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    Leslie Jones reacts to criticism of ‘Ghostbusters’ character

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1800 Views
    In this Sept. 6, 2014, file photo, actress Leslie Jones poses at the "Top Five" premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP, File)

    By Derrik J. Lang, Entertainment Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    Leslie Jones ain't afraid of no ghost — or playing a transit worker.

    The co-star of the upcoming all-female version of "Ghostbusters" took to Twitter to defend her role as a member of the paranormal-fighting group who appears in footage released Thursday to be an employee of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

    The portrayal of the team's only non-white member as a subway worker in filmmaker Paul Feig's new "Ghostbusters" came under fire on social media after the trailer debuted online.

    "Why can't a regular person be a Ghostbuster?" the African-American actress-comedienne posted on Twitter. "I'm confused. And why can't I be the one who plays them? I am a performer. Just go see the movie!"

    Jones' character Patty teams up to fight ghosts and other apparitions in the film with Kristen Wiig's particle physicist Erin, Melissa McCarthy's paranormal researcher Abby and Kate McKinnon's nuclear engineer Jillian.

    In one scene, Jones' character tells them, "You guys are really smart about this science stuff, but I know New York — and I can borrow a car from my uncle."

    A poster for the character released earlier this year referred to Patty as a "ghost tracker, municipal historian, metaphysical commando."

    "I understand this is a reboot of 'Ghostbusters' from 1984 and the new characters mirror their male counterparts," wrote Donna Dickens on the pop culture site HitFix.com on Friday. "But it's been over 30 years and the dynamic of three white scientists and 'street-wise' minority is dated."

    Jones, who serves as a "Saturday Night Live" cast member and appeared in the film "Top Five," made it clear she was not personally offended by the part, adding on Twitter: "IT'S NOT A MAN, WOMAN, RACE, CLASS THANG!! IT'S A GHOSTBUSTER THANG!!"

    A spokeswoman for "Ghostbusters" writer-director Feig did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

    In the original "Ghostbusters" films, Ernie Hudson portrayed the team's only non-white member, Winston. He joined the group by responding to a help wanted ad and did not have any prior experience with paranormal activity.

    The new "Ghostbusters" installment is scheduled for release July 15.

    Tags:GhostbustersLeslie Jones



    What will happen to CNBC and MSNBC when they no longer have a corporate connection to NBC News?

    Thursday, November 21, 2024
    MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow, left, Lawrence O'Donnell, center, and Chris Matthews take part in a panel discussion at the NBC Universal summer press tour, Aug. 2, 2011, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

    Comcast's corporate reorganization means that there will soon be two television networks with "NBC" in their name — CNBC and MSNBC — that will no longer have any corporate connection to NBC News.

    How that affects viewers of those networks, along with the people who work there, still needs to shake out. Their new corporate leader, Mark Lazarus, visited the set of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" as the plan was being announced on Wednesday and spoke to network staff members during a morning conference call to address concerns.

    Comcast is spinning off most of its cable networks, also including USA, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and the Golf Channel, into a separate company. That recognizes how streaming is considered the future and the cable networks are a drag on the bottom line.

    In the space of a lifetime, the networks went from upstarts aside a legacy operation like NBC to profitable superstars to castoffs.

    Questions range from the simple to complex
    Lazarus, chairman of the NBC Universal Media Group, is becoming CEO of the newly-formed company of cable networks, temporarily dubbed "SpinCo." Cesar Conde, who as NBC Universal News Group chairman had oversight of CNBC and MSNBC, will lose those networks from his portfolio, yet remain in charge of NBC News, NBC News Now streaming, Telemundo and the news operations of the NBC-owned local stations.

    The presence of Lazarus and Anand Kini, who will be chief operating officer and chief financial officer of SpinCo, is a good sign for the new company, said Jessica Reif Ehrlich, research analyst for the Bank of America. "You can't dismiss it as getting rid of the crappy assets, because these are talented executives," she said.

    At MSNBC, questions about the future range from the... Read More

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