An African American star of the all-female Ghostbusters remake, Leslie Jones, has responded to claims that the casting of the film amounts to casual racism.
Fans on Twitter criticised the casting after the debut last week of a trailer for director Paul Feig’s film, in which three white actors – Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon – play scientists while a black actor, Jones, plays a street-smart average New Yorker.
Jones tweeted: “IT’S NOT A MAN, WOMAN, RACE, CLASS THANG!! IT’S A GHOSTBUSTER THANG!! AND AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED WE ALL GHOSTBUSTERS!! STAND TALL!!” In further posts, she wrote: “Why can’t a regular person be a Ghostbuster? … And why can’t I be the one who plays them? …
“Regular people save the world everyday, so if I’m the sterotype!! Then so be it!! We walk among heroes and take them for granted.”
ITS NOT A MAN, WOMAN, RACE, CLASS THANG!! ITS A GHOSTBUSTER THANG!! AND AS FAR AS IM CONCERNED WE ALL GHOSTBUSTERS!! STAND TALL!!
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) March 4, 2016
Regular People save the world everyday so if I'm the sterotype!! Then so be it!! We walk among Heroes and take them for granted.
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) March 4, 2016
Why can't a regular person be a ghostbuster. Im confused. And why can't i be the one who plays them i am a performer. Just go see the movie!
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) March 4, 2016
Jones disputed that her role as a subway worker should be seen as menial. She retweeted a follower who noted that Jones’ character, Patty Tolan, would most likely earn more than her academic fellow Ghostbusters.
I'm playing a hardworking woman.The regular one that rep the people. You guys are the racists by labeling her a lowly MTA worker.Not me
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) March 7, 2016
@ndreajohnson @Lesdoggg the average science professor makes $58,000 a year while the average for a MTA employee is at @81,000
— Michael Jeffcoat (@M_Jeffcoat84) March 5, 2016
Feig has not responded to criticisms about casting. Some fans have pointed out that the director has followed the casting of the original 1984 Ghostbusters, which featured the African American actor Ernie Hudson as the only non-academic member of the spirit-spiting quartet. Critics argue that Feig was not required to follow the original 1984 film’s blueprint.
Ghostbusters was the subject of boycott threats after Feig signed on and announced his intention to build his new version around “hilarious women”. A new Funny or Die video imagines three men who are fans of the original film watching the trailer for the remake and ultimately deciding that a world in which the Ghostbusters are female is not one they want to live in.
These bros are NOT happy about the new 'Ghostbusters' trailer featuring an all female cast.https://t.co/IO8kqRwwYR
— Funny Or Die (@funnyordie) March 5, 2016
