The Pink and the Black.
Two very different movies, same release day. An online phenomenon was born.
“Barbenheimer” is the term created by internet users to label the rivalry between Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, both released on July 21st.
A bubbly comedy versus a dark biopic.
Barbie’s pink world versus the darkness created by Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb.
Opposites attract, they say. And it is true in many contexts, but that’s not the only psychological reason why this odd pair came into being and why we like it.
The Contrast Effect is another psychological phenomenon that plays a role in Barbeheimer’s appeal.
It basically means that when we compare two things side by side or experience them one after the other, we tend to perceive a stronger difference or contrast between them.
So, if you see something really small after looking at something huge, it might appear even smaller than it actually is because of this contrast effect.
It’s like our brains amplify the differences between the two stimuli or sensations, making them seem more extreme.
When we place Barbie and Oppenheimer together, we get to experience both worlds with more intensity. When pink is close to black, it appears more striking.
Barbenheimer is the label of the contrast itself, and it has millions of fans worldwide.
For those saying they will watch both movies on the same day, I would suggest they watch Oppenheimer first, and complete the cinema tour with Barbie, if possible.
In this way, it is more likely that you will end the day on a positive note thus giving you a buffer zone before fully processing the dark elements of Oppenheimer.