Barbie. Oppenheimer.
A doll and a very real man. Screenwriters and directors Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan respectively adapted the life stories of these 20 century icons into the big screen, becoming the most watched movies in the post-epidemic era. Seemingly opposite projects — a quasi-musical about Barbie’s dream house and pink aesthetics, and a biopic about “Father of the Atomic Bomb” and “World Destroyer” Oppenheimer — will be released on the same day (that’s July Day tomorrow!) and shown side by side in theaters, a veritable pop culture phenomenon in itself. As the popular saying goes… “You have two wolves inside you.”
One of the wolves brings out a ton of content we’ve seen before – do you even remember life before Barbie’s core took over? Barbie is always happy and dressed like she’s having some fun. In the movie, she wears quite a few Chanel outfits. She’s also a much-loved (and sometimes maligned) American product with decades of marketing behind it, so it makes sense that everyone would latch on to that aesthetic. The crazier and messier the real world gets, the more we wish for our favorite plastic girl’s “no thoughts, only vibes” lifestyle.
But you know someone who might also wish to live a “life without thoughts, only vibes”? Mr. J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Of course, the war itself could also be described as an American product, with decades of — no, centuries of marketing behind it. Although the two films look very different, the themes are similar. Now, I’m not saying Oppenheimer is Barbie for men, though people do go as crazy about Cillian Murphy in a sheer Yves Saint Laurent shirt at a recent premiere as they do about Margot Robbie’s many Barbie-inspired classic red carpet looks. This got me thinking about the core of Oppenheimer – what would the aesthetic trends created around darkness and destruction look like?
Most people on the internet equate Oppenheimer with goth looks, but Oppenheimer at its core isn’t just about wearing black—though it’s clear that bright colors have no place here. An Oppenheimer core can be as classic as wearing a dark suit, but its soft edges symbolize the chaos of a scientist. Oppenheimer revolves around working men. very important work. Look at this guy in military uniform, look at this guy in lab coat, look at this guy in workman’s overalls, leather apron, and hazmat suit. The Oppenheimer Core explores the beauty of destruction, and the physical and emotional toll it takes in its aftermath. The Oppenheimer core can even be stretched to include our figurehead’s lifelong antiwar efforts.
