Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro accused the Academy Awards of sexism in a post on Thursday. The accusations come after the Barbie movie was excluded from the Best Director category, adding his voice to progressive outrage over Greta Gerwig’s omission, Fox News Digital reports.
“Hollywood still has a big problem with women. In 2022, women made up 11% of directors (of top 250 grossing films),” Castro wrote on X.
How do you end up directing the biggest hit of the year, a cultural phenomenon, and not get an Oscar nomination for best director?
Be a female director in Hollywood, apparently. 2/2
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) January 24, 2024
Castro highlights Hollywood’s gender disparity, citing that in 2022, women constituted only 11% of directors of top-grossing films. Despite Greta Gerwig directing the highest-grossing film of 2023, “Barbie” with $1.4 billion in revenue, and contributing to other successful projects, she did not receive an Oscar nomination, leading Castro to assert, “How do you end up directing the biggest hit of the year…and not get an Oscar nomination for best director? Be a female director in Hollywood, apparently.”
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also weighed in, offering support to Gerwig and lead actress Margot Robbie, acknowledging their popularity despite the Oscar snub.
Greta & Margot,
While it can sting to win the box office but not take home the gold, your millions of fans love you.
You’re both so much more than Kenough.#HillaryBarbie
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 24, 2024
The film “Barbie,” sometimes credited with rescuing the movie industry from a post-COVID slump along with Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Actor for Ryan Gosling and a Supporting Actress nod for America Ferrera. However, left-wing activists criticized the absence of nominations for Gerwig and Robbie.
