If your For You page has been anything like mine the last few weeks, every scroll has been a blast from the past, with clips from the OG Barbie movies and TV shows (do you mean gorgalicious or gorgtastic?!) resurfacing in anticipation of the release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023). In an incredible coincidence, Christopher Nolan’s feature documentary Oppenheimer was released on the very same day. And thus, the phenomenon of Barbieheimer came to life, with countless Reddit threads TikToks and tweets poking fun at the whiplash that everyone else watching both films on the same day will experience. 

With both films finally being out and receiving widespread attention, I wanted to look back on the best that the internet had to offer in the weeks leading up to the premiere.

It was a challenging task, given the sheer comedic brilliance of the internet, but I’ve narrowed down a list of the top Barbieheimer moments (in no particular order).  

1.

 

  @ULTRAGLOSS on Twitter 

This all started, of course, with this now iconic tweet, detailing the proper way to watch both movies on release day. I think this really shows the duality of film watchers- who needs a favourite genre? This tweet has spawned a series of copycats, which are funny in their own right, but not comparable to the energy of the original.  

2. 

@steelydante on Twitter 

The cultural impact of Barbieheimer is undeniable- already, it’s being used as a comparison for another phenomenon. What did marketing agencies do back in the 80s without the free services of Twitter users?!  

3.

r/moviescirclejerk by u/mememarauder 

This one got funnier as I looked at it for longer- the clear joke is that Barbie and Oppenheimer are the 2023 equivalent of Civil War’s diabolical division of MCU fans way back in 2016 (team Cap, obviously), creating a resounding split that sparks (friendly) arguments even now, 7 years later. However, I think the piece-de-resistance is RDJ’s untouched face- ironically, in Oppenheimer, he plays the role of Lewis Strauss, the key antagonist of Murphy’s Oppenheimer! With the moral dilemmas that arise in this film, it’ll be interesting to see if RDJ will once again find himself on the other side of a film bro Civil War. 

4.

r/funny by u/atul_targaryen 

Personally, I think the best genre of Barbieheimer content is those that are pure coincidence- this user saw an opportunity to make the joke and took it! But in classic Reddit fashion, the comments are funnier than the post itself, with concerningly creative plays on the words ‘nuclear families’ and ‘gender reveal party gone wrong’ – you can make the connections yourself. 

 

5.

@MemesterBeast on TikTok and YouTube 

The most creative and talented content that has come out of this whole shebang is definitely the Barbieheimer movie trailers that editors have put together, combining the plot, characters, aesthetics, overall vibes of the clearly contrasting films, to somehow create a single cohesive product. There are heaps of these out there, but I want to give a specific shoutout to the one above, which is edited seamlessly – I think they could give K-pop fan cam makers a run for their money! 

6.

 

@yannhatchuel on Twitter 

This particular photo, originally uploaded to Reddit comparing Voldemort and Barbie, gets no rest on Twitter, recycled for every single pop culture event, from Rihanna outfits to Taylor Swift eras, and Barbieheimer is no different. This house walked so the Malibu Barbie Dreamhouse could run. Need I say more? 10/10! 

 

7.

r/moviecirclejerk by u/Bauermeister 

Speaking of the Malibu Barbie Dreamhouse (which is absolutely stunning, by the way, you should watch the house tour), jokes like these have been a dime a dozen- and I think it's hilarious (the joke, not the hypothetical bombing). Specifically, I love the side spiel of content they’ve spawned, with 3-minute long TikTok duets of Barbie movies and slime videos ending with a bang- literally! 

 

8.

@fanngramm on Twitter 

Similarly, I've seen a million versions of this genre of meme, but they never fail to get a giggle out of me. Based on Tom Cruise’s very vocal support of both Barbie and Oppenheimer (and the new Indiana Jones film!) it seems like this may well be him on release day.  

 

9.

 

 

A special shoutout to this category of posts- I’m more impressed at how well the sides always line up than the joke itself! Personally, though, I think I’ll be doing a Disney princess-style outfit transformation between movies.  

 

Barbieheimer has given us so much priceless content, I’m almost unconvinced that the double-feature release was a coincidence! Seeing the success of this marketing campaign, and the doubly successful comedic responses, I’m eager to experience what’s coming next. Bratz and Fast and Furious? My Little Pony and Top Gun? Powerpuff Girls and James Bond? But maybe this is more of a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, and we should simply cherish it while we can.  

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Divya is a 1st year Law/Commerce student! She dances and plays netball and violin. She joined Blitz to get involved in uni life and be a part of this really cool team of people!

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