Hi guys,
Check out this piece: The Scathing Sexual Politics of ‘Ghostbusters’
We all know Ghostbusters is a fun movie, but this article offers a fresh way of thinking about the characters, and the era in which the film was created. Swell!
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Wow. Just wow.
There was nothing fresh or insightful about that “article”. That person needs to get the chip off their shoulder, take a deep breath and stop construing everything as anti-female.
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It was an interesting attempt at a retrospective that at time made an almost intriguing point, but was confounded by grasping for straws in other elements.
This article reminds me a lot of that article written years ago about how all the Ghostbusters were closet homosexuals and the film pushed the gay agenda, and cited particular scenes to back their perceptions.
Just go to show you that movies can be interpreted in many, sometime unusual, ways.
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Every single time someone tries to talk about gender in relation to ANYTHING, someone (a guy, usually) will holler, “STOP MAKING EVERYTHING ALL ABOUT GENDER, IT’S NOT ABOUT GENDER!”
Two comments on this article here already and both say versions of “Ghostbusters is not about gender, it’s really hard see gender in it, why would anyone think it’s about gender, why do you insist on seeing gender everywhere?”
Definitely not the last time we’ll hear it.
Oh well. :eyeroll:
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Guys, you can think about film in many ways, and subtext is not about intent. Even blockbuster comedies can have themes…even lighthearted ones.
^How is this an argument in support of your position? Make a point and support your argument or please take your righteous indignation elsewhere.
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I don’t have a “position,” or an “argument.” I made a neutral observation about the reaction these kinds of analysis always get and sighed about it. All the righteous indignation you are hearing right now is your own.
Don’t worry. You’re not the first guy to freak out when someone brings up gender politics. You won’t be the last.
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Yeah, but you’re wrong to perceive the article as claiming the film is anti-women. It’s more saying the film is purposefully satirical about the way gender norms impact relationships and, in particular, the drama in the film.
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I agree. Nothing comes from nothing, and every single story we try and tell reflects who we are in ways we don’t even understand.
In this case, as someone who wasn’t really alive for the 80s, thinking about the movie in terms of the gender-relations of the time is interesting. Dana’s strength and self-sufficient life vs. her helplessness in the face of the supernatural threat, and the fact that Gozer, a male diety, manifests as a female serbian model because that’s harder for our heroes to understand…means…what, exactly? The article says it’s symbolic of where women were, culturally at that time, 10 years into the feminist movement.
I mean there’s nothing particularly cutting-edge on in-depth in this article. The person who wrote it is clearly a huge fan with nostalgic memories of Ecto-Coolers in their lunchbox. The article never claims the movie is anti-women, just that it uses it’s heroes inability to understand women as a way to create conflict.
I’m surprised they never even mentioned Janine.
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To be fair, it hyperlinks to her. And its not a SUPER in depth expose like this is
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This. A thousand times this. Thank you Jack.
I find as time goes on there are some who have to “make it their own” by redefining topics/events/movies or prying up the topsoil in the claim of finding some fresh new angle that no one else thought of. In reality it’s just a writer trying to fill a deadline by picking some desperate grasp and then filling an article with their opinions.
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Yes, that’s the ONLY REASON anyone would ever try and write about gender issues in media. :eyeroll:
Look, if you don’t want to participate in the sexual symbolism discussion,* you don’t have to*. If it doesn’t interest you, then it doesn’t interest you. But yelling at OTHER PEOPLE for even bringing it up in the first place reeks of “get those lady-issues outta my man-bubble! I don’t want to think about people who aren’t me!” And that just makes YOU look bad.
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Yelling? Look carefully, you’re the one using caps, not me.
Sounds like you’ve got a horse in this race and it’s personal. You vs “them”? Have fun with that.
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You don’t know me yet, but I use caps quite a bit. I use them talking about EVERYTHING. Don’t infer TOO MUCH from that. It’s a PERSONAL eccentricity. 
I…I cant even read… I saw the movie once or twice and it was good.
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You liked the movie? Awesome! Me too! We can talk about it as much or as little as you like. Everybody wins. :mrgreen:
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The Beast article was not something that was insightful, or revealed something new we could share and enjoy… it was an agenda piece designed to provoke a reaction. Because of that, I don’t think there’s much reason to keep it unlocked… I just wished I’d spotted the red flag for it sooner.