Japanese social media users mock 9/11 in response to Barbenheimer memes

Publish date: 2024-07-09

Explore More

Japanese social media users are firing back at insensitive “Barbenheimer” fans in the United States.

The international feud began after the official X (formerly Twitter) account for the “Barbie” film commented that “it’s going to be a summer to remember” beneath a movie poster collage that mashed up the toy-inspired flick with “Oppenheimer,” a film about the making of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, eventually killing nearly 200,000 Japanese.

The poster uploaded last month by the account DiscussingFilms on X depicts J. Robert Oppenheimer, portrayed by Cillian Murphy, holding a Barbie in front of a fiery mushroom cloud.

And Japanese X users did not take the joke lightly. In a rebuke of the “Barbenheimer” trend, they’ve since spawned memes that mock the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the US and the 3,000 victims who died that day.

Since the controversy, the hashtag NoBarbenheimer has been trending on social media.

“YO, how do you think? Idiots, Go fuq ya self,” one user wrote alongside a photo of NYC’s World Trade Center towers, which were struck on 9/11, emitting pink smoke.

The poster, which was uploaded last month by the account DiscussingFilms on X, depicts Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer holding Margot Robbie’s Barbie in front of a mushroom cloud.
One X user posted a photo of the Twin Towers belching pink smoke.

“What do you Americans who use this tag to make jokes about the atomic bomb feel when they see this image,” said one angry user next to a similar image of the twin high-rises aflame in front of a sparkling background. “What you guys are doing is exactly the same as this. Shame on you.”

“How would American people think if they see the meme with the image of attacked Twin-tower, saying ‘it’s going to be September to remember’,” asked a third critic.

Cynics fought back, claiming that the memes weren’t hurtful — due to the fact that US social media users mock the tragedy as well.

“What Japanese people fail to understand is that most American Twitter users find 9/11 jokes funny,” remarked a user. “They’re screaming at a wall here lol.”

“Oppenheimer” has yet to be released in Japan as this month will commemorate the 78th anniversary of the US dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Several others echoed the sentiment, claiming that Americans would indeed “laugh at this” and “joke about 9/11” with frequency.

Americans’ hardened response seemed to appall more reverent Japanese social media users, including the person who incited the “Barbenheimer” backlash. “It’s an incredibly unethical national character,” snapped the initiator of the #NoBarbenheimer movement. “I have never seen a Japanese making jokes about the atomic bomb. I’m glad I was born in a decent country.”

Since both movies opened on July 21, “Barbenheimer” has sparked an obsession on the internet, ranging from memes and mashups to products like T-shirts and mock movie posters. Warner Bros Pictures/Universal Pictures via AP

Responding to the rift, the Japanese account for the “Barbie” movie released a statement stating that it was “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,” they posted on X. “We are asking the US headquarters to take appropriate action. We apologize to those who were offended by this series of inconsiderate reactions.”

On Tuesday, Warner Bros. US issued an apology for its “insensitive” social media engagement, though many have remarked that the apology seemed half-hearted.

“Warner Brothers regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement,” a rep for the studio told Deadline. “The studio offers a sincere apology.”

Since both movies opened on July 21, “Barbenheimer” has sparked an obsession on the internet, ranging from memes and mashups to products like T-shirts and mock movie posters.

“Oppenheimer” has yet to be released in Japan as this August marks the 78th anniversary of the US dropping the A-bombs on innocent Japan.

“Barbie” was initially banned in Vietnam after an in-movie map of the world using the “nine-dash line” — a set of line segments that represent China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea — which the country said “violated” their sovereignty.

Warner Bros. later issued a statement trying to clarify its intention.

“The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing,” a spokesperson told Variety. “The doodles depict Barbie’s make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the ‘real world.’ It was not intended to make any type of statement.”

ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlf3R7j3FmaWpfn66xrc2eqp5lo6Swqq3LZqSenJmWera%2FxKuqZqWfmLhuhYxqaGahnmK%2Fpr%2FPqKWsnV2pvG6uwKuZnqaYmrausdFmpJ6llah8