Barbenheimer sparks backlash in Japan over nuclear bomb memes

HONG KONG — The summer dominance of “Barbenheimer” has driven millions across the world to see two very different movies and delight in a rare moment of cultural confluence. But in Japan, the light-hearted conflation of the two blockbusters has stirred anger from those who view it as trivializing the deaths of hundreds of thousands in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the U.S. dropped atomic bombs in 1945.

Internet memes and mashups of Barbie’s pink wonderland with nuclear mushroom clouds have been embraced by the official Twitter account for the Barbie movie, which initially responded positively to the mashups.

“It’s going to be a summer to remember,” a now-deleted tweet from the account said in response to a mashup poster that showed Margot Robbie, who plays Barbie, on the shoulder of Cillian Murphy, who plays Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb.

“We’re always thinking PINK,” the studio said in another tweet, which was still online as of Tuesday morning, in reply to a poster showing Robbie and Ryan Gosling (Barbie’s Ken) driving the iconic pink car away from a nuclear explosion. 

Memes about the two films, which were released on the same day in most countries, have been catching on for weeks, but once the official studio account joined in, they enraged fans in Japan, with the hashtags #StopBarbieRelease and #NoBarbenheimer trending as people called for a boycott.

Barbie’s Japanese account said Monday that the postings by the main Barbie account, operated by Warner Bros. headquarters, were “extremely regrettable,” urging its American counterparts to take prompt action, in a rare public display of internal corporate division. 

“Neither this movement nor these activities are officially sanctioned,” it added, referring to the “Barbenheimer” trend. 

The studio has now apologized.

“Warner Brothers regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement. The studio offers a sincere apology,” Warner Bros. Film Group told NBC News in a statement.

However, the apology may do little to win back Japanese fans. 

Maki Kimura, 43, who lives in Kanagawa, said in an interview that despite her excitement it was now “impossible” for her to watch “Barbie.”

“I loved Barbie so much,” Kimura said. “But we cannot remain silent about the atomic bomb. Even if our favorite people or things want us to change our opinions.” 

That Barbie is scheduled for release in Japan on Aug. 11, two days after the anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing, only further disappointing fans.