The Ghostbusters franchise began with the original release in 1984 and saw significant development in the 2016 reboot. This reboot updated the casting, evolving all the characters, particularly the construction of the receptionist. Janine Melnitz was the original receptionist, followed by Kevin Beckham in the reboot. While they differ in construction in prominent ways, such as age and gender, they share similarities, like race. Looking deeper at these similarities and differences shows how they both achieved the same goal in their role.
Janine Melnitz
Janine Melnitz signifies the archetype of the capable, professional working woman of the 1980s. Her attributes are portrayed as sharp-tongued, intelligent, assertive, and hardworking, challenging the passive secretary stereotype. Certain aspects of this character construction were integral for her attributes to shine through, specifically her gender, age, and race.
Gender
An article by Haines et al., 2016, examined gender stereotype trends over 30 years from 1983 to 2014. In the 2014 replicated study, 191 participants rated the likelihood of men or women having specific traits, occupations, or characteristics. In both studies, men were consistently associated with agentic traits (independence, competence), women were more likely to be associated with communal traits (empathy, expressivity), and female gender roles increased in stereotyping over time, suggesting that traditional views of women have become more pronounced. Despite some romantic subtext, her identity and purpose remained independent in the film. Her bold attributes allowed her to pioneer challenging the “hot but dumb” stereotype and set a shift toward recognizing women as capable professionals.
Age
Janine appears to be a middle-aged woman, projecting a more professional image associated with maturity and experience. This age group is less frequently linked to sexualization and objectification compared to younger age groups. She also presented a conservative and professional wardrobe to emphasize her skills over her appearance. Janine’s depiction of a competent, non-sexualized professional female character creates a positive role model for women in similar positions.
Race
While Janine’s other qualities challenge the norm, her race does not. Janine was a white woman, which fit the norm of the 1980s media representation. Her race made her more relatable to a predominantly white audience. This choice may have been strategic to challenge the audience’s notion of women’s role in films while not pushing the boundaries too far. It allowed her to challenge stereotypes without adding to the complexity of diversity.
Kevin Beckham
Kevin Beckman (2016) is a male receptionist who signifies the reversal of gender stereotypes by embodying the “dumb blonde” and “hot but dumb” secretary stereotypes while challenging views on masculinity. His key attributes were air-headedness, cluelessness, goofiness, and passiveness, all traits not typically seen in male characters.
Gender
Kevin’s character acts as a juxtaposition. While his attributes are that of a “dumb blonde” and “hot but dumb” female tropes, he has a large, muscular stature, which is associated with the hyper-masculine. His character critiqued gender norms with humour to emphasize the absurdity of these stereotypes. He also challenged how society views masculinity. Secretarial jobs are not associated with power or authority. These roles support or assist other positions with more power and responsibility. Kevin’s portrayal encourages viewers to reconsider traditional gender roles for women and men.
Age
A study by Levy et al. (2022) investigated the effect of age-related stereotypes on the self-esteem and career prospects of young adults. After viewing diverse media content, the attitudes of 500 participants regarding young adult stereotypes were assessed. They found that in media, young adults were often portrayed as naïve, inexperienced, and incompetent, leading to lower self-esteem and real-life career aspirations. Older adults held more prejudiced views, reinforcing age discrimination in the workplace. Kevin appears to be in his 20s or early 30s, enhancing attributes like naivety. His age allowed him to lean into the “hot and dumb” stereotype as his character was explicitly hired for his looks, mirroring real-world issues faced by women in the workforce.
Race
In 2023, researcher Florian Arendt conducted an experiment where 380 participants were exposed to prejudice-consistent news or prejudice-challenging news. Arendt found that prejudice-consistent news increased the prejudiced attitudes of participants, while the opposite was also true. This study demonstrates how consistent stereotypical depictions of characters can cause detrimental effects on societal views of diverse groups (Arendt, 2023). Kevin highlights the intersectionality of race and gender. Kevin had more societal privilege as a white male, allowing him to be depicted as goofy and incompetent yet still perceived as endearing and non-threatening, unlike characters of colour who could face prejudice or negative racial stereotypes.
Viewer Perception
Janine’s character had a positive psychological and societal impact. Her refreshing but not overly radical character fostered a more inclusive and respectful portrayal of women in media. Despite being a supporting character, she moved away from the margins of visibility by challenging stereotypes and being an integral member of the Ghostbusters. In contrast, Kevin faced significant criticism because of different cultural contexts and ongoing gender role debates. The reboot received substantial negative feedback for many reasons but could also be linked to Kevin’s character, radically promoting gender inclusivity and diverse expressions of masculinity.
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