In the 2016 comedy film, Ghostbusters, four unexpected heroines work together to save the world from malevolent paranormal beings. Using science as their weapon, unlikely partners Erin Gilbert, Abby Yates, Jillian Holtzmann, and Patty Tolan join forces to defeat the woefully misunderstood mastermind behind all of the mischief, Rowan. This film has attracted a great deal of attention and controversy, and for what reason? The major stars of the movie are female. Many naysayers are outraged at the fact that the heros of the film are women, especially because in the original movie, the stars were predominantly male. The movie has become a huge hit with feminists, however, and the political statements made by the film are important to women. Ghostbusters
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In the film, the team hires Kevin, a secretary that is very attractive but not very intelligent. This plays on the stereotype of the secretary that is only useful for their looks. Usually, a this position is played by a female, but by reversing the gender roles, this emphasizes the problem with the way that most people don’t question that situation. If a secretary isn’t managing business, what exactly are they doing? If it were a female that was pretty but not smart, people would pay no attention. Having a dumb male secretary, however, catches attention. This shows the contrast in society’s expectations for women versus the expectations for men. The film also draws attention to other ridiculous stereotypes by giving some characters especially exaggerated personalities. Doctor Holtzmann, for example, plays the role of the stereotypical crazy eccentric scientist. The mayor plays the role of the government bully. Even the terrible service from the Chinese restaurants hints at negative labels. These stereotypes make the film relatable to even more people by taking the holistic and often ludicrous views of society and turning them into something humorous. Bringing these ideas to life and giving them comedic value helps to point out how ridiculous they actually
In the film, the team hires Kevin, a secretary that is very attractive but not very intelligent. This plays on the stereotype of the secretary that is only useful for their looks. Usually, a this position is played by a female, but by reversing the gender roles, this emphasizes the problem with the way that most people don’t question that situation. If a secretary isn’t managing business, what exactly are they doing? If it were a female that was pretty but not smart, people would pay no attention. Having a dumb male secretary, however, catches attention. This shows the contrast in society’s expectations for women versus the expectations for men. The film also draws attention to other ridiculous stereotypes by giving some characters especially exaggerated personalities. Doctor Holtzmann, for example, plays the role of the stereotypical crazy eccentric scientist. The mayor plays the role of the government bully. Even the terrible service from the Chinese restaurants hints at negative labels. These stereotypes make the film relatable to even more people by taking the holistic and often ludicrous views of society and turning them into something humorous. Bringing these ideas to life and giving them comedic value helps to point out how ridiculous they actually