The Ghostbusters Thread

[Jinsai]

Come on, "don't cross the streams" is scatological humor at worst, there's nothing homophobic there.

Yep. If someone at a public pissing trough starts pissing into my stream of piss, the problem isn't the I'm having some kind of gay experience. Hey, if Botley is right about this extension, and "Homophobia is the belief that anything other than exclusively heterosexual interaction is evil, or scary, or taboo," then wouldn't standing at a pissing trough, holding my dick in my hand alongside a bunch of other guys also holding their dicks... isn't that already some kind of "evil/scary/taboo" thing to a homophobe?!

The problem is, if somebody diverts their piss stream into my direction and "crosses the stream," then I'm going to potentially get piss all over me. I can't believe this needs to be explained, and not wanting my piss and some other guy's piss to potentially splash on me is not "homophobic." Earlier Botley posted an article about editing that discussed joke timing, and there was a note in there about how explanation of a joke can kill the humor. Congratulations. We have just utterly obliterated the humorous underpinning of the "cross the streams" joke.

But what other choice do you have when you've got somebody insinuating that there's an intolerant misconception regarding a gay ritual involving piss-play? We seriously have someone saying that Ghostbusters is homophobic and sexist (even though he later chimes in to say that he thinks that's stuff he finds "badass"). I really don't want to get into how the whole gatekeeper/keymaster stuff isn't sexist, because I'd rather just let the jokes be understood by sensible people who realize it isn't sexist. Out of all the 80s comedies that have "aged badly" in terms of homophobia or flagrant sexism...

[botley]

Hell yes, if said homophobes consider holding their dick inherently sexual on some level, which certainly lots of them do, they'd be pretty freaked out. Why do you think said troughs simply don't exist in certain regions of polite North American society? Okay enough about crossing streams, JFC.

You don't have to explain anything about the joke, I'm trying to analyze on a semiotic level, here. Not to 'explain away' how it works, but unpacking its subtext. Hazekiah was making a point about social attitudes changing, and that negatively impacting audience reaction when he watched the flick; he has a pretty valid and relevant point IMO. We're not trying to single out the Ghostbusters franchise or call it out for some bad example of Something People Shouldn't Like, as I think we're both pretty big fans. The 'ickiness' around male homosexual anxiety is part and parcel of the male bonding plot points in these sort of comedies, and it is not as big of a dominant force anymore.

[Jinsai]

The 'ickiness' around male homosexual anxiety is part and parcel of the male bonding plot points in these sort of comedies, and it is not as big of a dominant force anymore.

Did you see the (incredibly shitty) comedy Get Hard?

Either way, the main complaint here comes from the fact that we're imagining this midnight screening of the film in the theater... which apparently involved appearances from people involved in the making of the movie.. and there's people snoring and groaning at dated "homophobic/sexist" humor and everyone is obviously having a really shitty time, because this screening was dominated not by fans of the movie, but somehow by college kids who'd never seen the original before.

This anecdote comes with a parallel anecdote about how audiences are laughing their asses off hysterically and audibly professing their enthusiasm when presented the new trailer for the reboot.

You can believe that if you want. I'm not sure what part of either US trailer was actually laugh-out-loud hysterical, but ok.

[marodi]

I just thought they didn't want to cross the streams because it'd fuck up the world. Not because it was ikky.

Right, but you understand on a subtextual level that it's also a double entendre for the purpose of a joke? Hence the attempted humour stands or falls on the presumptive ickiness.

Since it came out in 1984 I have seen Ghostbusters a countless amount of times. It's one of my all time favorite movies. I love this movie, I can recite a great part of the dialogues, I can hum almost the entire score.

But I don't know if it's because I'm really dense or if it's because I'm a woman but I never, ever notice the double entendre of "don't cross the streams" until now. And I'm usually excellent at picking up stuff like that.

So what all of you did today is to make an already great scene (the one where all four guys do cross the streams) absolutely GLORIOUS.

I humbly thank you for it.

[Hazekiah]

Wait, who the fuck ever said anything about the cast of the movie attending the midnight screening?!? JMFC, reading comprehension fail AGAIN. Try reading what's actually written, it's not that hard. They were NOT there and no one ever said they were. But hey others here can't even understand the difference between a general disinterest in hetero guys touching each other's dicks and literally equating it with the end of the world and how the latter could easily be construed as "vaguely homophobic," so whatever. Sorry for being so difficult to follow with my fairly straightforward text.

Anyway, THANK YOU for helping to explain all this, @botley ! Very well said and much appreciated.

Likewise, some more THANKS to @marodi for appreciating the fun of it all, lol. It really is some hilarious and brilliant filmmaking. And, again, the vaguely homophobic joke IS redeemed when four guys crossing their streams winds up being the key to saving the world, after all. Haha, gotta love it!

For the sake of clarity...

It's hard to deny the sexual subtext of the whole scene when it's so blatant it barely even counts as subtextual anymore.

The entire literal and figurative climax of the movie only even happens in the first place when the Gatekeeper is possessed by a demon-dog in heat and chases down the Keymaster (himself a walking small dick joke) on all fours so she can fuck him senseless to summon forth Gozer atop a towering phallic symbol with a swirling, cloudy orifice at its tip, ffs. Add to that the dialogue of the Ghostbusters as they rally together for their frottage-esque circle-jerk by leveling their proton-gun phallic symbols to shoot from their hips and the context is even more clear...

"Grab your sticks!"

"Holding!"

"Heat 'em up!"

"Smoking!"

"Make 'em hard!"

"Ready!"

Annnnd then the firefight begins, ending with the "crossing of streams," and ultimately culminating in possibly THE MOST EPIC male-on-male bukakke scene ever staged and committed to film, lol.

BUSTIN' MAKES ME
FEEL GOOD!

[Conan The Barbarian]

Id never thought I'd see the day when ghostbusters dialogue is being dissected. Lol

[Jinsai]

Wait, who the fuck ever said anything about the cast of the movie attending the midnight screening?!? JMFC, reading comprehension fail AGAIN.

Actually, yeah, I did misread it. It was this, "The original went over like a lead balloon, even with a group of diehards and/or enthusiasts on location where it was filmed." Honestly, the fact that the screening was held where the movie was filmed makes this even weirder... and since the crowd was consisting mostly of college kids who'd never seen it before, I don't get how they'd be diehards and/or enthusiasts, but what ever. This is the joy of anecdotal points. They make extraordinary claims and the only evidence is "I was there!"

[Hazekiah]

Well, I do appreciate your minor retraction on that one incidental point, fwiw.

I was was attempting to be brief there because I was posting from a mobile device and detailed posts are something of a chore that way. What I should have said was that I'd EXPECTED a livelier audience of diehards and enthusiasts BECAUSE it was a midnight showing in the city where it was filmed. I barely got there in time so the identity of the crowd, such as it was, remained a mystery to me until afterward.

Still, they tried. I can only assume that at least a few of them saw it as kids and attempted to relive their youth to truncated, disappointing results. Good on them for giving it a shot, at least! Apparently, NYU is kinda close so I'm guessing it was overhyped on campus or w/e.

That said, is it really "extraordinary" that a modern group of PC kids would (mis-?) judge an '80s comedy so harshly or that a modern remake's trailer might play better with an enthusiastic, opening weekend crowd for a sci-fi movie from the same studio? Because that's EXACTLY what happened on both counts.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's kind of the point of a remake in the first place.

Id never thought I'd see the day when ghostbusters dialogue is being dissected. Lol

I think you'll find MOST movies from your childhood are worth a second look as an adult, at least. They WERE generally written, directed, and produced by adults spinning their wheels for years within restrictive studio systems while also at the tops of their fields, after all.

Try watching the original Ghostbusters movie with an eye towards its extensive, heavy-handed sexual symbolism and I think you'll be surprised how hard it is NOT to see it all now that you've been tipped-off. I mean, there's TONS of obvious stuff, of course. But it's BRILLIANTLY subversive for a PG film BEYOND all that. Which is a HUGE part of its charm, ESPECIALLY for those not consciously aware of that aspect!

It is HILARIOUSLY omnipresent and well-integrated, lol.

[Hazekiah]

Apologies for the doublepost, but HEY new trailer:

I actually really like this one a lot!

Definitely loving the against-type casting of the hunky Hemsworth playing the ditzy secretary and the female cast's appropriation of the original movie's sexual symbolism with the weakly ineffectual and "impotent" proton stream along with what's-her-face licking her gun like that, lol.

Really starting to feel like this movie has more going for it than people on the internet seem willing to acknowledge.

[hellospaceboy]

Really starting to feel like this movie has more going for it than people on the internet seem willing to acknowledge.

I'm a big believer in this movie, the cast is fantastic and I can't wait to see it!!!

[Hazekiah]

Kevin Smith has made the observation that there is a HELL of a lot of comedic talent onboard here and it would almost be IMPOSSIBLE for them to NOT make something funny and entertaining.

Having enjoyed the trailers myself AND having personally seen them go over well with larger crowds, I'm inclined to agree.

Bimbo-Thor looks hilarious, too...and I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm kinda crushing on the "apocalypse"/gun-licker chick!

Plus, it's fucking Ghostbusters!!!

DEFINITELY BUYING A TICKET.

\m/

[hellospaceboy]

Kate McKinnon (the gun licking chick) is definitely supercute here!

[thevoid99]

I wanna see this. I wanna see how they can take something that people love and give it a new twist.

[Space Suicide]

Apologies for the doublepost, but HEY new trailer:

I actually really like this one a lot!

Definitely loving the against-type casting of the hunky Hemsworth playing the ditzy secretary and the female cast's appropriation of the original movie's sexual symbolism with the weakly ineffectual and "impotent" proton stream along with what's-her-face licking her gun like that, lol.

Really starting to feel like this movie has more going for it than people on the internet seem willing to acknowledge.

Ghostah-bustahs!

[Ryan]

Fuck this fucking film.


AAAWWWWWWWWWWWWW HELL NAWWW

[Conan The Barbarian]

I find it funny that that japanese got a better trailer than the us. Lol

Also the modern version of the theme sucks hard.

[Maximilian]

Everything about this film looks awful. Siskel and Ebert are going to come back and give it two thumbs down.

[GibbonBlack]

Everything about this film looks awful. Siskel and Ebert are going to come back and give it two thumbs down.

So it's worth it then

[Hazekiah]

Kate McKinnon (the gun licking chick) is definitely supercute here!

Sony's YouTube page released some character bio clips and I am still totally into her, lol. Really getting more and more into this movie the more I see of it!

[marodi]

[Hazekiah]

Very cool to see, thanks! Bill Murray of all people isn't generally known for his self-restraint and diplomacy, lol...so that's some pretty high praise he just gave the movie and its cast.

And I LOVED that "in utero" reply!

XD

[Frozen Beach]

Bill Murray looks miserable in that video, like he doesn't even want to be there. The only time he remotely looks happy is when he's acknowledged by the cast or Kimmel.

[neorev]

We had Sad Affleck... time for Sad Murray

[Hazekiah]

I mean, you could do that with footage of ANYONE really.

Especially with footage of an old man on a late night talk show, no offense to Batfleck, lol.

I admit, though...I AM curious to hear if he ever changes his tune. I just hope it's genuinely good and he's a comedian legitimately enjoying a comedic send-up of his famous comedy.

If nothing else I'm sure he's at least enjoying the fallout!

[hellospaceboy]

To be fair, Bill Murray was never shy of NOT endorsing a franchise when he doesn't like the final product. Charlie's Angels anyone?

[Khrz]

Yeah, Bill Murray strikes me as someone who has given all the fucks he had to give a long, long time ago. If (when) anyone asks him about the movie, he'll say whatever amuses him.

[GibbonBlack]

around the time of the leaked Sony e-mails wasn't it shown that Bill Murray was being threatened with legal action if he didn't appear? I imagine that would extend to being nice in interviews.

I might be remembering that wrong though

[Khrz]

That sounds hard to enforce, especially with a guy like him who can be delightfully snarky. The man's a ninja of shade, I'm sure he can find his way around any fine print.

[neorev]

around the time of the leaked Sony e-mails wasn't it shown that Bill Murray was being threatened with legal action if he didn't appear? I imagine that would extend to being nice in interviews.

I might be remembering that wrong though

Yes, I remember that as well from reading the e-mails.

[Millionaire]

around the time of the leaked Sony e-mails wasn't it shown that Bill Murray was being threatened with legal action if he didn't appear? I imagine that would extend to being nice in interviews.

That must be miserable for people who consider themselves artists to endure. I'm sure its in most actors' contracts, but its gotta be a bit of a soul-sucking experience, sitting there with a fake grin and praising something they might not be over-the-moon for.