Let’s start with fashion though because did you see last week at the Governors Awards that Margot Robbie and Emily Blunt wore very similar black dresses with silver embellishment and people were saying that they were twinning? 

 

It kinda happened again last night at Critics Choice as they were both in red with rosette detailing – Margot in Balmain and Emily in Armani Privé:

Emily Blunt and Margot Robbie attend the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards
Emily Blunt and Margot Robbie attend the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 14, 2024 in Santa Monica, California

It’s a coincidence, obviously, but it also happened twice in one week. Do you think their stylists should get in touch and just heads up each other about what they have planned for the rest of award season? Because they are 100% going to be at the same events right up until the Oscars for Barbenheimer. 

 

A quick note though before we get back to the award conversation – Emily and Selena Gomez were at the center of two separate lipreading scandals last week. On Friday they were both at the AFI Awards, and took the opportunity to address that mess: 

Emily and Selena
Emily Blunt from "Oppenheimer," and Selena Gomez from "Only Murders in the Building," mingled during the 2023 American Film Institute Awards, at Four Seasons Hotel , in Los Angeles, CA, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024

Back to the awards… 

 

We’ve been talking about whether or not there’s been any Barbie fashion fatigue re: Margot’s red carpet looks. So it was a refreshing shakeup for Critics Choice – this is still giving Barbie, of course, but not so on the nose. If you want to see Barbie here, you can find her. But you don’t have to find her if you don’t want to. Definitely the best choice for Margot for 2024 so far. And perhaps an indication that she and Andrew know to ease up on all Barbie theme-dressing. At least for now. We can bring full Barbie back at the Oscars for her last hurrah.

Speaking of Barbie and the Oscars though, and whether or not Greta Gerwig’s film will be taken seriously by the Academy alongside Oppenheimer, a movie that’s Meant To Be Serious and therefore Oscar-worthy, ostensibly, Barbie’s MVP right now is America Ferrera. 

 

America was honoured with #SeeHer Award last night at Critics Choice and during her speech made the case for Barbie just as Oscar voters are finalising their ballots, nailing the point about why a film like Barbie is important, and shouting out Margot and Greta for what they’ve achieved: historic critical and commercial success with a movie that’s pink and pretty, but that has more to say beyond the sequins and the stilettos – even though, as America also (subtly) argued, stories by women, about women, and for women are seen as less-than, especially during award times. 

America Ferrera accepts the Critic's Choice SeeHer Award
America Ferrera accepts the Critic's Choice SeeHer Award at The 29th Critics' Choice Awards held at The Barker Hangar on January 14, 2024 in Santa Monica, California

She wasn’t preachy about it, but there were friendly edges to her words and I saw it as a direct target at that old Oscar bias, the way they traditionally have placed prestige on the movie about the movie over the movie with the bombshell. Even though it’s America’s monologue in Barbie that thousands if not millions of women around the world have recited and will remember in their hearts, long after this award season is over. 

 

It was an effective appeal, and timed perfectly since Oscar voters are deciding on nominations right now and Oppenheimer seems to be opening up a lead over Barbie. Will what America says make a difference? I mean, the Oscars are always gonna Oscar. But you can’t ever say that America doesn’t try – and one of the messages behind the Barbie movie is that no matter what, Barbie will always keep trying. America’s speech is embedded at the end of this post. 

And then there was Ken. The Critics chose “I’m Just Ken” for Best Song and in the process gave us a new Ryan Gosling meme. This was his reaction which has now gone viral: 

This is what everyone wants, right? Give us this song, performed by Ryan in a fur coat, leather pants, and a headband, DO NOT FORGET THE HEADBAND, live at the Oscars! 

 

In other Ryan news though, he was honoured in Santa Barbara with the Kirk Douglas Award on Saturday. Not surprisingly Eva Mendes was not with him. But he namechecked her in his speech when he talked about the impact that being an actor has had on his life: 

"Most importantly, I got to meet the girl of my dreams, Eva Mendes, and have two dream children. I dreamed of one day making movies, and now, movies have made my life a dream.”

These two have steadfastly avoided putting their relationship out there for public consumption, even when he’s getting what amounts to a lifetime achievement award. When you make a decision like this, it has to be consistent. Because if you break with it one time, you set an expectation. I respect this, I respect how resolute they are about it.