I’m pretty immune to trends and viral phenomena, but I recently found one online invention irresistible: “Barbenheimer!”

Yes, I did the Barbie-Oppenheimer double feature. Oppenheimer first, of course. Can you believe 200,000 people saw Barbenheimer during the opening weekend? (Sadly, I could not find a more recent figure.) The ridiculous proposition of seeing two movies with diametrically opposed content, tone and color—pink versus black and white, anyone?—was just too much temptation for our feeble wills confronting 90-degree-plus temperatures every day. Oh, who am I kidding? I would have done Barbenheimer even if it was perfect weather!

And I am very glad I did. First and foremost, as many have said, Oppenheimer is a masterpiece. It is easily one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, and I can’t wait to see it again. I was in tears at the end, but not for the reason most people cry at the end of movies, which usually involves the death of an appealing character.

No, it was the impossibility of Oppenheimer’s situation. He was trapped as much as any animal has ever been trapped. He had no choice but to do what he did, and it was a world-changing act if there ever was one. He had mixed feelings about it—if not complete regret. When you know you are one of the few people in your country who can deliver a weapon of mass destruction that would end the war against fascism and defeat an enemy committed to wiping out your people from the face of the earth—Oppenheimer was Jewish—how could you say no?

Turning the screws even further, Germany was working on a bomb at the same time. Winning the war, it seemed, came down to a race—not on the battlefront, but on the home front—in the science labs.

I have found myself in a similar situation before—feeling trapped with no alternative and given just one possible action. But mine was a personal situation; the only world that would be massively affected by it would be my own. Still, that didn’t make me feel any less trapped. Director Christopher Nolan did an incredible job creating empathy for his protagonist, and I have never felt a character’s despair so profoundly.

Barbie, of course, was a whole other ball of wax. I most likely would not have seen the movie in the theater were it not for the Barbenheimer pairing, but it was perfect in the yin-yang design of the day. It was funny, clever in parts, and delivered on the promise of woman-girl power. I do, of course, fully embrace and support the movie’s message. After all, how could a magazine publisher, whose readership is 80 percent women, not support it? However, for those who saw Oppenheimer one hour earlier, here’s where Barbie suffered. While I fully endorse the message, I wish the words delivering it were more poetic. America Ferrera’s ferocious monologue checked many boxes regarding the countless difficult conditions women and girls face worldwide, but I swear I’ve heard that speech with those exact words spoken by friends and feminists over many years. Given that Oppenheimer delivered several lines of pure poetry, I was left wishing for some of the same from Barbie.

How wonderful to have the freedom to write anything I want in this letter; its content doesn’t have to have anything to do with what’s in the rest of the magazine! That said, I’d love to hear what others thought of Barbie. I think I’ll post that question on our Facebook page!

Seeking a Nonprofit with a Particular Need

I’m trying to find an Atlanta-based nonprofit, and I’m hoping that mentioning it here will prompt them to reach out. This company emailed me about a program we did a few years back in which we donated a 12-month campaign of a quarter-page ad to a deserving nonprofit. I received their email a little over two months ago, and I’ve tried to find it, but I haven’t succeeded. I’ve been experiencing bizarre email problems lately. In any case, if you’re that nonprofit, please email me again at [email protected], or give me a ring at 404-474-2423. ❧

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Publisher of Natural Awakenings Atlanta since 2017, Paul Chen’s professional background includes strategic planning, marketing management and qualitative research. He practices Mahayana Buddhism and kriya yoga. Contact him at [email protected].