"Barbenheimer" is the darkly pink meme taking over the internet

IT’S THE BOMB versus the blonde. With Greta Gerwig’s “wild bananas Barbie movie,” as she dubbed it, and Christopher Nolan’s equally unhinged Oppenheimer epic both being released on July 21, fans are getting keen for a double-feature. In other words, back-to-back viewing of this year’s most anticipated yet paradoxical films. Even Tom Cruise, the king of Hollywood stunt work, has revealed he’s down for a day of Barbie energy meets death and distraught. “This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theatres,” he tweeted.

While the big ticket question remains as to which one will come out on top at the box office — early projections see Barbie slaying it with a possible US$100 million for opening weekend — cinefiles have been poking fun at the movies’ contrasting moods, marketing and themes. Enter the meme of the summer (or winter, for us Aussies): “Barbenheimer” — or the more campy “Boppenheimer.” A slew of truly brilliant —and dark — memes have flooded socials and online chit chat, calling out the cinematic stand-off; while offering their hot takes and tips on which to gun for first. Fans off to Oppenheimer before Barbie are calling the mash-up “Oppenbarbie,” meanwhile those seeing the film in the opposite order are calling it “Barbieheimer.”

If you ask us, we’re a ‘start the day with a hazardous bang and end with a giant blow-out party’ — but anything goes, right? At least, we’re all making our way back to the cinema, much to Cruise, Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg’s delight. For now, enjoy the best Barbenheimer memes the Internet has to offer, and check out some of the very real, cross-collision merch now available to purchase.

Related:

Tom Cruise is the unlikely poster boy for the ‘Barbie’ movie

‘Oppenheimer’ biographer is “stunned” by the genius of Christoper Nolan’s adaptation