This Oscars promo runs a little too long for its own good. Though there are some amusing gags to be found, including labeling Jimmy Kimmel as “Mid-Life Crisis Ken,” this is the kind of thing that should have only been a couple of minutes. But kudos to the production team for pulling out all the stops to recreate the Weird Barbie house and mirror the same visual style that made Barbie’s journey from BarbieLand to the real world such a delightful treat.
Once in Hollywood, Jimmy Kimmel arrives on a faux Oscars stage, but he now has a stowaway in Weird Barbie’s car: Ryan Gosling in his signature fleece, tie-dye “I Am Kenough” hoodie, and he’s celebrating with some In-N-Out. However, Gosling is playing up the blonde himbo angle of Ken, confusingly getting the fast food before he’s won the award. But the actor also playfully scoffs at the idea of him winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor anyway, so we’ll just let him enjoy that tasty burger.
Finally, America Ferrera also pops up to deliver a modified rendition of her famous “Barbie” monologue. But this time it’s about the thankless job of hosting the Oscars. Though a bit on the nose, the updated speech isn’t wrong about how difficult it is to host the Academy Awards, although the comparison to women feels like a rather ill-considered punchline to end on.
In the end, anything that gives us more of Ryan Gosling in comedic mode isn’t going to upset me, especially if he’s screaming in horror a the lack of a nomination for “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig.
The 96th Academy Awards begin at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT on March 10 on ABC.
