Why I'm Glad the New GHOSTBUSTERS Isn't a "Passing the Torch" Sequel

People who follow entertainment news are probably familiar with all the nonsense going on with the Ghostbusters reboot coming out in July. Basically, the Paul Feig directed comedy stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon. Some people, mostly men who aren't used to the world not catering and pandering to their tastes, are upset that their beloved franchise is being turned into a gimmick. Articles upon articles are being written about this Internet controversy. Just a simple google search will deliver some great essays on why the vitriol against the new film is inherently sexist, with one guy even posting a six minute video on YouTube about why he won't even see the new movie. Click here for the best one from Birth.Movies.Death.'s Devin Faraci.

Granted, the trailers for Ghostbusters 2016 have not been that great. But I have to mention that trailers for Feig's previous films--especially Spy and Bridesmaids--were pretty uninspiring. The films themselves have been total treasures. Paul Feig uses his privilege as a white male director to tell stories about women friendships and struggles women face in becoming the best versions of themselves. His previous three films, including the action comedy The Heat, gave women (especially in their late 30s and early 40s) the space to be funny and slapsticky. It's awesome that the new Ghostbusters has an all-women cast. The movie is guaranteed to pass the Bechdel Test several times over, and considering the talent involved, it's sure to be funny all heck.

The hatred towards the new cast is baffling, but sadly not baffling at all. White men have had pop culture pander to them for so long that any indication of progress or inclusivity seems like an attack to their beloved childhoods. Remember the uproar over Mad Max: Fury Road having feminist undertones and overtones? Remember when the Star Wars spin-off Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was revealed to have a woman as the lead (Oscar nominee Felicity Jones)? It's just ridiculous that certain sections of movie fans can't grasp that inclusive representation is a good thing and that their beloved movies are not ruined by a new interpretation. It's just that new groups of people can enjoy seeing themselves onscreen. 

One of the arguments against the new Ghostbusters is that fans would rather see a sequel where the old cast members (Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, and Dan Aykroyd) would "pass the torch" to a new generation of Ghostbusters. To angry Ghostbusters fans, this seemed like a decent compromise. Their old heroes can have one last shot with the suits, and new fans can have their lady Ghostbusters. But for me, that plot line seems really icky. There's a trope listed on the TV Tropes web site called "Never a Self-Made Woman." The site says, "We may have the Action Girl who has achieved a lot and gone up in society, but whenever her background is brought up, it is always a man in her family (father, uncle, older brother or husband) who is prominent as her predecessor or a key to her success. It will be strongly implied that she would never have gotten into this Business if she hadn't been motivated and trained by her powerful male relatives."

For the old Ghostbusters to "pass the torch" to the new ones, it would perpetrate this trope. The implication of the trope is that women don't have the initiative, the skills, or the intelligence to start a story on their own. They have to be mentored by older men, the true engines of any narrative. I don't see why four women can't form a group to bust ghosts, but have to take the mantle after a bunch of men step down. That's not the story Paul Feig, and his collaboratives want to tell. In all of Feig's previous films, women ignited their own stories, made their own mistakes, and enjoyed their own victories. To suggest a "pass the torch" narrative is a profound misunderstanding of the kind of stories Feig makes. Maybe in some alternate universe, the "pass the torch" Ghostbusters sequel would work--but it would not have been made by Paul Feig. 

One question that pops into my mind a lot: why are people so protective over Ghostbusters? The first one is an 80s classic, I'll concede that. The second one is a garbage rehash of the first one, with little energy or inventiveness. Did I miss the memo of this franchise becoming the sacred Holy Grail of kids movies? Maybe I'm just too young to care about this franchise, but I don't ever see myself getting so worked up over a reboot to send death threats to its filmmaker.

Would there be death threats if this Ghostbusters reboot were an all-male movie? Remember last year, there were rumors of a male reboot with bro-friendly stars Channing Tatum and Chris Pratt set to star. That project never materialized, thankfully, but the talk of "real Ghostbusters" and "chick Ghostbusters" was already afoot. I don't recall anyone threatening to assault Tatum or Pratt over their reboot. Even outside Ghostbusters, we've seen many reboots of beloved 80s movies like RoboCop and Total Recall. Sure, each new one was met with a collective eye roll and groaning about "no original ideas in Hollywood." But still no threats and boycotts. So what separates the McCarthy/Wiig Ghostbusters from those reboots or the proposed Tatum/Pratt Ghostbusters? An all female cast.

If you're reading this, and you hate the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters sight unseen, well, look at your life, look at your choices. These small steps towards inclusivity need to be appreciated and respected, not trashed. Look, I don't know for sure how good the movie will be. I like Paul Feig, and I like Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon. I trust that they can deliver a fine product. While I don't like that these people are coming together for a reboot of an 80s movie, but I am sure they will give it their own unique humor.

at Facebook.com/MathurMarquee. Also, follow me on Twitter @HippogriffRider. Agree? Disagree? Sound off in the comments below!