People aren’t happy with Total Film’s Ghostbusters cover | Metro.co.uk 

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Erving Goffman would have a field day with this Ghostbusters cover (Picture: Total Film)

The Ghostbusters reboot is one of the most talked about films of the year and mostly because of the sexist backlash over females taking the lead.

So it’s not too surprising to see people are a bit peeved about Total Film’s cover of their latest issue which sees Chris Hemsworth take centre stage.

Yep, a supporting male character – who is a secretary in the film – is positioned in front of the leading cast Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon, as though he’s Charlie and these are his paranormal-busting Angels.

Nothing like the ritualisation of subordination to somewhat diminish the important feminist message of this reboot.

The cover obviously hasn’t gone unnoticed by film fans:

— (((Tom Neenan))) (@TNeenan) July 3, 2016

Bit shocked that @totalfilm's #Ghostbusters cover has Chris Hemsworth's supporting character front and centre… https://t.co/Q81QxhvY33

— Craig Stevens (@MrFraig) July 3, 2016

Made all the more divisive by you putting the ONLY MAN in it in the centre of your cover! @EverydaySexism @totalfilm https://t.co/yTY0i4DDgc

— Eloise Oatley (@welliellie) July 3, 2016

Total Film's cover is @paulfeig's #Ghostbusters but Chris Hemsworth front and centre. Coz if you cant be a solution, perpetuate the problem!

@TNeenan @VexSlain @totalfilm I remember when the original GB did this pose with Janine front and centre... Oh wait...

@TNeenan @finkowska @totalfilm wait until you look inside and see the ONLY interview for the new ghostbusters is with him... Mental

Some people have suggested that Chris was put in the middle because the main interview is with him, which would make the cover design pretty reasonable.

@TNeenan @finkowska @totalfilm The person that they just happen to be interviewing... Like that was the plan or something.

Total Film’s editor-in-chief, Jane Crowther, told Metro.co.uk:

This film has attracted ugly criticism from the get-go and I was always determined to put a female-led blockbuster on Total Film’s cover. We supported the film from the beginning and interviewed everyone for this feature –  director, Paul Feig, the leads (Wiig, McCarthy, Jones and McKinnon) and Hemsworth. And our feature frankly discusses the sexism and backlash against the film with all those we talked to. Not sexist at all – but if it gets people talking about, and more aware of, sexism – and gets bums on seats for a female-led summer blockbuster all to the good.

Clearly the magazine didn’t intend to sideline the female leads, but the cover still could certainly be seen as perpetuating the misogynistic attitude towards the reboot.

An online campaign by a sexist minority of movie fans is trying to see the film tank, and helped the trailer to become the most disliked on YouTube.

Ghostbusters director Paul Feig is sick of people calling his film a chick flick

But Feig has continuously shouted down the sexist vitriol issued by these naysayers, comparing it to the treatment of female gamers.

‘It’s the same thing that the women went through with Gamergate,’ the director told The Verge. ‘They were just getting hammered, and everyone says “Well, why don’t you just go offline?” But it’s like getting chased out of your neighborhood.

Ghostbusters is out in cinemas on July 15, 2016. Total Film’s July issue is out now.

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