Barbie Seems to Be More Politically Controversial Than Oppenheimer

Raise the alarm bells and set phasers to pink – Barbie seems to be more controversial than Oppenheimer. We wouldn’t blame you if you thought that the biopic which depicts the creation of nuclear weapons would be politically controversial, but an issue with a map has landed Greta Gerwig’s Barbie in hot water – seemingly more hot water than Oppenheimer is in, even though it might be banned in Japan for the film’s subject matter, as the bombs were used to kill hundreds of thousands of Japanese people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

Why are we comparing Barbie and Oppenheimer? It’s because the two polar opposite movies both come out on the same day. With that being said, there has thus far been no evidence that Oppenheimer will be banned in Japan, whereas there have been multiple allegations leveled against Barbie. But the question of whether Oppenheimer or Barbie is more controversial is fairly nuanced. 

Why Is Barbie Controversial? 

A trailer was released for Barbie some time ago in which Barbie (Margot Robbie) is standing in front of a map dubbed “Real World Map,” which is obviously a crude drawing of the actual world map. This is what makes Barbie controversial. The film was supposed to be released in Vietnam the same day as its American release, but upon realizing that the map in the movie depicts the “nine-dash line,” Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revoked Barbie’s license. 

The “nine-dash line” is a line on the world map used to carve out most of the South China Sea to represent China’s claim to the territory, a claim which has been internationally disputed. There are many countries that lay claim to the area, including China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan, and Vietnam. This is why Vietnam has taken issue with the film, as the map seemingly legitimizes China’s claim.

Of course, this is a movie about dolls, and Barbie doesn’t scream controversial. The line also has eight dashes, not nine, and it appears to have been drawn on by crayon. These are surely the markings of an illegitimate map made by someone with less-than-ideal knowledge of geography. Similarly, the Philippines also stepped up to ban the film, but soon reversed the decision, asking for the lines to be blurred instead. Warner Bros. was quick to explain the film’s map, with a spokesperson talking to Variety saying, “The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing. The doodles depict Barbie’s make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the ‘real world.’ It was not intended to make any type of statement.” 

Which Movie Is More Controversial?

While Oppenheimer will depict Robert J. Oppenheimer’s creation of the nuclear weapons that destroyed most of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is not celebrating that time in history. Based on trailers, it seems like the film will treat the events with reverence, focusing on the humanity of the individuals involved with the creation of the weapon. So, Japan could ban the film, but unless the bombings are overtly celebrated, it doesn’t seem like it will be too controversial. 

On the other hand, the map in Barbie seems to have kicked up a hornet’s nest in Vietnam. With the film being banned outright, it does seem to be more controversial at the time of writing this. But you can make up your mind for yourself and watch both films when they land in theaters on July 21, 2023.