A not-so-subtle ad prompts fan theories on Greta Gerwig’s Oscar snub for Best Director.

SUMMARY

Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster movie Barbie has received praise from critics and audiences alike.
However, the film has also been under scrutiny due to its apparent product placement.
Many now claim that it could be the reason the filmmaker failed to make it to the Best Director nomination list.

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie gained traction for many things, whether it’s Margot Robbie’s iconic performance as the Mattel doll or the wonderful message the film delivers through its narrative. The film not only became the highest-grossing movie of 2023 but has also earned critical acclaim, including eight nominations at the 96th Academy Awards. However, the movie star Robbie, and film director failed to land nominations for Best Actress and Best Director, respectively.
A still from Barbie
Amid several discussions surrounding the same, one of the scenes from the film is now being considered as a potential reason the acclaimed filmmaker lost what could have been her second Academy Awards nomination.

Barbie’s Shameless Product Placement of General Motors Vehicles

While Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster movie has received praise from critics and audiences alike, it hasn’t escaped significant scrutiny due to apparent product placement. And one thing that has constantly made an appearance in the film is General Motors vehicles.
Barbie (2023)
Barbie’s pink Chevrolet C1 Corvette has been considered essential, considering its association with the Mattel doll. However, it wasn’t the only appearance of General Motors vehicles in the movie. The sequence in which Gloria (America Ferrera) and her daughter help Barbie escape Mattel has been highly criticized for making the ad placement so obvious.

It featured Ferrera and Margot Robbie in a Chevy Blazer SS EV as they were chased by Mattel executives in Chevy Suburban SUVs. The brief sequence has earned substantial criticism, with some now attributing it as a factor to Greta Gerwig’s omission from the Best Director nomination list at the 2024 Academy Awards.

Fans Argue This One Scene Led to Greta Gerwig’s Oscar Snub

As the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the nominations for the 2024 Oscars, many expressed astonishment upon not seeing Greta Gerwig among the Best Director nominations despite the film’s exceptional acclaim.

Chevy sequence in Barbie
However, the chase sequence has now led many to claim that the apparent product placement in the middle of the film could be the reason she failed to make it to the Best Director nomination list. One Twitter user took to Twitter to argue the same as they stated, “This scene singlehandedly justifies Gerwig not getting a best director nomination.”

Many others also joined in the conversation as they remarked the particular sequence as “dull” and “ugly” and claimed that it was a pain to go through. People also stated how the sequence looked like a “full-blown car commercial.” It would have been Gerwig’s second Oscar nomination after Lady Bird. The filmmaker, however, is nominated under the Best Adapted Screenplay category for Barbie.

Barbie is available to stream on Max.