A couple of years ago, when the world first found out that Greta Gerwig’s movie about Mattel’s Barbie would be released on the same day as Christopher Nolan’s historical drama Oppenheimer, everyone split into three camps: pink-loving Barbie fans, melodramatic Oppenheimer stans, and people who love messing with the natural balance of things. But, as you’ve likely surmised, the third camp has been taking over the internet ever since we got those first snippets and trailers, combining these two seemingly polar opposite movies into something that will forever live in our hearts.
Naturally, we’re talking about the meme known today by its catchy portmanteau – Barbenheimer.
It all started with a simple question: are you going to see Barbie or Oppenheimer first? It’s like one of those silly online personality tests that tell you which Ninja Turtle you are. But unlike the clear-cut result of that test, the Barbenheimer dilemma blurred the lines of gender, style, and many other stereotypes. Humans are complex creatures, and just because it’s a movie about a doll, it doesn’t mean big bearded men won’t be there to enjoy it on the opening night. Remember how many different Barbies there are? There’s something for everyone, especially when you’re fresh after Oppenheimer. It’s like a delicious dessert after canned soup and a slice of spam.
After the second Barbie trailer dropped, the fans realized that these two seemingly opposite works of fiction had more in common than just the release date. In the end, who cares if you like your wardrobe pink or ashen grey? We all go through an existential crisis at some point in our lives and think about dying. And that’s pretty much where the memes started flooding Twitter, oh, excuse me, “X” and other outlets.
What makes the Barbenheimer memes so popular is that you can apply this format to pretty much anyone and anything. That’s why you’ll see famous TV and movie characters, cartoon guests, and other wild sources. All for the glory of Barbenheimer!
