Why “Barbie” Won Two Golden Globe Awards
Written by Momo O. ‘25
Many must have seen the annual Golden Globes on TV or heard of who won what. Most should know by now that Barbie, one of the most iconic movies of 2023, won two Golden Globe awards. Everyone expected that… but why?
Barbie won the Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box-Office Achievement. According to Boxoffice Pro, films can become nominees only if they receive a gross of at least $150 million. This shows how popular Barbie was among the general public. The other nominees (John Wick, Oppenheimer, etc.) could have gotten the award; but why Barbie?
ONLY this film appealed to the current trends: feminism and the sense of “identity.” These two widely spread ideologies have become controversial issues in society; once you go on social media, you will see videos of people arguing about what these terms mean, how one or the other is useless, and so on. Barbie, however, manages to address these two hot topics in a comedic and least-provoking way possible. It wasn’t the aesthetics the audience was in love with, but it was the message that attracted so many people.
Other than the box office award, Billie Eilish also won Best Original Song for “What Was I Made For?” featured in Barbie. Surprisingly (not really), two other Barbie songs (“I’m Just Ken” and “Dance The Night”) made it to the nominee list for the award. The three songs are already very catchy by themselves, but starring in such an iconic movie only increases their popularity. Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” however, hits the checklist for popularity: following the trend.
As mentioned earlier, one of the more controversial topics nowadays is “identity.” The lyrics and the title obviously suggest Barbie’s wanting to know her true self. Billie’s fragile tone and rather low-spirited mood from the song allow the audience to also ponder the reason for their existence. The song alone takes Barbie and the audience on a journey of identity throughout the movie; it makes sense why Billie Eilish won the Golden Globe.
The Golden Globes awarding Barbie with two honors proved that keeping up with the latest “trends” is definitely one element that affects whether a film, television series, or song gains fame.
