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THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015
arts & features
TRENDING All-female cast of 'Ghostbusters' remake fuels gender controversy
LYNDSEY HAVENS
@LyndseyAlana
Who ya gonna call? Well, maybe no one. These days, thanks to Twitter, all you have to do is click a button to be heard.
As more female figures dominate the entertainment industry, from Beyoncé to Katniss Everdeen, it may seem logical — or maybe surprising — that the next step would be to rewrite classic films with female leads in place of the original male leads.
It was announced this week that the film "Ghostbusters" will undergo a remake with one drastic change: The cast will consist of all female leads.The cast includes Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones — four women who are no strangers to comedy. Three of the four have either been or still are cast members of Saturday Night Live, with the exception of McCarthy, though she has hosted the show three times.
Jezebel published an article written by "A Hysterical Man," in which the writer satirically vents about his misguided definition of feminism and his seemingly ruined childhood.
The controversy over the remake has nothing to do with the choice of cast but rather its gender. While some are reveling in the remake, others are far less enthused.
"Bad news, manosphere: F-F-F-F-F-FEMINISTS have seized the "Ghostbusters" franchise, replacing all of the characters that we've grown to know and love," the article says. "'Ghostbusters'? MORE LIKE BALLBUSTERS."
The article hits on several far less satirical sentiments shared by others as well. Countless tweets regarding the new film can be neatly filed into three separate categories: those in favor of female role models, those who are simply confused with the concept of feminism and those who are stuck in the past.
However, as Rolling Stone reported, after Harold Ramis, who played Egon Spengler, passed in February 2014, "any hope of reuniting the original 'Ghostbusters' crew ended." The article said when the remake was announced, director Paul Feig clarified the film was certainly not a "Ghostbusters 3."
"I love the first one so much, I don't want to do anything to ruin the memory of that," he said.
The backlash from some has come along with praise from others. Women on Twitter have said they wish there had been more females in leading roles when they were growing up.
Twitter has also become infused with commentary on the concept of feminism, or at least what it is thought to be, as some claim the film has a feminist agenda.
Amidst all the controversy, it is important to remember that in the end, people are taking time out of their days to debate over a fictional film in which people hunt ghosts.
Edited by Callie Byrnes
YO-YO YOUNGSTERS
Student's skill toy club establishes confidence in kids
TIM MCGINNIS
@tim.mcginnis
@tim_mcginnis
Mac Crider picked up a yo-yo for the first time in middle school. Crider, a sophomore from Topeka, is a yo-yo and kendama expert who teaches a class on the art of skill toys.
He teaches the class how to do yo-yo tricks, juggle and most importantly, he helps his students establish a sense of accomplishment.
"One of my favorite parts of teaching these classes is playing with the toys," Crider said. "But, more importantly, I've always had an interest in teaching younger folks about things I like."
Crider is well known in the Lawrence community and by his work colleagues for his yo-yo skills. Nick Guffey, Crider's co-worker at the Toy Store downtown, said he thinks it's special that Crider is able to share his abilities with others.
"Mac is very talented with the yo-yo and kendama," Guffey said. "He can do a lot of tricks other people in the store can't."
When Crider is not busy working or doing homework for his computer engineering classes, he can be found with a yo-yo or kendama in his hands, fine-tuning his skills. He attends classes and clubs where he learns new tricks and interacts with other yo-yo enthusiasts. He said he practices tricks he finds on the Internet nearly every day, and sometimes he even invents his own.
"Typically I just play around with the toys until I do something that I think is cool," he said.
Crider said playing with yo-yos helped him with the self-confidence issues he had as a child. When he created the Skill Toy Club in March, one
of the club's main objectives became helping kids gain confidence. He understands what it is like to lack confidence, and he said he hopes that skill toys will impact the kids in his class the same way they impacted him.
"Whenever I see a kid learn how to use a new toy, it is an incredible feeling," he said. "I love to see the smile on their face and know that they are already becoming more confident."
MAC CRIDER
Sophomore from Topeka
"Everyone has an inner child; you just have to keep it alive. Playing with yo-yos and kendamas keeps it alive in me."
Crider's love for teaching others how to use yo-yos and kendamas doesn't only apply to children. He said he loves to teach his friends how to use the toys, and sometimes he brings them to parties and teaches people there.
"People always get excited when I take the kendamas out," he said. "Their first reaction is, 'Wow, what is that?'
Crider said playing with his yo-yo or kendama is a great way to take a step back from the pressure of college. His passion for toys is what keeps him going every day, and without it he would not be the person he is.
"Everyone has an inner child; you just have to keep it alive," Crider said. "Playing with yoyos and kendamas keeps it alive in me."
Edited by Callie Byrnes
Mac Crider preforms a yo-vo trick at the Lawrence Toy Store downtown where he works.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
5 things to expect from Super Bowl performers
LYNDSEY HAVENS
@LyndseyAlana
Idina Menzel will sing the national anthem at this year's Super Bowl and Katy Perry will perform during halftime. While both of these female powerhouses boast full résumés, what can be expected of them during their upcoming performances on Sunday?
1. Perry told ESPN she will squeeze in as many familiar hits as possible. Expect a medley of songs from old favorites like "Hot n Cold" to recent chart-toppers like "Roar."
2. Lenny Kravitz will make an appearance, as Perry announced weeks ago via Twitter.
3. The collaboration of Perry and Kravitz will sound very different from the fabricated song Tim Heidecke leaked earlier this week.
CHRISTIE GOODWIN/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Katy Perry performs on stage on the opening night of her Prismatic World Tour at Odyssey Arena on May 7, 2014 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
4. Perry hinted she will have fun with her entrance and exit, causing some to speculate she will put the University of Phoenix's retractable roof to good use. Diana Ross departed from her 1996 performance by helicopter. How will Perry top that?
5. Idina Menzel, or Adele Dazeem as John Travolta once said, will sing the national anthem. After her New Year's Eve misfortune in which she failed to hit the high note at the end of "Let It Go," viewers should (hopefully) expect a flawless redemption performance.
— Edited by Laura Kubicki
JOHN SHEARER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Idina Menzel performs during the 2014 Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles
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