‘Kenergy’ in the air at the 96th Academy Awards in Hollywood
Aussie star Maggot Robbie missed out on an Oscars nomination for Barbie but channelled a statuette for the after-party, while co-star Ryan Gosling won the night performing I’m Just Ken
READING LEVEL: GREEN
“Kenergy” was in the air at this year’s Academy Awards, after viewers dubbed* Ryan Gosling’s performance as one of the most “memorable in Oscars history”.
The Canadian actor put on an incredible show, belting out the Barbie original song I’m Just Ken onstage, delivering a high-energy, bubblegum pink performance brimming with bright props and finale fireworks.
He also made sure to pay tribute to the movie’s female cast members with a heartwarming gesture, sharing the microphone with the hit film’s producer and star Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig.
The world famous Hollywood ceremony faced some backlash* earlier this year, following the decision by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences not to nominate Robbie for Best Actress or Gerwig for Best Director.
When Gosling was announced as a performer, there was further blowback* at the idea of celebrating the movie’s male character seemingly at the expense of its female characters.
However, Gosling made sure to include his female co-stars during the show.
The performance started with Gosling sitting in the audience behind Robbie, who couldn’t help but giggle at the ridiculousness of it all. He then made his way to the stage, where he was joined by Mark Ronson* on guitar and dozens of backup dancers.
British-American musician Slash* also joined Gosling to belt out an electric guitar solo.
He also got his former co-star Emma Stone, who won the award for Best Actress later on in the ceremony, to sing along too.
Viewers rushed to social media to point out the sweet moment where Gosling included his castmates, with one tweeting: “America Ferrera, Greta Gerwig, and Margot Robbie hyping up Ryan Gosling. I’m sorry. I’m never getting over it”.
Another tweeted: “When Ryan gave the mic to Greta, Margot, and America omg!” while a third fan added: “Ryan Gosling handed that mic to Greta and Margot and America like ‘I will NOT have Hillary Clinton* angry tweeting me’.”
Gerwig and Robbie were considered two of the night’s biggest snubs*.
Gerwig did receive one nomination for writing in the Adapted Screenplay category, but the award eventually went to Cord Jefferson, writer and director of American Fiction, which was based on Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure*.
After the ceremony, many A-list stars left the Dolby Theatre, had a quick costume change and hit the red carpets for a second time for the after-party circuit.
After turning up to the Oscars in black, which some claimed showed her in mourning* for her “snub”, Robbie dressed all in gold.
Some fans suggested she was trying to mirror the famous Oscars statuette itself by wearing the Thierry Mugler* gold-beaded corset bodysuit. But in true Barbie fashion, the real message for Robbie’s and the film’s millions of fans may well have been that taking to the dancefloor is one sure-fire* way to dust off life’s disappointments.
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GLOSSARY
- dubbed: was given an unofficial name or nickname
- backlash: a strong, negative reaction to something by a large group of people
- blowback: negative reactions or results that were unintended, such as criticism or anger
- Mark Ronson: British-American DJ, record producer, songwriter and remixer
- Slash: musician best known as the former lead guitarist of Guns N’ Roses
- Hillary Clinton: former US presidential candidate, previously Secretary of State, and the wife of former president Bill Clinton
- snub: to treat someone rudely, especially by ignoring them
- erasure: the act of causing something or someone to be completely forgotten
- mourning: grief, a period and feeling of great sadness
- Thierry Mugler: eponymous fashion house of the late French designer who died in 2022
- sure-fire: sure to work, foolproof, certain to succeed
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QUICK QUIZ
- What was the name of the song that Ryan Gosling performed at the Oscars?
- Who directed the smash hit film Barbie?
- Which Australian actress played the title role?
- Who won the Best Actress award?
- Why did the Academy Awards get some backlash earlier in the year?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Barbie hype
Only members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can nominate and vote for the Oscar awards.
Why do you think Barbie director Greta Gerwig and lead actress Margot Robbie weren’t nominated for these prestigious awards?
List three reasons why perhaps they should have been nominated:
1.
2.
3.
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Extension
What did you think of Ryan Gosling’s I’m Just Ken performance?
Did you find it entertaining and amusing?
Would you rate it a success or failure? Give your reasons.
Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there during the event being discussed in the article.
Create a conversation between two characters from the article - you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.
Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.