Why Some People Are So Upset Over Chris Hemsworth's ​Ghostbusters​ Character

There's more to Kevin the receptionist than meets the eye.
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Photo: Courtesy of YouTube

We’re still a couple months out from the new Ghostbusters movie, but already this reboot is promising to shake up a much-beloved franchise. From the very first trailer, we got a glimpse of the four new characters who are going to be crossing streams and taking names – and this time, they’re all women. It shouldn’t be a revolution, but based on the internet’s reaction to the news that we would be getting an all-female group of Ghostbusters, there are parties in the psyched camp as well as those who need to get with the times.

The role of the Ghostbusters’ faithful assistant, originated by actress Annie Potts, was given to Chris Hemsworth (who most people are familiar with as Thor). He might play a grade-A, macho man hero in his other films, but here the movie doesn’t shy away from presenting his character Kevin as — this recent character spotlight describes him perfectly — “a Ken doll with the insides scooped out.”

Perusing through the YouTube comments of that video, one can’t help but notice several distinct male voices who strongly object to Hemsworth being relegated to the role of clueless receptionist. Never mind the fact that it’s a part that female actresses have played since the beginning of film itself.

Dumb blonde. Girl Friday. Sexy secretary. These are all tropes that we commonly associate with women, and no doubt there are specific female characters that come to mind. Ghostbusters is flipping the script by casting a man in that part, and now voices are crying foul, crying sexism: “Stop objectifying men,” one commenter wrote. “You’ve released a trailer that makes this film look even worse,” said another.

Screenshot: Courtesy of YouTube

Welcome to a shred of what female movie fans have been experiencing since, oh … forever. Many actresses built early careers off of “hot girl” cameos in Hollywood’s mainstream male-driven comedies. With Kevin, Ghostbusters is pointing the finger at every film that casts an attractive woman as unintelligent window dressing solely for the purposes of objectification. Now, those beleaguered tropes are being assigned to a man instead of a woman. It wouldn’t be so political if those tropes weren’t so prevalent elsewhere; these characters can make for great comic relief, but it’s when the gender is the joke that things take a turn. Kevin wouldn’t be making headlines if these female characters weren’t sadly the norm. But if they weren't, it’s hard to say if there would even be a need for him.

He’s also the latest in a recent series of male characters who have played the dimwitted eye-candy role typically held by a woman. In the 2014 film Neighbors, it’s Zac Efron; Channing Tatum filled that quota in She's the Man. Ashton Kutcher’s most successful roles nearly all fit this category. And these characters still managed to be dynamic and anchor compelling plots. They worked because they were written really well. If Kevin follows in these footsteps, Hemsworth will have a lot of material to work with, and it won't be a downgrade from his past projects at all.

Kevin might be kind of a Ken doll, but it’s not as though he’s without his goals and ambitions — the teaser points out that he also wants to be a Ghostbuster, to the degree that he makes his own suit and tries to help the team. Meanwhile, the original Ghostbusters secretary, Janine, never even got to wear the uniform of a Ghostbuster in the live-action films (and while she donned a jumpsuit in the cartoon series, it was always one from the men’s wardrobe). It’s frustrating, but true: male characters are still good parts, even if they’re not that bright. Women … well, they get to answer the phone.

The fact that Hemsworth is also doing this film now, at what could be considered the height of his popularity and his marketability as a masculine hero, makes a statement all on its own. Watching him lean in to this portrayal levels the playing field a little more and emphasizes the capability of our four lady leads, the Ghostbusters, who don’t need a man to come running in and save the day (or save New York from a supernatural invasion).

There’s also no question that he is using the opportunity to shine a light on Hollywood’s ridiculous track record of objectifying the “hot girl." He's identified as a feminist “for sure”, and given that there appears to be a lot of ad-libbing going on in the movie, we’ll likely have him to thank for some of the jokes that wind up in the final cut. From the looks of things, he’s more than happy to play the role – and the fact that he’s not just playing to the tongue-in-cheek “stereotyping,” but embracing it wholeheartedly, is encouraging.

And if you still feel like watching a movie where Chris Hemsworth is strong, capable, and full of agency – well, there’s always Thor. (And Thor 2, and The Avengers, and…)

Related: Chris Hemsworth Thanks Fan In the Best Way For Finding His Lost Wallet

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