Over the summer, one of the most prominent memes across social media was the so-called ‘Barbenheimer’ meme. Essentially, this barrage of images combined elements of the two hyped movies Barbie and Oppenheimer that released on the same day. Being two drastically different movies tonally, the mash-up was an obvious choice for internet culture to make fun of. 

The joke would often include images of Margot Robbie’s Barbie character being placed on a backdrop featuring a mushroom cloud (in reference to J. Robert Oppenheimer’s creation of the nuclear bomb). Another popular image was that of Robbie’s happy and smiling character next to Cillian Murphy’s more somber and devastated portrayal of Oppenheimer. 

The cultural phenomenon took digital media by storm, with many finding it both hilarious and offensive. Japanese markets took particular offense to the meme. This comes as no surprise as Japan was the victim of the infamous nuclear bomb usage at the end of World War Two – the only use of nuclear warfare to date.  

In response, many Japanese people started posting pictures of a cheerful Barbie next to images of the Sept. 11 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Despite their intent to show Americans how offensive ‘Barbenheimer’ was, it was met with laughter – showing that the current generation of Americans (labeled Gen Z) may not be so easily offended. Or, perhaps, that we are just too cynical to care. 

The subversion created by this meme was no coincidence, as studios in Hollywood fully intended to have these two polar opposite films release on the same day. Christopher Nolan, the director of Oppenheimer, has famously always had his movies published by Warner Bros. However, when the studio announced it would be releasing its movies straight onto their Max streaming service, Nolan instead went to Universal Pictures to distribute his upcoming biopic. Because of this apparent betrayal, Warner Bros. decided to release their upcoming movie based on the popular children’s toy line on the same day as a direct insult to Nolan’s choice to switch studios.  

Although Barbie made more money on opening weekend than Oppenheimer, a key part of the meme was that people would intentionally see both movies on the same day to celebrate them being released on the same day. Debates would spark online as to which was the correct order to watch the two films in, with many people agreeing that regardless of the order, there was a dress code. Professional garb would be worn to showings of Oppenheimer while pink outfits would be worn for Barbie. 

Despite its offensive nature and the apparent apathy of those promoting the sensation, there was possibly some good that came from it. Even with aggressive marketing campaigns, awareness for both films was practically doubled by the meme.  

Since the COVID-19 quarantine, movie theaters have been in a sharper decline than ever before as at-home streaming has become more and more prevalent.  Barbie and Oppenheimer, however, have broken this trend. Given the different marketing strategies – with Barbie being featured in a plethora of tie-ins and humorous ads while Oppenheimer promoted a more serious and immersive experience – it is safe to say that the $162 million and $82.4 million, respectively, made on opening weekend was at least in some way influenced by the ‘Barbenheimer’ trend. 

While other films have been released since the pandemic that have made more money than both films, it is undeniable the influence this internet meme has had on the current state of Hollywood. Another important note to make on the absurdity of the mere idea of making a joke out of combining pretty-girl dolls and nuclear warfare is what it says about our culture as a whole.  

As I sit here, writing this article while listening to a playlist exclusively of Queen’s most popular songs – acting as if I am a true fan despite not hearing a single song below their iconic surface-level hits – I am reminded that the true message of this meme is, perhaps, the unquestionable and often unspoken truth that we, the youth of the nation, the so-called ‘Gen Z,’ are all truly just degenerates at heart.