Let's talk about the new "Ghostbusters" | THOUGHT TRAIN

I didn't wanna have to talk about this until I saw the movie, but with all the articles and newsbits and TV spots that've been popping up everywhere lately, I feel like something needs to be addressed. So, here it goes...

I hate the campaign behind this movie.

Before you get your knickers in a twist, hear me out. This has nothing to do with the new Ghostbusters being women, or with the fact that this movie is a reboot-slash-sequel (sort of). In fact, this has more to do with the way Sony and Paul Feig have so heavily politicized this movie and turned it into a black-and-white sort of argument. If you like what you see so far, good, but if you don't, well, sorry pal. You're a sexist.

I'm not making that up. That's actually what the various websites promoting this movie (and Paul Feig and absolutely everyone else behind this movie) are saying. And I'll get to more of why I hate that they're doing that in a bit, but let me first provide you context as to why the idea of this movie's existence bothers me.

I love Ghostbusters. I remember watching it with my Dad and my family one time and loving the film and everything about it - the plot, the characters, the humor, the perfect blend of it all. Hell, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is still one of my favorite movie monsters. And, while the sequel wasn't as good as the first, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. That being said, the series holds a place in my heart.

Now, I remember hearing rumors about a reboot a couple of years back, but I really wasn't bothered by any of them. I'm not against the idea of reboots; personally, I think it's a good way of introducing a new generation to that story. And then I saw the trailer a couple of months ago, and I remember feeling a lot of things. I was annoyed, dismayed, angry, and, most of all, depressed, and the trailer reminded me of one thing.

Um, yeah...

And this had nothing to do with the fact that they were all women, or with the fact that it was a reboot. In fact, it had everything to do with the fact that the trailer looked like shit.

Nothing about it was right or even remotely screamed "Ghostbusters". The humor was wrong, the sets and costumes looked cheap, and the ghosts looked like candy. But I was still mostly willing to give the movie the benefit of the doubt, since Paul Feig's movies have a reputation for having garbage trailers.

Then I went on Twitter to express my dissatisfaction with the trailer, and, lo and behold, the first article I saw on my timeline was, "Angry Man-Babies are Upset With the New 'Ghostbusters' Trailer". Wow, real mature, guys.

And that's why I absolutely hate the campaign this movie stands on; you're either a fan of the movie or a sexist man-baby. I mean, let's ignore the fact that the humor in the movie is shallow, or the fact that the special effects look like garbage, or the fact that, in the super-progressive all-female Ghostbusters movie, the black lady isn't a scientist, or the fact that the trailers look like awful. Let's shove those valid points out the window because of the fact that this movie has a bunch of female leads.

I mean, why else would they hate this movie, right?

Talk about lazy defending. If that campaign says anything about the movie, it's pretty much suggesting that it's awful and that its makers aren't willing to listen to any valid points because everyone who hates this movie must be a sexist. It makes perfect sense that a guy who loves Rey, Imperator Furiosa, Ripley, Hermione Granger, Batgirl, Wonderwoman, Danaerys, Arya, Cersei, and the Totally F*cking Spies would hate this movie because it has "strong female characters". Way to exploit your characters' sexes as shields, guys. Very progressive.

If you're so insecure about the quality of your movie that the only things to which you're willing to attributing the hate are "misogyny", then I think you have a problem. People didn't hate Catwoman or Elektra or the Resident Evil movies because they have female leads; people hate them because they're shitty movies.

I'm sure no one would be defending this movie if they cast Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Rob Schneider, and Eddie Murphy instead. And, wait a minute, if you assume that everyone who hates this movie is a man-baby, wouldn't that make you a bigger sexist for making a negative assumption about an entire sex? Or would that make you a transphobe for implying that they all identify as men? Hmm.

I honestly hope to God that the new Ghostbusters isn't as awful as it looks. But, with the way this campaign is going, I'm leaning more towards the not-gonna-see-this-because-I-don't-wanna-support-what-this-stands-for side of the fence. I'm all for strong female characters, but I don't wanna exploit the idea thereof like this. There are better ways to do it.

So, those are my thoughts on the new (and hopefully not terrible) Ghostbusters marketing campaign. The movie comes out this August. Are you gonna see it? What do you think about this marketing campaign so far? Leave a comment, and let me know.

As always, this has been Rafa. Stay classy.