This Barbie knows her film is Kenough.
Days after Golden Globes host Jo Koy made a joke about Barbie during his opening monologue—saying it "is [based] on a plastic doll with big boobies"—the film's director Greta Gerwig shared her reaction.
In fact, she sees where the comedian is coming from—sort of.
"Well, he's not wrong," Greta noted on the Jan. 10 episode of BBC Radio 4's Today. "She's the first doll that was mass-produced with breasts, so he was right on. And you know, I think that so much of the project, of the movie was unlikely because it is about a plastic doll."
And while some social media users called Jo's jokes about the film—which took home the award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement "cheap," Greta chose a more reflective approach in her response.
"Barbie, by her very construction, has no character, no story," the 40-year-old continued. "She's there to be projected upon."
But the Oscar nominee also noted that the Mattel doll's expansive history was just as important to developing the movie.
"Barbie's been around since 1959," she explained. "She's been a villain, and she's been a hero, but it felt like, in a way, even though it's so seemingly superficial, that it was such a rich place to start."
And Greta knows how polarizing the doll can be, so she wasn't shocked by the discourse.
"What's sort of amazing about it is," she added, "it has inspired such a wide range of reactions."
"And in some ways, it's not surprising," she continued. "Barbie has always been sometimes ahead of culture, sometimes behind culture and she's always been a flashpoint for arguments."
Keep reading for more on the award-winning projects from the 2024 Golden Globes.