It’s Ken’s world, and we’re just living in it.

Well, at least that’s what the award shows want us to think.

Oscar nominations came out Tuesday, and, like always, they caused some stir in the film world. 

Whether it be the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos movie getting more nominations than “The Iron Claw,” “The Boy and the Heron” getting snubbed for Best Original Score, or “Killers of the Flower Moon” not getting nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, this year’s nominations process had some surprises – to say the least.

Chief among them, though, is box-office smash “Barbie” missing nominations in some major categories. 

While Ryan Gosling received a Best Supporting Actor nod and America Ferrera earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, fans of the movie and critics alike were surprised to see no nominations for lead actress – and producer –  Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig. 

On top of that, with Billie Eilish’s song for the movie “What Was I Made For?” receiving a nomination, it would be safe to assume that the song of the year, Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night,” would be nominated too. That’s how most other award shows did it. 

But, you would be mistaken. In the place of the most catchy earworm in film this year was a song about hot Cheetos and, more importantly, Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken.” 

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not about to hate on Gosling or his performance. He perfectly tempered Robbie’s calm, understated Barbie.

And yet … I think the Academy is wrong and that this snub proves two things about them: 1) they value the most acting, not the best acting, and 2) they proved the point of Barbie.

Now, that first one is known to anyone who follows the Oscars at all. The winner is often the person or film that has the biggest performance of the year, not the most intricate or subtle. 

More importantly though, for a film written, directed and produced by women that critiques the lack of inclusion of women in society, to have half of its acting and music nominations go to men – specifically men who did not deserve it – is absurd. 

Yes, “I’m Just Ken” is a funny song that fit the movie pretty well, but you can’t tell me it was a better song or more important to the movie than “Dance The Night.”

And, there’s no way that Gosling’s Ken would be nominated if it wasn’t for Margot Robbie’s excellent Barbie – and you know, you can’t have Ken without Barbie. 

Because of garbled direction and editing, Robbie’s performance is masked underneath the pomp of the film. If the film pulled back a little from its whole shtick of being so over-the-top and fake, Robbie’s performance would be considered the performance of the year by the Academy – so long as Gosling’s was too.

Now, did Gerwig get snubbed for Best Director? 

I don’t think so. The problems that I and many other critics and casual viewers had with the film are problems with its muddy direction. 

However, that honestly doesn’t matter to me. 

The fact that the Academy isn’t conscious enough to understand they just proved “Barbie” right is hilarious and sad. 

Remember: Even Gosling doesn’t think “I’m Just Ken” is a good song. 

When it won Best Song at Critics Choice Awards, Gosling furrowed his eyebrows and started looking from left to right, almost questioning the choice, like this: 

When he got nominated for these awards, he released a statement condemning the Oscars for not nominating Robbie or Gerwig, people who he admits he couldn’t have been Ken without. 

This is a microcosm of the award show season. 

Lily Gladstone probably won’t win Best Actress – my guess is Emma Stone for “Poor Things” – because she was understated, subtle, and, oh yeah, an Indigenous woman, even though she had the best performance of the 2020s. The same way Robbie didn’t get nominated because she was in a movie about feminism and, oh yeah, acting next to the most over-the-top toxically masculine performances of the 2020s.

Now, do I think that anyone will remember this next Oscar season? No. 

But, they should. 

It’s our job as movie viewers to act as an informed public, and it’s our job to tell the critics when they’re wrong (says the critic). 

Please, don’t stop calling out the Academy on X, Instagram, TikTok or anywhere else that you may express disdain. 

Please, rewatch “Barbie” if you think Ryan Gosling had the best performance in it, and maybe talk to women about things besides sex … that could probably help too. 

More than anything though, give Robbie her flowers for an excellent performance that helped young people see that there can be intelligent and popular roles by women on screen, for being a role model of what young women can aspire to be and for ensuring that another generation of young people see the injustice in the world – even if it is “just” the Oscars.