Making fun of atomic bombings draws criticism on social media
Aug. 5, 2023
Movie “Barbie”: Volunteers conduct signature campaign
by Kaori Ota and Kana Kobayashi, Staff Writers
The official “Barbie” movie account on a social media platform has been criticized on the Internet after it responded favorably to images making fun of the atomic bombings. Volunteer citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have started an online signature campaign to urge people to “take a serious look at the damage caused by the atomic bombings.” By the evening of August 4, they had obtained support of about 20,000 people.
In July, a film about Barbie, a dress-up doll, and “Oppenheimer,” a film about the physicist who led the development of the atomic bombs, were released at the same time in the United States. Images spread, including that of the actor who plays Barbie with her hairstyle altered to look like a mushroom cloud. The official account responded with such comments as, “It’s going to be a summer to remember.”
This drew criticism from Japanese social media users. One posted, “I’m offended to see a mushroom cloud being used in such a rash manner,” while another, “Don’t play with the atomic bomb.” On July 31, Warner Brothers, a major U.S. distributor, issued a statement saying, “The studio offers a sincere apology.” But citizen volunteers began collecting signatures online on August 1, demanding action be taken to make sure this would never happen again.
“We must speak out against making light of the atomic bombings or victims of nuclear damage,” said Miho Tanaka, 28, one of the volunteers and co-chair of Kakuwaka Hiroshima, a group mainly composed of young voters in Hiroshima who are keenly interested in nuclear policies.
(Originally published on August 5, 2023)
