Is Ghostbusters Afterlife Woke? (Warning: Spoilers Inside)

Disclaimer: Hey there, Graveyard Disciples. What you're about to read is a deleted section of my Ghostbusters: Afterlife review. The reason why I deleted this from the main review is because I didn't want to drag the review down with politics. I was actually considering never showing this part, but I do know people eat into these woke crap. I guess for self-torment? I dunno. People are weird and that's coming from a guy who has a blog dedicated to the strange. But since people may want to know if the movie is woke, I decided to give this its own post, so if people are interested they can read it or if not, cool. Enjoy. 

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Some people have complained about Ghostbusters: Afterlife being woke. Yes, even being considered a "righty" when it comes to politics, even I roll my eyes at this observation. I'm not a "righty" by the way. I'm an independent who has agreed with different sides of the political spectrum, but if you don't fully agree with one side, "you're THIS!" and they write you off as an extremist without asking you questions. I think if you get so mad at someone who doesn't agree with your political view, I take it you're not that confident in your beliefs, but that's just my opinion. 

I've been seeing some "righty" or center Youtubers accusing this movie of being woke. I, I personally, don't think this movie is woke. Yes, I know woke garbage exists and anyone with half a brain can spot when a TV show, movie, or what not is woke. Personally, I'm not in that stuff for numerous reasons and if your mind automatically goes to, "Uh, duh. It's just because you're a ist-a-phobe!" Then you're a jackass. Plain and simple, you're an airhead. I'm allowed to like what I like and if you like it? Good for you. Personally I think you're poisoning your mind with filth, lies, and hatred disguised as 'diversity' and 'inclusion.' 

The people who advocate for the woke ideology in media parade themselves around like they're the nice ones, while their ideology is based on just building up this race, this sexuality, this gender by knocking down and demoralizing another race, another sexuality, another gender, and it's not even limited to that. Every time I hear those two words, 'diversity' and 'inclusion' it doesn't mean what it's supposed to, it means either: take over, erasure of another character, demoting a beloved character, shitting all over people of a certain race, gender, creed, sexuality, etc. You're insulting a potential fanbase and then stupidly wonder why people don't buy into it like the lemmings who do. But people are accusing Afterlife of doing this? I think you watched the wrong movie. 

I do realize some people on the left can be unfortunately a hivemind, but I also realize people who I agree with, 'my side' can be a hivemind too and 'my side' has a few people who have said this movie is woke. Most of these Youtubers make a living bitching about wokeness, you would think they would know what it is, but in this case, they couldn't be more wrong. 

Batwoman on the CW is woke. This is not Batwoman on the CW. That's probably the pinnacle of woke garbage in TV shows, just ask Az from HeelvsBabyface. This is nowhere near that. Phoebe had some issues with certain things. She wasn't a Mary Sue, knowing how to do everything, because she's the BESTEST EVAR! She didn't know everything and she had faults to her character. She needed help from her grandfather - a straight, white male, to guide her on how to fix the Proton Pack. She didn't automatically fix it on her own with no help from a male. "I don't needs no help from a penis. YAASSS queen!" There was none of that. She also needed Egon's help, as well as the rest of the Ghostbusters (who are all male, if you forget), as well as her brother's help to beat Gozer. Again, how is this woke? 

If this was woke, her, her mother, and Lucky (the woke crowd would give her bonus points for skin color) would be able to defeat Gozer, the Terror Dogs, and the old Ghostbusters would look like bums who don't know what they're doing. Maybe except for Winston, but he's straight, so they'll dock a few points off of his social credit score. Phoebe would've been able to defeat Gozer on her own, no problem, and while she did that she would spit on Egon's grave, proclaiming she did a better job than HIM at busting Gozer. Then she would demand an apology from Peter and Ray for being white and then they tell her she's super amazing and then suddenly they die of heart attacks, become ghosts, Phoebe traps them as well. Winston says he never liked whitey anyway ... GHOSTBUSTERS! The end. Thankfully they didn't go this route. Again, how is this movie woke? 

Callie is a struggling mother who doesn't blame her problems on the patriarchy. Lucky is a black woman who doesn't blame her problems on white people or doesn't once whine about white privilege, despite Summerville being mostly white. Yes, she makes the comment about Gozer being woke for someone from 3,000 B.C. but I don't think it was the movie flying the woke flag and I took it more as something someone from modern day would say about Gozer, no matter if they're right or left. Remember, in the original 1984 Ghostbusters, they did say Gozer is neither male or female. Now put that in a 2021 context and someone would say that sounds woke, even if they're just kidding. I still rolled my eyes, I think it would've been better if she didn't say that, but in the end, I understand why given the time we're in. Whether Jason Reitman did it as a dig towards Republicans or did it as a joke, I don't care. I'm not going to let one line of dialogue ruin a movie for me. 

Also, if it was woke, it is a very patriotic woke movie. Did you see all the American flags in Ghostbusters: Afterlife? There was a ton! Whether it was on a flag pole or in the classroom or in Wal-Mart or there were also few places where you had the color scheme of red, white, and blue. If this was truly woke, they wouldn't have American flags everywhere. Why? Because woke people hate America. Hell, I think the woke people reading this will even proudly agree with that sentiment. I mean, yes, I'm fully aware that they probably only did that because it's a small town and 'small town folk' are normally patriotic or at the very least have a respect for the country, so American flags are common place and they probably just did that to get the small town aesthetic right. I should know, I'm from and still live in a small town. I don't know Jason or Ivan Reitman's politics. I know Dan Akroyd has had some lefty takes over the years, but I don't think he necessarily hates the U.S. But even if they were leftist, woke, whatever, at least they swallowed their opinions to make a small town look like a small town. Again, if this was woke --- no U.S. flags. 

 

In closing, while yes, I, James, the guy behind Scared Sheetless, does not like the woke stuff, think it does more harm than good for inclusion and diversity, think the people claiming this is woke need to get their eyes checked. Jesus Christ, this movie is nowhere near woke and I think some people, even those "on my side" are just looking for things to bitch at, it's pathetic.