He continued: “To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.”

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There are probably worse insults to feminism, and to women in general, than a non-nomination at the Oscars. The film still received eight nominations, including for best picture and for best adapted screenplay (which Gerwig co-wrote with her husband, filmmaker Noah Baumbach).

Both Robbie and Gerwig are celebrated, famous and rich. They’ll be OK.

But, still, as the critic Mary McNamara wrote in the LA Times, “History has proved time and again, assuming a woman is going to be a shoo-in for anything … is never a good idea because to succeed, women have to defy all manner of expectations while also meeting every one.”

The very existence of the Barbie movie, not to mention its huge popularity, shows how thoroughly feminist culture and gender issues have punched through into the popular culture mainstream. Pop culture both reflects and shapes opinion, and individual attitudes count in the fight for gender equality.

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The not-for-profit organisation Our Watch, established to prevent violence against women and children in Australia, recognises that “historically entrenched beliefs and behaviours” drive violence against women and children. Movies as successful and intelligent as Barbie can play a role in challenging that, but the movie’s snub is a reminder not to settle for pink-washing.

In the United States, birthplace of Barbie, women’s reproductive rights are being swept away at a rate that would make a theocracy proud.

The Republican nominee for this year’s presidential elections will almost certainly be Donald Trump, who has been accused of misconduct, ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault, by about 18 women. Last year, a Manhattan jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming the writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump is appealing against the ruling and denies the sexual misconduct allegations. On Friday, she was awarded $127 million in damages for Trump’s continuing attacks on her. He knows they don’t matter to his voter base, and they are barely mentioned in coverage of his renewed candidacy.

Last week, my colleague Michael Koziol broke convention when he veered from the script at a post-match Australian Open press conference with Alexander Zverev. The German player has been fighting allegations of domestic abuse, made by two different women, for more than three years. He strenuously denies the allegations. One of the cases is before a court in Berlin, and Koziol asked Zverev whether it was appropriate for him to remain in a leadership position, on the professional tour players’ council, while the matter was pending. He reacted defensively.

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Depressingly, other male tennis players who were asked about the issue were equally defensive and evasive when asked about it. It was on the female players to speak up.

In Australia, despite hugely increased awareness of violence against women, the statistics are fairly static – on average, one woman a week is murdered by her former or current partner.

Our Watch acting CEO Amanda Alford says that “some of the latest data does show a potential decrease in some forms of violence while others, such as sexual violence, have remained stable”.

“While the data is encouraging, it is not yet clear whether this reflects a long-term reduction or the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is when the latest research was undertaken.”

In Barbie, when Ken travels to the real world and discovers it is run by men, he meets a corporate executive who turns him down for a job. Miffed, Ken accuses him of “not doing patriarchy very well”.

“We are doing it well,” chuckles the executive. “We just hide it better now.”

Jacqueline Maley is a regular columnist.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).