Melissa McCarthy Responds to 'Ghostbusters' Reboot Backlash

Almost immediately after it was announced that a new iteration of the Ghostbusters would be [...]

Almost immediately after it was announced that a new iteration of the Ghostbusters would be hitting theaters, "fans" of the series decried the fact that the main characters would be women. This resulted in a backlash against the film, which ultimately became the first thing people think of when 2016's Ghostbusters comes up and the film's actual quality is ignored. Star Melissa McCarthy questions what might be wrong with people who claim the film "ruined their childhood."

"Kind of jarring that in this day and age, that that is something that someone...like, if you said, 'You ruined my childhood,' I remember that was a thing, which I thought, 'I'm pretty sure you've got a weird childhood. If a movie, 35 years later, is ruining your childhood, don't blame us, you've got your own issues,'" the actress shared with Yahoo!. "I just don't know why people are so afraid of women. It's fascinating to me. And I don't know how to explain it, other than, as the mom of two daughters, I just always say, 'There you go. Be you. Don't back down.'"

Much like the recent backlash against Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the disinterest in a Ghostbusters reboot didn't inherently make you sexist. However, the deluge of sexist and racist remarks hurled at the cast after the release of trailers and the film's debut made it clear that some of the potential critics were motivated by hate.

Following the debut of the film's first trailer, campaigns were launched to make it the most disliked video on YouTube, a service which also broadcasts real-life brawls and racist propaganda. It was evident that, given the number of reboots of popular films debuting every year, something about a female-driven reimagining got under the skin of sexists and decided to make their ignorant voices heard.

Director Paul Feig even included a jab at internet trolls in the finished film, though he ultimately regretted giving them any sort of attention.

"Before Ghostbusters, I had this sort of lovely relationships with the Internet," Feig explained to the crowd at last year's Tribeca Film Festival. If I could go back in the time machine, I just wouldn't read it ... The biggest mistake I made was I took on one of the trolls."

Sadly, the underwhelming response to the film, both genuine and fueled by hatred, seems to have dashed any hopes of the live-action franchise continuing.

Stay tuned for details on the future of the Ghostbusters franchise.

Are you disappointed that we'll never get a follow-up film? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Yahoo!]

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