#whoyougonnacall pic.twitter.com/hnrSjhCqSl
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) July 10, 2015
Back in July when the all-female Ghostbusters reboot was announced, a certain segment (a large one) protested like crazy. They said stuff about how their childhood was desecrated. Many of the objections were about the reboot being unnecessary, but some were upset that the film would be a girly affair. Some of same dudes who were all for Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum crossing the streams. Even Ernie Hudson, who played Winston in the original films, said the fans didn’t want to see women in the suits unless they were “sexy” enough. Ernie said this without a trace of irony and as if he and Dan Aykroyd were stunning specimens back in the day.
The backlash was truly immense, and director Paul Feig grew pretty profane on Twitter because he was so angry that his cast was being bashed. I don’t blame Feig at all. You can read his very NSFW tweets right here. The cast felt the pressure too, and now Kristen Wiig is talking. She’s promoting Nasty Baby, which is a drama where Wiig plays a nurse who’s trying to conceive a baby with two gay men. The neighbors give them all a hard time. It sounds artsy and dramatic. Anyway, here’s what Kristen had to say about the backlash:
Ever since the success of “Bridesmaids” there’s been a conversation happening, and it came back this summer with both “Spy” and “Trainwreck” …
You’re not going to ask me the “women in comedy” question, are you?In a roundabout way. Why do you think the question keeps getting asked? What about it hasn’t been answered?
I think the fact that people keep asking it implies that it’s something we need to explain or defend. If [people] would watch movies or look at comedy and see how many talented, funny women are out there and have been since the beginning of time, people would stop asking that. The other side of it is we’re still not there as far as opportunities. But people are doing the work.I also feel obligated to ask you something about “Ghostbusters.”
Sure. I may not be able to answer, but that’s not my fault.Have you ever made a movie that had so much attention and even controversy attached to it as you were making it?
No. And the fact there was so much controversy because we were women was surprising to me. Some people said some really not nice things about the fact that there were women. It didn’t make me mad, it just really bummed me out. We’re really honoring those movies.
[From LA Times]
See, Wiig is correct. No journalist would have derailed an interview with Channing or Jonah to ask whether they felt good about replacing the male leads in the original film. Nope. Those bros would have been heartily congratulated by all as they likely stomped all over Bill Murray’s stunning legacy (love you, Bill!). The women are getting all sorts of flack, and it’s just ridiculous. The ladies will bring the funny like crazy. Will it be as amazing as the first Ghostbusters? Probably not because sequels and reboots rarely recapture lightning in a bottle, but give the women a chance.
Photos courtesy of Paul Feig on Twitter & WENN
just be glad you’re in it, lady.
Why should she be grateful for simply being in the film?
Male entitlement is a very real thing, having your talent questioned solely based on one’s sex is something women go through daily.
Her responses were on point.
Agreed, TheOtherMaria!
Best response ever @TheOtherMaria
Oh honey. There wouldn’t be a reboot if she wasn’t in it.
Please take several seats.
I think the problem is more that it’ s another reboot of a beloved franchise that no one asked for than the fact that it’ s lead by females. Total Recall, Robocop and A-Team had a similar reaction and were all lead by men. I am sure that there are idiots who are complaining for the fact that they are women, but I think they are a small minority! Most people are just pissed off that they are remaking something that it’ s beloved, no matter who the leads are. I don’ t believe for one second that Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill wouldn’ t be shredded to pieces for replacing Harold Ramis, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd!
Many people complained about that, but many people also especifically complained about the female leads, arguing it was a “PC” driven choice and feminist agenda and blah blah. I personally think the whole thing sounds schticky and I wont watch it (sue me, but I don’t even like the original), but some people were acting like having female leads in this reboot was a moral travesty.
Oh, believe me, I know that there are people like that, and I don’ t doubt they were very vocal about it. But I think that’ s just it: when the vocal, assholish, minority has a louder voice.
At first, I was as annoyed as I was with every other pointless reboot. You don’t mess with perfection…. But then I found out who was going to be in it — and they have a good shot at creating a new great movie.
I’m not see it because it’s a reboot and I don’t think it’s going to be good because for one they are planning to also do a all male cast for the second robot and then joining both teams together.
the backlash was 90% women can’t be ghostbusters and 10% don’t remake the series. yes if channing tatum and jonah hill remade it there would be a little bit of ‘oh you can’t remake a classic’ but most of the criticism would happen if the movie was awful and less the that it was a remake. i love ghostbusters and maybe this won’t be great but honestly it’s way more the fact that it’s an all female cast than the remake itself, at least from the internet feedback i’ve read. 🙁
I completely agree Katie. I would actually even say higher than that. The people who think otherwise obviously haven’t been reading comments on social media. Seriously 95% or higher is MALES complaining about either the fact that it’s women or that it’s “not attractive enough” women. It’s sickening. I honestly feel so bad for Kristen…I really like her and it makes me mad how people are talking about the movie….or rather, NOT talking about the movie and just ATTACKING the actresses and saying horrible untrue things about their appearances. Grrr.
They likely can’t win either way. If it makes a ton of money, the studios will probably just give a nonchalant “oh it’s that great” and the debate will continue, and if it doesn’t they’ll blame it on the fact that all the leads are female.
Wait a minute!!!! Women can’t be Ghostbusters, or firemen, or policemen, or join the military or be CEO’s of companies….That’s crazy talk…..you women, get your apron’s on and get back in the kitchen!!!!! IT’S A STUPID MOVIE, PEOPLE!!! And chances are, no matter WHO is in the remake, they aren’t going to get the love that the original cast did, Because Ghostbuster’s is a classic, and like Bedhead said, remakes and sequels, rarely live up to the originals (God, remember the horror or Ghostbusters 2)…but it won’t have squat to do with the fact that it is an all female cast or an all dolphin cast or an all squirrel cast…NOBODY LIKES TO SEE A MOVIE THAT THEY LOVE BE REMADE.
Thank you for this.
I suspect part of this is focusing on the easily defendable high ground of sexism and not the simple truth. Another beloved movie being remade that was perfect as it was. Ugh. Rarely is a remake an improvement. Often is it a disaster.
this isn’t completely true. there are so many films that have been re-made/re-booted that have turned out great. The problem with the current set of remakes and reboots is that they are made by talentless hacks who either use gimmick or don’t update the film so that it feels fresh. some examples of good remakes;
– CAPE FEAR original starred Robert Mitchum, remake starred Robert DeNiro
-THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE original [english language version – first filmed in French, then Italian] starred Lana Turner, remake starred Jack Nicholson/Jessica Lange
-The DEPARTED original is Hong Kong trilogy INFERNAL AFFAIRS starring Tony Leung, remake starring Leonardo DiCaprio
-SORRY WRONG NUMBER original starred Barbara Stanwyck, remake DIAL M FOR MURDER starred Grace Kelly, 2nd remake starred Michael Douglas/GOOP
-STRANGERS ON A TRAIN original starring Farley Granger, too many remakes to list….even remade as a comedy THROW MAMA FROM THE TRAIN starring Danny Devito
-DEVDAS original starring Dilip Kumar, remake starring Shah Rukh Khan
-FATHER OF THE BRIDE original starring Elizabeth Taylor, remake starring Steve Martin
-CYRANO DE BERGERAC original starring Jose Ferrer, remake starring Gerard Depardieu, 2nd remake starring Steve Martin
-BATMAN Tim Burton version, remake Christopher Nolan version
-SEVEN SAMURAI japanese film remade as THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
-LET THE RIGHT ONE IN swedish film remade as LET ME IN
etc and so forth.
LAK
For what films listed i’ve seen the remake wasn’t to improve. More to make a film in another language. English to English without much time seperating the 2 films from original to remake is my standard for my statement.
And with that specified I think my original statement holds.
To add this is lazy. Change cast genders isn’t big enough a change to justify it a movie that is still enjoyed as it is.
Also another point i’ve made before on this topic. We all grew up watching these films and if you’ve become a successful actor and are asked to star in a remake question why you’re doing it. For the check? To tack your name onto that success? Both?
Sometimes I loathe people. Imagine getting upset about a Ghostbusters remake with girl cooties. Good Lord.
lmao!!!!! Great one, GNAT!!!!
GNAT FTW!
I didn’t have a problem with them being women, I just don’t want to see another ghostbuster’s movie, ugh! Not unless they can come up with something original anyway.
“I just don’t want to see another ghostbuster’s movie.” Simple solution – don’t go to see the movie. But I’m betting and obviously so is the studio and film distributors, lots of people will. I hope the movie is super successful!
I watched Martian over the weekend and low and behold there was Kristen. It took me a second to realize it was her. I wondered if she was now going to be taken as a serious actress. I kept visualizing her in Bridesmaids. My thought, do what you do best and in her case, imo, its comedy. The movie wasn’t that great either but my husband liked it.
I haven’t seen Martian, yet, but keep hearing from friends, it’s not that great. So, what’s with all the hype? I remember all the hype about Gravity, and when I saw it, I thought it was terrible! I still can’t believe it won an Oscar!
Mrs. P: Not that many great movies have been coming out. I guess if you’re a Damon fan, it would be better. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t for me.
Pitt
Gravity won Oscars for Director, Score,effects. cinematog, edits etc etc. All for that and not for acting. When we think of Oscars we think of great acting and story. Gravity did not win those.
She’s been doing a mix of comedies and drama for a while now, mostly a lot of little indie dramas that don’t reach a wide audience. I thought the role in the Martian was an odd choice for her, but she probably wanted something more mainstream.
Mrs B, I read the book and loved it, and the movie was very faithful to the book, so I enjoyed it a lot. The rest of the group I saw it with liked it too – I wouldn’t say Best Picture or anything like that, but an enjoyable movie.
But Lucy they could have used a cardboard cutout for her character. Maybe she’s just getting her feet wet, but if you’re a master in one genre, why be mediocre in another. I guess it’s her choice, not mine….
@nancy – she isn’t mediocre whatsoever, she’s a really great actress in any genre. She has just been nominated for a Gotham award for her role in Welcome to Me. Watch Skeleton Twins, an indie she did with Bill Hader, it’s one of the best of the year.
Unfortunately the mainstream don’t tend to see her indies that much so they still think of her as the girl from SNL or Bridesmaids. I looked on her imdb and she’s made a ton of indies in the last few years.
Louise- we may disagree down thread on Fallon (ha!) but we are in complete agreement on Wiig. I find her to be talented as both a comedic and dramatic actress.
Speaking of Fallon – did you see Laineygossips opener today? Am i right in believing it’s a pointed blind about Jimmy having a drink/drug problem or even something ‘worse’?
@Nancy, yes that particular character didn’t have much to do, but it still gets her out there in a big movie again.
I just saw her in Diary of a Teenage Girl, she was excellent in that dramatic role. I know she bugs some people, but I’ve always liked her and the approach she’s taking to her career now post-SNL.
Wiig is 1 note for me. She’s OK and has great connections. That’s really all you need. I’ve come to find i’ve seen a fair amount of her acting not realising it’s her and it’s not standout. And in many films she somewhat holds her own, but her performance is made better by her costars.
Now the question is would she have made it without her connections and getting in with the right people?
As an example. Anne Hathaway. Some call her acting terrible, but she can act. She’s more than connections. Look to Rachel’s Getting Married. Does Wiig have a “Rachel’s Getting Married” moment? Or is it a series of OK performances her way through industry connections and friendships?
Nancy
She’s been doing serious movies since 2003. Check out her IMBD page. She’s always been an actress who is also really funny.
To all of those who disagreeing…sorry. I love her, she makes me literally laugh out loud. No, I wasn’t aware of her indies. As I indicated I only saw her this weekend in Martian and it was a non-existent role. Very few comedic actors make it in serious roles, Jim Carey, Robin Williams to name a couple. I like her, was just surprised is all.
I’m pretty sick of her to be honest. She can be funny in comedies but I agree she’s one note as a dramatic character. Very weak in the secret life of Walter mitty and her turn as a dancer in the Sia performance bugged the hell out of me. Plus she’s just everywhere now, which if she was better I think would be less grating.
I agree with Kristen – if it was all men no one would be batting an eyelid, regardless if they wanted a reboot/remake.
I for one can’t wait for it and will be going to see it- we need more of these kinds of movies with women in the lead.
On a similar note; has anyone see the new Barbie ad – only took Mattel 59 years to catch on about what kind of play little girls make up with their Barbies. I for one used my Barbie to beat up by brothers Action Man – she was ahead of her time.
I’m batting eyelids at the remake men or women. Before it was announced it was all female I was still irked. When it was just news they were shopping the possibility.
This isn’t about sexism aside from a select few squeeky wheels.
I heard back to the future is being shopped. Female or male it doesn’t need to be made.
I don’t really like remakes either but am curious about this one and what the final treatment is. Its just a bit irksome that a ‘to do’ was made of the all female casting more than the remake itself.
There certainly is a lot in the media about HW and its treatment of women – which is a good thing.
Is that Jimmy Fallon grabbing Wiig in the third pic? I think it is. And let me say that Wiig’s facial expression perfectly encapsulates how I feel about Fallon these days.
No, it’s a fashion designer
Thanks Louise.
I just looked up pictures and you are right, that is Prabal Gurung, who actually looks nothing like Fallon. Lol!
I’m only half-awake so maybe that’s why I thought it was Fallon, but I swear I keep seeing it. And her expression is hilarious. Anyway, whether him or not, my comment is still true. Can’t stand the guy anymore.
I like Fallon. His goal is to make people smile, not to get deep and serious conversations from his guests. His interview with Nicole Kidman was the funniest thing i have sen in forever and his corpsing with Bradley Cooper. I have to give him props as he has made the show a success, sure he had a big advantage of being Lorne Michaels pet, but Lorne can’t hold his hand out there on stage.
Different tastes, i guess. Personally, i could never stand David Letterman. Never got the praise/worship for him. He had a real nasty streak and had his favorites and if you weren’t one of them (usually really pretty actresses who sucked up to him) then he barely hid his contempt. He just made me uncomfortable watching his show.. A real misogynist if ever there was one.
Jimmy may always play the perennially happy jokester, but it’s needed in this day and age when everything is so sarcastic and made to shoot people down.
@Louise Letterman was a jerk.
yeah fallon is terrible. unfunny hack
I do think it is about the fact that the leads are played by women, but either way I really don’t get the backlash. I think it should be one of the easiest things to just not watch a movie one already hates before it’s been released.
No kidding…but you see just the fact that it’s being made with WOMEN is enough to make some misogynistic men loose their sh&* and have epic meltdowns on social media. It’s ridiculous.
Of course it is ridiculous. These certain men almost need to be pitied. Just to imagine grown men flying into a “this is so unfair / this is bullsh*t / I’m so pissed off / boo-hoo, there are women in this movie” frenzy is laughable. I’m so glad this movie is being made, it’s obviously a necessary step that triggers all the right points.
@ pinetree – and I just noticed that my original post might have sounded a little misleading. I was trying to keep it short and left out the “way more than it seems to be about it being a remake, which some people considered an option / explanation for the backlash”. So anyway, agree with you 100%, just wanted to clear that up.
I don’t know why some people (mostly men) freaked out SO HARD over this – if you feel the film is going to desecrate your childhood, couldn’t you just…not go see it? I chose to ignore the Star Wars prequels, and I survived.
I’m leery over a remake of one my all time favorite films, but am also excited by the director and cast, and having it be a female cast. I am SO glad that the Jonah Hill one got shelved, that felt really weird, like “sorry you’re mad about the girls, don’t worry, we’ll make one for you too.” Plus I can’t stand him.
+1
At this point i am sick of women being asked about feminism and equal pay and if they could make good directors. Like Helen Mirren says, it’s just so fking obvious. Kristen Wiig etc were asked in every interview for Bridesmaids if they think women are as funny as men or why aren’t women considered funny … imagine asking somebody as accomplished as Wiig that question, when she fking owned SNL and left the guys trailing her for leftover sketchesfor the 7 seasons she was on it. With Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, with cameos by Cecily Strong, Chris Hemsworth and Bill Murray!!! this film cannot not be funny! I hope everyone goes out to support it like they did with Bridesmaids.
By the way, Kristen Wiig is an amazing drama actress. Skeleton Twins was one of my favorite movies of the year and i also loved her in Diary of a Teenage Girl and Welcome to Me. She is picking interesting roles and i hope she wins an oscar one day.
I would have picked a snail over Jonah Hill, despicable person.
I’m against them rebooting the movies with males or females. I feel that way with any reboot. COME UP WITH AN ORIGNAL IDEA!!! I saw ghostbusters as a kid it worked well with the cheesiness of the 80s I don’t think it will work now. It belongs in another time. I don’t care how talented Wig is, and she is. Write new and original material for her and I will go see it but I won’t waste money on a reboot.
I’m tired of the studios being lazy especially when you see the independent stuff and how good and interesting it is. Make it. Use your talent.
the 80s wasn’t cheesy. nowdays is cheesy
Women can be whatever they want and they can play the roles of whatever they want in movies. I want women to play leads and do more than be sexy thang in a movie, however, Ghostbusters is a beloved classic, so 1) I don’t want a reboot – period! and 2) If it has to be remade, I don’t want to see women in the leads, because that’s not what the story is about. They can change it and do whatever they want, but I won’t watch it. I’m all for the comic ladies getting work and making movies, just not this one.
What? Number 2 makes no sense. In the original and the sequel, the characters didn’t suddenly whip out their dicks to defeat the ghost. So their gender was irrevelent to “what the story is about”.
hahaha exactly!
It’s probably going to be funny because of the people involved but the budget is way to high, do you really think a ghostbusters movie needs to cost 200 million dollars to make? The budget is the same as star wars
Who are these ppl who keep pearl clutching when women or minorities are cast in what were once roles exclusively and wrongly open to white males? Like those ppl dying on twitter and hash tagging “white genocide” over a black actor being cast in Star Wars. WUT. WHERE’S LOGIC.
I totally understood the backlash about this because Hollywood has become pretty pathetic with the movies they’re putting out lately. There is no originality–they just want to continuously remake old movies that don’t need to be remade. I think it’s fine that people rolled their eyes and wanted to say “ugh not again.”
Things got weird when the misogynists thought that the backlash about a classic being remade was a perfect opportunity for them to latch on and begin complaining about how the remake involves women. This was gross, and the people making this argument should’ve been shut down the minute they began to speak up. Things like this are really eye-opening that despite how our personal lives may feel lightyears away from the misogyny that was the norm of a few decades ago, in a structural setting, misogyny is alive and well. I share Kristen’s sentiment–it bums me out, too.
Ernie Hudson has NO business talking about geek movies that might fail. He was in DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION, FFS.
My annoyance comes with Kristin Wiig being in the movie. She is an unfunny, screenhog. This cast minus her would be hysterical.
They talk about destroying childhood favorites… What about that horrific Jem movie? My 8 year old self constantly wants to punch that little girl from Nashville. Lol
+1
I co-sign this.
Sorry, but with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and the indomitable Kate McKinnon as three of the four, I have no doubt that it’ll be better than the predecessor. I just watched Spy this weekend and I thought McCarthy was funnier there than in Bridesmaids.
Loved “Spy”. Melissa McCarthy was hilarious!!
I know – and it seems that everyone has forgotten what a giant turd “Ghostbusters II” was. Maybe this reboot will redeem the franchise and erase that movie – and Peter Mcnicol’s horribly bad foreign accent – from our brains?
I’m in camp “don’t f*ck with the classics”. It’s not that it’s women in the roles. For me, it’s a childhood classic, it’s one of the first movies I remember watching. Hollywood is ruining my pure childhood memories. Like Jem – for the love of god WHY?!?!?! WHY?!?!? Ruin my childhood why don’t you.
She’s right. Hell, this has been the year of remakes/franchise reboots (Mad Max, Jurassic World, Male Ghostbusters, the Spiderman announcement, Terminator Genesis, Indiana Jones) and none of the backlash against those films reached the level of this so I’m calling bull on the whole “we hate remakes” mess. Some people in fact do, but a lot of the backlash was consciously and subconsciously about the fact that they were women taking on roles once held by men.
The long ago Murray threads here when it was about him refusing to let a remake of ghostbusters happen had nothing to do with gender and people were still heavily against it.
Nothing subconscious there about sexism.
IMO their angle that people don’t want the movie to happen is more easily defended when it’s about genders and not about another movie being remade that doesn’t need to be. Where the remake won’t be better than the 1st.
But that’s tough to argue against so let’s hook onto sexism. Yea. Feminism guys! F-Yea!
I agree completely.
It’ s just that in this day and age, criticizing a woman, a person of colour or someone who is not heterosexual or cysgender automatically means that you are sexist/homophobe/racist/transphobic. Most of the times it’ s true, but there are circumstances in which that is just the verbal equivalent of clamping your ears to not listen to criticism.
People doing it with Caitlyn Jenner are the best examples: it doesn’ t matter that your problem with her is that she is an awful parent and a fame-w**re who thinks that wearing nice clothes and shoes is what defines being a woman, if you dare to say something about it, you are transphobic. And the same is happening with this. You don’ t want a reboot of a movie from your childhood and that movie happens to have women in the lead? You’ re sexist, period. Bah…
I’ m not negating the fact that sexist idiots who only want women to look good and in supporting roles at best exist, and I am sure lots of their comments were vile, but it is ridicoulous to dismiss the fact that this movie would’ ve been (and was) criticized even when the actors were supposed to be men!
I totally agree. I hope this movie rocks!
Sigh….there they go again – making something out of nothing. There have been many female comedy pioneers in film and TV dating way back when. The backlash for this is the same as the backlash for the remake of Poltergeist: don’t screw with the original! They will just mess it up!!
Exactly.
Honestly, my objection to a remake of the Ghostbusters film is that it doesn’t need to be remade.
Honestly, I don’t care if the Ghostbusters are male or female, and I know there’s a relevant conversation because there WAS gender-based backlash. But I think the biggest problem people had with the concept was that they were not just remaking a classic favorite; they were going to screw with it and make it “different.”
My generation (I’m 40) isn’t ready for that film to be remade. If they tried to remake The Empire Strikes Back, we’d be angry about that, too, whether Han Solo was cast as a female or just made different in some other way. If they tried to remake E.T., we’d lose our collective Generation X sh**. I’m just saying…America isn’t ready for Hollywood to remake that film, and we’re REALLY not ready for them to remake it in a way that is radically different from the original.
Make NEW films. You want female ghost slayers in a film? Make a funny or compelling film about women who hunt ghosts. Leave Ghostbusters alone. That was and still is my objection.