When social media took note of the fact Barbie and Oppenheimer would be released in theaters during the same weekend, "Barbenheimer" was born.
The subsequent hype surrounding both movies ensured they were hits, with Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures coming together in a way that maximised interest in these titles. It also resulted in a rather unique crossover thanks to the creation of posters which combine the Mattel toy with the story of the Atomic Bomb's creation.
While it's all been meant in good fun, it's easy to forget the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 actually resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children.
In response, Warner Bros. Japan recently issued a statement criticising the social media activity of its U.S. counterparts.
A Tweet shared on the Japanese account for Barbie reads, "We consider it extremely regrettable that the official account of the American headquarters for the movie ‘Barbie’ reacted to the social media postings of ‘Barbenheimer’ fans. We take this situation very seriously. We are asking the U.S. headquarters to take appropriate action. We apologize to those who were offended by this series of inconsiderate reactions."
An example of the Tweets can be seen below, and it's easy to understand why they took offence at some of the imagery being shared (such as a mushroom cloud in the background of a shot with Barbie standing front and centre).
While not created by Warner Bros., the fact this imagery was essentially given the seal of approval by the studio ultimately led to the backlash.
The studio has now removed the offending Tweets and issued a brief statement in response which says, "Warner Brothers regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement. The studio offers a sincere apology."
Barbie and Oppenheimer are both playing in theaters.
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