Bad Media is Good Because....
Who you gonna call...Ghostbuster, answer the call 2016, directed by Paul Feig, dubbed a “gender-reassignment redo” of the original, “A box office bomb” by Forbes and highly disliked by many keen fans of the original “The movie was terrible. It was like watching a movie made by a hardcore feminist that grabbed something that was good and rub it in the dirt..” The film receiving hate even before the actual movie was even released! At the time it was the “most disliked movie trailer in YouTube history”. Though this film was deemed as ‘bad’ by many, I have a very different perspective on it.
I do admit that at first, I did understand where people opinions were coming from to some extent, I didn’t see the need for a female reboot of ghostbusters either, I thought rather why not make a whole new film with a different story that is female centred. And if I’m being honest I didn’t want the original one that I loved so much growing up to be tarnished or to change.
But after watching Ghostbuster 2016 I realised it’s not just a ‘female reboot’ It’s a film that shows four strong women who are smart, who hustle, who struggle to be heard or listened to. If anything the storyline represents and depicts a women’s role in society today. So it begs the question why are we as a population inherently so scared of the truth? So scared of change? When our media actually starts to mirror humanity in even the smallest of ways we can’t bear to see our own reflection. Because the fact is that yes the theme of the underdog is apparent in both movies but in what world are four males struggling to be ‘heard’ so easy to watch but somehow four females doing the same thing, is ‘vastly unrealistic’.
Looking deeper into why this film received such hatred I think goes deeper than the clear pattern of sexism. As a society, our relationship with the first ghostbusters film will impact that of the reboots, not through the title, script or actors themselves but rather what they represent for each individual. The cultural and social relationship people have with the film and what mental concept they associate that with, but most importantly why? Many people who criticise the reboot would have watched the original growing up, thus apart of their literal childhood and adolescence is associated and linked to that film. So when their signification is threatened or invited to change rather, through the form of the female reboot the subconscious mind instincts that drive destructive, aggressive, and violent behaviour comes to fruition. Becoming very protective of this image and idea they have in their heads.
I love this film for the very reason people hate it, which ironically is also the reason people loved the original. Because the characters reflect themselves and the audience identifies with their story. The original gave people a voice, but that was in the 1980s, the same time period when the first anti-smoking ad was on television. The reason the franchise stood the test of time isn’t because of the movie but rather what it represents, it’s used in political campaigns and rallies supporting the people’s voice. The messages that it now stands for are different because society is different, Ghostbusters through the 2016 reboot now actually reflects its own values.
So I guess why I like it so much, is simply because it’s Ghostbusters. It’s funny, it’s scary, it’s slimy, it’s a reflection of reality, it’s an upgrade of a cult classic that I can now put myself at the centre of. Its strength in femininity, which one day will restore my faith in humanity.
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