Ex on the Beach Norway is nominated for Gullbarbie
Winter in Norway does not only mean sleet, rain and icy roads. Winter in Norway is also a time when influencers and companies walk around in fear of being nominated for the award no one wants: the infamous Golden Barbie.
For 13 years, Press – Redd Barna Ungdom has distributed The Golden Barbie Award to “the advertising and media player who is best at making young people feel the worst”. Each year, different candidates are nominated before Norwegian young people vote on who they think deserves the award the most.
Previously, the clothing store Brandy Melville and influences Sophie Elise Isachsen (28)or rather Sophie Elise AS, brought the Golden Barbie home to the trophy shelf.
Now this year’s candidate list has also been published. On it you will find the clothing chain Zara, the teeth whitening brand Pro Whitening and the reality show “Ex on the Beach Norway”.
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This is the first time a reality concept has been nominated for the award.
I the description the nomination states, among other things, to contribute to increased sexualisation in the media image, and that previous participants must have felt on sexpress during recording.
– Should have happened a long time ago
Former participant Henrik Borg (28) says he is not particularly surprised by the nomination. Borg was seen in the very first Norwegian season of the scandal programme.
– I’m not terribly surprised, the scheme is a bit of a hoot, he says humorously to Dagbladet.
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The 28-year-old adds that he still likes the balance “Ex on the Beach” provides Norwegian TV.
– I’m not going to take it completely in defense, but at the same time it’s nice to have a counterpoint to everything else on TV. That something is still the same.
He himself has not felt the sex-express that is described in the Gullbarbie nomination.
– I have not experienced that neither I nor my fellow participants felt pressured to do anything. It was, of course, sexualisation of the participants, but it was also something we ourselves signed up to.
– Newly in love during recording
– At the same time, it is sad that there are many young people watching and that this is what they are served. I’m actually surprised that a nomination hasn’t come sooner, it was nominated a long time ago.
– No news
Director of Communications at Warner Bros. Discovery, Hanne McBride, does not hide that the Gullbarbie award is an award they do not want.
– The prize the program has been nominated for so far is not a prize we want. The work Press does is important, and we cheer for young people who speak out. Maybe we should use less body and more warmth in the marketing. Less boob and more humor? It could also help to show the program’s content better, she admits to Dagbladet.
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However, McBride says that they are not alone in all the premises that form the basis of the nomination, but that they are looking forward to a meeting with Press to listen to their input.
– That popular culture is sexualized is no news. “Ex on the Beach” plays the times we live in.
– Our experience is that the critics of the program have often not put much emphasis on what they criticize. They have read headlines, watched clips without context, they have seen drama but not the aftermath. The relationships, reflections and discussions surrounding the events in the series provide fertile ground for debate in the “Ex” villa, but also outside the TV screen, among young people and adults. It is valuable, says the communications director.