The Internet phenomenon surrounding the release of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ and Christopher Nolan’s‘ Oppenheimer’ is a cultural event of epic proportions with many opting to make it a double-feature Friday

The Queen of Dreams meets the Lord of Death this Friday. Visit a theatre this weekend and if you manage to get tickets, then chances are you would find movie goers dolled up in pink and black and celebrating cinema. For, Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan are bringing to cinema halls Barbie and Oppenheimer, two films with polar sensibilities. There’s frenzy, thanks to an Internet meme-generated phenomenon: ‘Barbenheimer’.

When the release dates were announced by the studios, the portmanteau of ‘Barbenheimer’ started off as a meme that bullied Barbie, calling it a David that was up against a Goliath. Gradually, gender stereotypes came into the picture and eventually, the better part of the audience realised that it was not femininity vs. masculinity, but more of pink pairing up with black.This wholesome shaking of hands between the fandoms birthed organically a trend that was only fuelled by poster artists and merchandise. This sort of cultural bridge between the screen and thefans is in the fabric of generations of cinema-goers and fans dressing up to watch Star Wars or Harry Potter and the Marvel merchandise are proofs.

Some film enthusiasts looks at ‘Barbenheimer’ as just a significant reaction caused by the clash of films with polar sensibilities. And it has more to do with how the West has celebrated Hollywood cinema.

It is interesting how the ‘Barbenheimer’ trend birthed organically. “It was not somethingthat was used as a marketing strategy. A culture is usually born organically out of an interesting conflict in a particular period of history, and I believe that such a conflict has birthed this phenomenon”, saysthe diretor PS Mithran.

We have seen other twin releases, but this is Barbenheimer. Pick your outfits and book your double-features

Fonte: https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/barbenheimer-why-the-barbie-vs-oppenhemier-phenomenon-is-a-movie-event-for-the-ages/article67093773.ece. Acesso em: 28/8/2023. (Adaptado).

As expressões em negrito presentes no texto (dolled up, frenzy, portmanteau e double-features) podem ser substituídas, sem prejuízo de sentido, respectivamente, por: