People are not too happy with the new Ghostbusters reboot.
For a movie that is supposed to reboot the fan-favorite franchise by gender-switching the roles and starting over, the first trailer for Sony’s Ghostbusters seems to be starting off on a rough start.
The new Ghostbusters movie features Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon as a group of New Yorkers attempting to solve the recent rise in paranormal activity in New York City. While the cult-classic movie did extremely well in the box office, Many people including The Hollywood Reporter are bashing the Ghostbusters trailer for being just like the original movie.
“This summer, a new team will answer the call,” the text finishes, but the meaning is clear: It’s just like the original really. It doesn’t help that the scene immediately following is only a mild variation on the “The ghost looks peaceful — oh no, it’s a monster” library ghost from the original movie with added puking:
To add insult to injury, Twitter users bash the movie for stereotyping Leslie Jones’s character as a loud, angry black woman who is not educated and her only job is to become the comic relief in the movie. In addition, some fans have highlighted a problem within the movie’s casting. The combination of three white, educated scientist characters played alongside a black character who is is seen to rely on “street smarts”. It’s a combination which slides towards the usual racist stereotypes, as many have pointed out on social media.
Like I’m excited for all-female Ghostbusters. But 3 white ladies & 1 Black woman (stuck w/”street smarts” trope) is barely diverse.1
— Imperator Fieriosa (@GeekMelange) March 3, 2016
So the three white characters are scientists and the black one is a subway worker? The black character is the add-on AGAIN?! #Ghostbusters
— Anita Singh (@anitathetweeter) March 3, 2016
so the three white ladies are scientists/engineers but the black lady isnt?..ooooh #ghostbusterssowhite
— Mr Furiosa (@MrF1978) March 3, 2016
But, it’s important to point out that the Ghostbusters franchise has a history of sidelining black actors in their movies. Ernie Hudson (Winston) has talked about the marginalization of his character in the original franchise.
From The Guardian:
I tell people Ghostbusters was the most fun I had, but it was also the most difficult for reasons that I, to this day, do not understand. In the script that I read for the audition, Winston is in the film all the way through the movie. But they changed it just before we shot, so I had to wrap my head around that. I think the studio thought they could sell the guys as they were from Saturday Night Live, and so they wanted to include Winston marginally. But then when we came back five years later for the sequel, they did the same thing! That I didn’t understand. But once you become really angry, it’s all over, so I just kept working and stayed positive.
And the hate for the movie’s lack of creativity and promotion of racial stereotypes may but the latest Ghostbusters reboot in jeopardy. Let’s hope for a better second trailer, and sooner rather than later.
Just saw the new #ghostbusters movie.
Very #racist. Why can’t a black woman be a scientist.
Not seeing any oscars for blacks this year 🙁— Yiangos (@YiangosCy) March 4, 2016
What do you think?
