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Racism In Ghostbusters

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Over a quarter of a century from it’s original theater appearance, Ghostbusters is making a comeback with July 22, 2016 as it’s scheduled cinema release date. Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot does not vastly differ from the original film directed by Ivan Reitman, where Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramiswho are parapsychologists who lose their job at Colombia University because they are unable to research their discovery about their first encounter with a ghost. From there, the trio create an exterminating service called, “Ghostbusters” and hire on a fourth member played by Ernie Hudson. Not only do they lack customers, but their funds run out from the government. After being hired by Sedgwick Hotel to investigate a haunting, the film centers …show more content…

G-7). After the release of the film’s trailer, critics were quick to turn to social media to express their feelings of racism portrayed in Ghostbusters as the three scientist roles were played by white actresses while the New York subway worker was role was given to an African American actress. As shocking as this realization was to some, to others it was in line with the 1984 film which consisted of there white males who also portrayed the roles of scientists while African American actor, Ernie Hudson, too played the role of an “everyman”. Some reviewers found the lack of progression to be a bit prejudice against the black community. Prejudice can be explained as a belief about an individual or a group that is not subject to change on the basis of evidence (Chambliss, 2016 pg. G-7). Other critics found that Feig’s decision to prevent all four main characters played by Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones from all being scientists, regardless of race, was still discriminatory as all of the Ghostbuster members should have the same credentials. Discrimination is outlined as “the unequal treatment of individuals on the basis of their membership in a group” (Chambliss, 2016 pg.

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