringer with Sean…