Warner Bros. Film Group Apologizes for Offensive Social Media Activity Surrounding “Barbenheimer” Meme
The Warner Bros. Film Group in the United States has issued a public apology for its recent social media activity involving the “Barbenheimer” meme, which has caused significant offense in Japan. In a statement emailed to Variety on Tuesday, the studio expressed regret and offered a sincere apology for its insensitive engagement.
The move comes in response to criticism from the Japanese public, the start of an online petition against the studio, and an unusual move by Warner Bros. Japan. On Monday, Warner Bros. Japan posted a statement on its official Japanese-language “Barbie” Twitter account, criticizing the studio’s U.S. branch for promoting the “Barbenheimer” craze on social media. The U.S. “Barbie” Twitter account had interacted positively with fan posts referring to “Barbenheimer,” which relates to the releases of Universal’s “Oppenheimer” and Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” movies, both of which were released on July 21 and achieved significant success at the box office.
However, the release of “Oppenheimer” in Japan has not been confirmed, and the recent controversy highlights the ongoing sensitivity surrounding the nuclear weapons debate in the country. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 claimed the lives of up to 250,000 people, making the topic a highly sensitive one.
In response to a fan art poster depicting Margot Robbie’s Barbie sitting on the shoulders of Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer in front of a mushroom cloud, the “Barbie” U.S. Twitter account tweeted, “It’s going to be a summer to remember.” Twitter added a community note to the post to explain the historical context of the image, highlighting the mass destruction and murder that occurred as a result of the atomic bombs.
The “Barbenheimer” craze has faced criticism in Japan for making light of the devastation caused by the atomic bombs. The hashtag #NoBarbenheimer has trended in the country in recent days, further highlighting the offense caused by the meme.
Warner Bros. Japan expressed its disappointment with the U.S. headquarters’ reaction to the “Barbenheimer” fans’ social media posts and requested appropriate action to be taken. The Japanese arm of the studio apologized to those who were offended and emphasized that they take the situation very seriously.
This public apology by Warner Bros. underlines the importance of sensitivity and cultural awareness when engaging on social media platforms, especially when dealing with topics as profound and sensitive as the nuclear weapons debate in Japan.