In a clash of two movies, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” fans around the world merged them to create “Barbenheimer.” However, this mash-up didn’t sit well with social media users in Japan, the only country to experience atomic bomb attacks. The film’s official U.S. account’s cheerful replies to memes sparked a backlash, leading to the trending hashtag #NoBarbenheimer. With over 200,000 people killed from the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the fan-made artwork of Barbie paired with mushroom clouds was seen as insensitive.
Warner Bros. Film Group expressed regret for their insensitive social media engagement and offered a sincere apology. Screengrabs from Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun showed actors Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy, who played the titular characters in their respective movies, posing happily in front of a nuclear blast. The movie’s promotional account responded with a kissy face emoji, saying, “It’s going to be a summer to remember.” Another artwork featuring Robbie as Barbie with a mushroom cloud around her head received a reply from the movie’s promotional account stating, “This Ken is a stylist.”
The viral images and replies elicited a rare rebuke from Warner Bros. Japan on social media. They clarified that “Barbenheimer” is not an official campaign and expressed extreme regret over the reaction to the fan-based movement. They requested appropriate action from the U.S. headquarters and apologized to those offended.
Both movies, “Barbie” by Warner Bros. and “Oppenheimer” by Universal, were released simultaneously on July 21. Movie-goers in the U.S. flocked to theaters for a double screening, resulting in impressive box office earnings. “Barbie” generated $93 million, while “Oppenheimer” earned $46.7 million. The release of “Barbie” in Japan is scheduled for August 11, just after the anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. There is no confirmed release date for “Oppenheimer” in Japan yet.
In conclusion, although the clash of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” led to a global phenomenon, it also caused controversy in Japan due to the insensitivity of fan-made artwork. Warner Bros. Japan apologized for the situation and is taking action. Meanwhile, both movies continue to perform well at the box office.
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