The Barbenheimer Symposium at Central Connecticut State University dissected the pop culture phenomenon that swept social media this summer.

The event was organized by the Department of Communication and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

About 50 people attended the event that stretched over five hours on Nov. 17. Most of the presentations were focused on “Barbie,” because students in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Communications classes studied the film throughout the semester.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Shizuko Tomoda, a second-generation survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima spoke on the symbolism of the iconic mushroom cloud during her lecture.

“I don’t see much progress on how two nations, or the world, interpret what happened in 1945,” she said.

Tomoda said the United States dropped two more bombs after the initial test in August 1945, then proceeded to call them “tests.” The two subsequent bombs were those dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

“I don’t call this a test,” Tomoda said. “It’s a human experiment.”

During a student presentation on “social media riffs,” which highlighted different graphics combining “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” Tomoda asked a student why she would say that a particular image was cool.

The image showed multiple characters from each movie, with the easily recognizable mash-up of “Barbie’s” bright pink and teal, combined with the dark and devastating imagery of  “Oppenheimer.” Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, was happily sitting atop a mushroom cloud with chaos all around her.

“I see a mushroom cloud,” Tomoda said. “I see destruction.”

The stark contrast between “Barbie” versus “Oppenheimer” grabbed global attention this summer with both films premiering six days before the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.

The juxtaposition of Barbenheimer made for striking visuals and viral memes, but the ideas that each film explores follow similar lines when explored through a sociological lens.

Dr. Carolyn Jacobs, a communication professor, expressed that both films show opposing sides of the male identity. While “Oppenheimer” presents a traditional take on masculinity, “Barbie” emphasizes the more emotional and compassionate side of men.

Dr. Karen Ritzenhoff, a professor of communication, organized the event as a way for students within the department to get on stage and share their opinions and projects they’ve been working on throughout the semester.

Through studying “Barbie,” she said that students found even a lighthearted film can hold a deeper meaning.

“Students are reluctant to talk about real-life politics,” Ritzenhoff said. “But through pop culture, it is easier.”

While Tomoda’s was the only presentation solely focused on the theme of “Oppenheimer,” students and faculty offered unique perspectives on different points of “Barbie.”

Samuel Baker, a student, presented the evolution of Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, throughout the movie.

After the movie’s debut, celebrities like Ben Shapiro, the host of The Ben Shapiro Show and Andrew Tate, an influencer and former kickboxer, said the film was “anti-man.”

Baker argued that Gosling’s character develops into his own person through his adventure with Barbie and realizes that he’s more than just Barbie’s boyfriend.

Dr. Anna Young, a communication professor, discussed the significance of Weird Barbie, played by Kate McKinnon, and the important role she plays in the film.

“Society tells you that you have to blend in and be with the crowd,” Young said. “If you are a little bit different then you don’t fit, which is not true.”

Weird Barbie, characterized by her scribbled-on face, chopped hair, and perpetual splits, acts as a guide to Barbie in the film. She knows how to fix Barbie’s flat feet, get to the real world, and deprogram the brainwashed Barbies after the Kens take over Barbieland.

“Yes, she is weird, and she recognizes that. But on top of that, she embraces it,” Young said. “Recognize that those things that make you different actually make you special; they make you stronger.”

Ritzenhoff said that faculty from both departments are currently working on co-authoring a book on the Barbenheimer phenomenon.

“There is no academic literature written about Barbenheimer yet,” Ritzenhoff said. “So, students really had to analyze it themselves.”

Tomoda is currently working on a documentary entitled “Memory of Hiroshima Through Imagination.” She has focused much of her time on peace activism since retiring from CCSU after teaching for 32 years.