‘Barbenheimer’: how the social media meme became an internet phenomenon
When two highly anticipated movies are slated for simultaneous release, it’s often acknowledged but rarely does it achieve immortalisation through the realm of memes. Throughout film history, such coincidences have arisen time and time again, like the concurrent debuts of The Matrix and 10 Things I Hate About You, Ghostbusters and Gremlins, Jumanji and Heat, Blade Runner and The Thing, to name just a few. However, none of these instances has sparked a fervent internet sensation quite like the collision of Barbie and Oppenheimer – or, ‘Barbenheimer’.
The portmanteau celebrates (and finds amusement in) the contrast between the two – namely, Greta Gerwig’s fantastical comedy Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s biographical thriller Oppenheimer. What started as a comedic response from internet users has now become something of a movement in itself, with many curating fictional worlds and graphic designs around the merging of the two worlds.
Barbie and Oppenheimer sharing a release date was initially something that sparked irritation. In the music world, this contradiction has been likened to the release of Taylor Swift’s Midnights and Arctic Monkeys’ The Car. However, it didn’t take long for the internet to spring into action, inundating the digital landscape with a flurry of memes centred around the two films, sparking lively conversations about strategically booking tickets for one screening and then promptly proceeding to the next.
The cultural implications of ‘Barbenheimer’ are nothing short of fascinating. Its emergence has been likened to the concept of ‘counterprogramming’, wherein two distinctly divergent films are intentionally released simultaneously to cater to different audience segments. However, what sets this particular example apart is its profound significance that extends far beyond internet memes alone — it encapsulates the culmination of film history itself.
The whole movement is also subtly reminiscent of the practice of ‘doubling up’ viewing experiences, a concept that can be traced back to as early as the 1930s. During this time, theatres would offer tickets for two films as a result of studios engaging in ‘block selling’, whereby multiple films were sold as a package deal to theatres. This approach allowed audiences to indulge in lengthier viewing sessions.
Today, ‘Barbenheimer’ has evolved into a thriving source of amusement, yet its emergence as a cultural phenomenon can be attributed to a perfect blend of the inherent contrast between the two films and the postmodern cravings of contemporary consumers. At the same time, both films, in their subtle resemblance, serve as a compelling commentary on the blurred lines of film conventions. At face value, obviously, they’re completely different – but again, are both grappling with similar themes? Possibly – in the trailer, a major narrative turning point comes when Barbie asks her friends, “do you guys ever think about dying?”.
The confusion that she’s met with tells us that in the midst of her perfect world, her mind wanders over into the much darker, more real realm of existence. Oppenheimer tackles similar themes; depicting personal struggles was something Nolan honed in on from the outset. He also purposefully chose to direct some scenes in black-and-white and some in colour to depict the dichotomy of subjective and objective notions. Though fundamentally different in artistic flavours, both Barbie and Oppenheimer contend with the same ideologies pertaining to real life uncertainty.
Perhaps that’s another integral characteristic of such a pairing. At the Barbie premiere, Issa Rae stated: “I love that there’s solidarity though where people tried to pit us against one another, but now it’s turned into like a double-feature situation.”
Similarly, Cillian Murphy and Margot Robbie have both expressed their endorsement of the phenomenon, with Murphy saying, “My advice would be for people to go see both, on the same day. If they are good films, then that’s cinema’s gain.” Equally, Robbie has said that she wants a ‘Barbenheimer’ shirt signed by Murphy.
Ultimately, within this captivating blend, we find an amalgamation of elements that simultaneously encompass everything and nothing, culminating in a profound testament to the contemporary culture of consumption. It embodies a world where the boundaries of genre dissolve in favour of pure enjoyment, where thrillers seamlessly intertwine with comedies, all the while addressing shared concerns and issues.
Both films will be released in all theatres on July 21.
