John Stamos weighs in on the Oscars’ Barbie snubs, dubbing them a ‘twist of irony’

This mage released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Margot Robbie in a scene from Barbie.

John Stamos has branded the Oscars Barbie snubs a “twist of irony”.

The 60-year-old actor hit out after film fans were left stunned on Tuesday, January 23 when the Academy Award nominations were announced – without the movie’s director Greta Gerwig, 40, or Barbie actress Margot Robbie, 33, getting nods, but Ryan Gosling, 43, still earning a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role as Ken in the doll blockbuster.

Stamos took to social media to recreate a scene from the billion-dollar grossing Barbie and said in a caption alongside his video: “This one goes out to Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, who crafted a film that was both a critical success and a cultural phenomenon, delving into feminist themes through the lens of Barbie and challenging patriarchal norms.”

“This movie not only resonated deeply but also grossed OVER a billion dollars. Yet, in a twist of irony, both women were snubbed by the Academy. Everyone go re-watch Barbie tonight.”

In Stamos’ clip, he played Ken, while his wife, Caitlin McHugh, 37, portrayed Barbie, as the pair recreated a scene in which Ken kept asking Barbie how to kill his boredom during their trip to the real world.

Stamos lounges in their backyard in the video, while his partner does gardening.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Stamos (@johnstamos)

Gosling released a statement regarding the controversy over the snub for Gerwig and Robbie, saying he is “incredibly honoured” to be nominated, but hitting out: “There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film.”

He added: “No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.”

“Their work should be recognised along with the other very deserving nominees.”

All of Gerwig’s films – Lady Bird, Little Women and Barbie – have had Best Picture nominations at the Oscars, but she’s never had the nod for Best Director.

She and Robbie have yet to speak out on the Academy’s snub, but a string of stars have spoken out to support the pair.

Ryan Gosling, Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie attend the press junket and photo call for "Barbie" at the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo / FilmMagic

America Ferrera, 40, who earned a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her role in Barbie, told Variety magazine: “I was incredibly disappointed that they weren’t nominated.”

“Greta has done just about everything that a director could do to deserve it.”

She added: “What Margot achieved as an actress is truly unbelievable. One of the things about Margot as an actress is how easy she makes everything look. And perhaps people got fooled into thinking that the work [was] easy.”