Transphobia Has Resumed

Last summer, two long awaited and exciting movies, both released on the same day, both had an impact on our modern movie culture, and have caused quite a stir of controversy. What movies? Barbie and Oppenheimer. Two polar opposites, one about fashion and relationships and one about the nuclear bomb. As you can see, opposites attract and the fandoms of both were clashing, debating which ones were better. Both movies had their moments, and succeeded in different ways.

Barbenheimer's seasons of arguing may be over, but the war of which movie is better is still a mystery, so let’s find this mystery's answer, or at least, our writer's answers. Barbie was the hit of the summer, with people bawling their eyes out heading into the theater and popcorn devoured within the first 10 minutes of the movie; BarbieMania was a trend that did amazing. The movie became one of the highest and fastest grossing movies with 1 BILLION dollars in 17 days. Barbie kicks it out of the courtyard, with emotional connections that some movie-watchers can relate to. With Barbie streamed on Prime on September 12, population has rised. 

Meanwhile, Oppenheimer was a 3 hour biographical thriller film about the Atomic Bomb and it grossed 942 Million dollars worldwide, becoming the third highest-grossing film in 2023, the highest-grossing film related to WW2, and the second highest-grossing R-rating film.  Many people have reported loving it so much that they have seen it multiple times, as well as bringing a rush of emotions, excitement and unexpectedness to its viewers.  Explaining the story of Oppenheimer, the creator of the nuclear bomb, has his creation taken away against his will and used for violence. Personal opinion, how was he upset about a weapon he created being used as a weapon? What were his plans? Otherwise, this movie has also made its way onto the leaderboard, having drawn in with its drama and intrigue, leaving people speechless and barely even drinking their sodas and eating their candy. The streaming dates has just passed with a digital release of November 12. 

Now that we have seen the facts, let's take a look at some fan favorites' opinions. Solid knowledge from people who have already seen the films can help us understand this more, and maybe even change our perspective. For example, we have Aylin Tercero-Leon from class 606. When questioned about what movie out of the two was their favorite, they replied,  “Barbie, because it was emotional and so good.” 

Another example comes from Miss Davis, the famous 6th Grade teacher. She saw both Barbie and Oppenheimer but she also chose Barbie because “Oppenheimer had some factually incorrect info and Barbie was better and the cinematography was better.”

Now, the hard facts are out and it’s time to answer the question: What movie is better? All of this gives us one clear answer: Neither! Movies are controversial in general, and liking either more is an opinion, not a fact. There is no clear answer as to which is better, as everyone has a different perspective and sees different things in different ways. Maybe they have facts, like which one has better graphics, but otherwise, which is better isn’t the case. So, the answer to this question? You decide!