Barbenheimer backlash as Warner Bros regrets ‘insensitive’ social media posts

While Barbenheimer has taken a lot of the world by storm, the distinction between the 2 movies is inflicting a stir in Japan the place it has been dubbed insensitive.

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie and Christopher Nolan’s biopic on J Robert Oppenheimer, the creator of the atomic bombs which had been dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have taken field workplaces by storm after they had been each launched within the US on 21 July.

But after edited photos circulated on-line that includes Barbie star Margot Robbie and Oppenheimer actor Cillian Murphy in entrance of a backdrop of flames, Warner Bros US has apologised for its engagement with the memes.

The official Barbie Movie Twitter account had replied to a few of the posts – together with a now deleted tweet which mentioned “it’s going to be a summer to remember”.

Responding to a different Barbenheimer meme exhibiting Robbie’s hair changed with an obvious mushroom cloud, the account commented: “This Ken is a stylist”, referring to Barbie’s boyfriend.

The Japanese subsidiary of Warner Bros criticised the official US Barbie movie Twitter account – and referred to as its response to the Barbenheimer memes “highly regrettable”.

Warner Bros Japan’s personal Barbie account issued a press release, saying they take this “very seriously” and requested the US head workplace to take motion.

Warner Bros US mentioned it “regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement”.

“The studio offers a sincere apology,” it added in a press release seen by US leisure website Deadline.

Warner Bros US mentioned the posts could be deleted.

Read extra:
Barbie film banned in Vietnam
Oppenheimer: The ‘destroyer of worlds’ who constructed the atomic bomb

In Japan, the hashtag #NoBarbenheimer has been trending on social media, with customers criticising the photographs and claiming it trivialises nuclear weapons and the influence the atomic bomb assaults had on the nation.

One crucial submit mentioned many victims of the atomic bombs had been youngsters the identical age of these enjoying with Barbie dolls and that the memes had been thoughtless.

The bombs dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki three days afterward 9 August killed greater than 200,000 folks.

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Nicknamed “Little Boy”, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima obliterated town with an estimated inhabitants of 350,000, the place 1000’s extra died later from accidents and radiation-related sicknesses.

More than 75,000 folks had been immediately killed within the Nagasaki bombing and 6 days later, Japan surrendered, ending the Second World War.

Warner Bros Japan mentioned the Barbenheimer blitz is just not a part of an official firm marketing campaign.

Barbie is because of attain cinemas in Japan on 11 August.

While Japan has not banned Oppenheimer from its theatres, there’s not a launch date for the movie within the nation.

A Universal spokesperson informed Variety in June that “plans have not been finalised in all markets.”