NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Barbara ‘Barbie’ Oppenheimer is a retired Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University from Newton, Massachusetts.
The grandmother, 68, says that people think she is joking when she says her name. The reason being her unusual name matches two of the hottest movies of the year - Greta Gerwig’s 'Barbie' and Christopher Nolan’s 'Oppenheimer'.
How did Barbie Oppenheimer get her name?
"My husband’s father is third cousins to J Robert," she said in an interview while referring to the father of the atomic bomb, J Robert Oppenheimer.
She also revealed that she used to go by Barbie as a child, but changed it to Barby, then Barb, and finally Barbara as she grew older and more professional.
She said she was happy to go back to her nickname during the dual-movie frenzy. “You know, I started as a Barbie, spelled just like Barbie. Because in those days, everyone wanted to be like Barbie,” she told Slate in an interview.
"Most people don't believe me when I say my name. They think I'm joking," she told New York Post. However, she is also having fun, as she describes, “I’m having a lot of fun with the craze. It’s always important to embrace the serendipity in life, isn’t it?”
How many children does Barbara ‘Barbie’ Oppenheimer have?
Oppenheimer has two sons and five grandchildren - all of whom have been enjoying the attention and the fun of being part of the ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon.
She said she wore her ‘Barbenheimer’ t-shirt proudly when she watched both movies with her family.
“Most of my grandchildren are too young to understand the craze, but my oldest granddaughter, who is only 7 and a past big Barbie fan, was intrigued.”
How does Barbie Oppenheimer's family see the amusing situation?
Oppenheimer’s family is supportive and amused by her name and its connection to the films. She said they liked both movies, but for different reasons.
Oppenheimer who was also a former language and speech pathologist at Newton Wellesley Hospital said she was grateful for the unexpected fame and joy that her name has brought her.
“It’s been a wonderful summer,” she said. “I feel like I’ve been part of something bigger than myself.”
Barbara would also have a Barbie doll which she got on her sixth birthday. "Barbie wasn’t as open-minded about doing other things besides being fashionable in those days," she told Slate.
On being asked if Nolan's movie did justice to Oppenheimer, she said, "I thought they did a good job. It really gets into the moral dilemmas that Oppenheimer faced. Did he face them head-on at the time? That’s a good question."
