The much ballyhooed Ghostbusters remake has been in the news since the refresh concept first dropped: this time it’s an all-women team that ain’t afraid of no ghosts. Original Ghostbusters like Dan Aykroyd praised the new project and excitement grew. But when Ghostbusters hit theaters opening weekend, headed by some of the best comic actresses working today, it received some lukewarm critical reception. (Yet still made $45 million.)
Sure, a property as beloved by fans as the original Ghostbusters creates proverbial big shoes to fill. Plus, comedy is hard. Famously so. But on the millennial news and entertainment site mic.com, Miles Surrey posits that the lukewarm reviews have a male bias. Even before the film came out, Surrey reports that the Ghostbusters trailer was the “most disliked trailer on the Internet” — attributing most of the down reviews to men and misogyny. Another Mic writer, Matthew Rodriguez, identifies a “misogynistic tone many male characters take when talking to the film’s protagonists” that can’t help but seep into how it’s being reviewed. Is the baggage of a much-loved story too much for anyone to carry, or is it just that too many men don’t want to see women do it? It’s strange to consider. If there are ghosts taking over a city, whoever volunteers for the job has our blessing for sure.
The growing gender divide over “Ghostbusters”: Why movies starring women get slimed by male critics https://t.co/TAs1XBE986
— Salon.com (@Salon) July 15, 2016
