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Pop Culture

Remembering comedy royalty Ivan Reitman, who taught us how to laugh at ghosts

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Ivan Reitman.

It’s admittedly cliche to write “we lost one of the greats,” but nothing feels more appropriate when writing about director, producer and screenwriter Ivan Reitman.

Reitman’s work is the quintessential comedy experience for people across at least three generations. His biggest film, “Ghostbusters” was a first-of-its kind pop culture phenomenon. “National Lampoon's Animal House” flipped frat house humor on its head. “Meatballs” introduced the world to Bill Murray, for cryin’ out loud. Reitman always seemed to know exactly how to blend silliness, innovation and heart in the most magical way.

Part of Reitman’s gift was his knack for finding funny people. "You get a sense after a while when you're seeing something special in a person," Reitman said in a 2007 interview. "They have a way of taking a stage, or taking a screen. It's not just that they know how to say something funny—there's something about their face where you just have to keep looking at them."

Reitman even saw the comedic potential of action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger, who starred in two of Reitman’s movies: “Kindergarten Cop” and “Twins.” This was a near 180-degree turn from the normal bare-chested barbarian and souped-up killing machine roles that Schwarzenegger had become known for.

On hearing the news of Reitman’s passing on Feb 12, Schwarzenegger gave a heartfelt statement on Twitter, calling him not only “comedy royalty,” but also “kind, generous, smart as hell, and always there for you.”

Schwarzenegger certainly wasn’t alone in his appreciation. Filmmakers and film lovers alike paid tribute on social media.

Paul Feig, who directed the all-female version of “Ghostbusters” in 2016, reflected collaborating with Reitman for the project. “It was always such a learning experience,” he wrote. “All of us in comedy owe him so very much.”

Kumail Nanjiani, co-creator of “The Big Sick” and a film trailblazer in his own right, tweeted, “A Legend. The number of great movies he made is absurd.”

Included in that absurd list is “Beethoven” and “Space Jam,” which Reitman produced. It’s not easy to make family movies that are actually funny to all family members. But Reitman excelled at it.

Mindy Kaling, who worked with Reitman on the rom-com “No Strings Attached,” described him as “old school in the best way,” adding, “it’s sad he’s gone, it makes me feel older and like my childhood movies are more far away than ever.”

Even Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, spoke out. According to CNN, Rothman said in a statement, “Tonight, the lady with the torch weeps, as do all of us at Columbia, and film lovers around the world. Ivan Reitman was an inseparable part of this studio’s legacy, but more than that he was a friend. A great talent and an even finer man; he will be dearly missed…”

Ivan instilled a love for comedy into his son, Jason Reitman, whose tribute took on a more personal tone.

“All I want is the chance to tell my father one more story,” the tweet read.

Jason might not be able to fulfill that wish, but he does continue his father’s storytelling legacy. Working with his dad, Jason directed the franchise’s latest installment: “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” and has produced dark comedy cult classics “Jennifer’s Body” and “Young Adult.”

Even the official “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” Twitter account paid its respects, saying, “See you on the other side. Rest In Peace Ivan Reitman”

The world might be saddened by the loss of this icon of feel-good entertainment, but it’s only because he gave us all so so many moments that opened our hearts and brought us to laughter.

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Gillian Anderson's tweet to 'Ghostbuster' Kate McKinnon shows the power of nerd girls.

Kate McKinnon proves the future is female.

Gillian Anderson has been kicking ass and taking names for women in the entertainment industry since "The X-Files" premiered over 20 years ago.

Photo by Araya Diaz/Getty Images.

Ever since "The X-Files" first premiered in 1993, Anderson has been fighting to be treated as an equal to her male co-star on the series, David Duchovny.

As the Daily Beast reported:

"While Scully asserted her authority at every turn, Anderson found herself fighting just to stand on (literal) equal ground with her male co-star. The studio initially required Anderson to stand a few feet behind her male partner on camera, careful never to step side-by-side with him. And it took three years before Anderson finally closed the wage gap between her pay and Duchovny’s, having become fed up with accepting less than 'equal pay for equal work.'"

Anderson's portrayal of Scully over 20 years ago was an inspiration for a generation of women who grew up seeing themselves represented in a science-fiction show.

Kate McKinnon, star of "Saturday Night Live" and the recent "Ghostbusters" reboot, is one of those women — and even once dressed up as Scully for Halloween.

While that's amazing all on its own, it's not the most exciting news here.

Gillian Anderson just tweeted a photo of a young McKinnon dressed in full Scully regalia:

She captioned the photo:

"Kate McKinnon, we have something in common & it's not slimy green things. #Ghostbusters #thefutureisfemale"

This tweet is so many awesome things at once. Not only did Anderson honor McKinnon, the incredibly talented and deserving breakout star of "Ghostbusters," but she added the hashtag #thefutureisfemale, a slogan that originated back in 1972 to commemorate the first women's bookstore in New York City. Over the years, it's become a phrase for women's empowerment in the face of oppression.

Anderson's tweet makes an important statement about "Ghostbusters," a movie that's taken a lot of flack for putting hilarious women in the foreground. And fans have echoed her sentiment across Twitter.

Writer Jill Pantozzi shared a photo of herself also dressed as Scully:


In an article about why prominent female characters are important in movies like "Ghostbusters" and TV shows like "The X-Files," Pantozzi explained, "No matter how you feel about Ghostbusters, you can't deny these women and their characters will make a lasting and powerful impact to so many people."

Thanks to Anderson, McKinnon, and all women battling the still frightfully misogynistic world that is the entertainment business, things are slowly but surely changing for the better.

Hopefully, as a result, there will be a lot more girls dressed up like Scully and the Ghostbusters gang this Halloween.

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See Leslie Jones fight back tears to thank her idol, Whoopi Goldberg.

If you don't know who Leslie Jones is, she's about to be a household name.

The 48-year-old comedian, actor, and "Saturday Night Live" cast member is one of the stars of the hotly anticipated remake of "Ghostbusters," which opened July 15, 2016.


Jones at the "Ghostbusters" premiere in her Christian Siriano dress. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.

Jones' stand-up comedy and work on "SNL" has already earned her some serious street cred in the comedy world, and now she's about to be officially launched into stardom.

Like most people in show business, Jones was once just a kid inspired by the people she saw on TV.

Chief among them? Whoopi Goldberg, the EGOT-winning actress and comedian who currently co-hosts "The View."

Whoopi's famous one-woman show "Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway" appeared on TV in 1985 — when Jones was just 18 years old.

Goldberg in her 1985 HBO special. Image via OWN/YouTube.

Recently, Jones appeared on "The View" to promote "Ghostbusters," and she finally got to thank the woman who inspired her all those years ago:

"When I was young, my dad always let me listen to comedy albums. I always knew about comedy. I always loved comedy. The day I saw Whoopi Goldberg on television, I cried so hard. Because I kept looking at my daddy going, 'Oh my god! There's somebody on TV who looks like me! She looks like me! Daddy! I can be on TV. I can be on TV. I can do it. Look at her. Look at her. She looks just like me!"

Leslie Jones on "The View." Image via The View/YouTube.

Jones went on to describe a communications class she took in college where she performed a monologue as one of Whoopi's characters, including a white sweatshirt draped over her head.

Image via The View/YouTube.

Then, as if she'd been waiting her whole life to do it, Jones eloquently and emotionally thanked Whoopi for the inspiration she gave her as a child:

"I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart because now I know what I'm doing when I put on that Ghostbusters suit and little girls see me on TV now. They're gonna go, 'I can do it,' and you gave that to me, and I love you. I love you from my heart and my soul. I love you for what you've done for black women. I love you for what you'd done for black comedians, and I love you."

Image via The View/YouTube.

With the opening of "Ghostbusters" and her continued work in comedy, Jones is passing that torch of inspiration forward.

Millions of people will get to see Leslie Jones in a summer blockbuster, and millions more watch her every Saturday night on one of the most important and iconic comedy programs of all time.

If even one of them sees her and says: "She looks like me. Maybe I can do that too," then that's a job well done.

Watch Leslie Jones' full interview on "The View":

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Leslie Jones couldn't get a dress for her 'Ghostbusters' premiere, so she took to Twitter.

The 'SNL' star was turned down by multiple designers before getting a yes.

Leslie Jones is pretty hilarious.

GIF from "Saturday Night Live."

The 48-year-old comic has some serious Hollywood experience, too. She’s been doing comedy since she was in college, she stars in the all-female version of "Ghostbusters," and herrecent rise to stardom on "Saturday Night Live" has made her a household name.

Yet, somehow, the comedian couldn't get a dress made for her own premiere party.

She was (validly) frustrated, so she took to Twitter about her struggle to find someone to design a high fashion dress for her to wear at the "Ghostbusters" premiere.


Her tweet caught the eyes of designer Christian Siriano, a former winner on "Project Runway."

“I love Leslie and can’t wait to make her something fabulous to wear. I dress and support women of all ages and sizes,” Siriano told Time in an e-mail.

Siriano is known for his body-positive designs, so his offer to work with Jones isn't surprising. He has created dresses for actresses Danielle Brooks and Christina Hendricks, and he also has a line at clothing store Lane Bryant.


Jones at an Elle comedy event. Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images.

As it turns out, Jones' situation is unfortunately pretty common for Hollywood's women of color and plus-sized women.

It's a problem that Siriano alone can't solve. For many Hollywood women who don't fit the bill of what society deems "worthy of high fashion," finding someone to design a dress for big events can be near impossible.

Singer/songwriter Beyoncé spoke about those challenges when accepting an award at the Council of Fashion Designers of American Awards:

"Starting out in Destiny’s Child, high-end labels didn’t really want to dress four black country curvy girls, and we couldn’t afford designer dresses and couture. My mother was rejected from every showroom in New York. But like my grandmother, she used her talent and her creativity to give her children their dreams."

The problem has been called out by other women, too. Actress Melissa McCarthy was forced to ask five or six designers to design an Oscars dress for her until finally getting a yes, a ridiculous task for someone going to a show to be celebrated.

The problem doesn't just exist for awards shows either. From being heavily clothed on a magazine cover to being called "less classically beautiful," many women have long been treated as though they are not beautiful enough.

Jones' reaction was brave and important. And it also called attention to something else:

If fashion industry leaders don’t start listening to the outcries of the women they’re ignoring, those women may stop supporting their work.

And if those women stop supporting their work, others may follow.

It looks like we might be moving toward progress in inclusive fashion.

With more folks like Christian Siriano stepping up, we’re a few steps closer to creating a more inclusive industry. Plus, fashion bloggers like Gabi Fresh and Nicolette Mason are making waves in the industry, and recent campaigns like the JCPenny's #HereIAm (which celebrates plus-sized women) have been highly regarded.

So maybe — just maybe! — we’re headed to place where a variety of body types are visible and accepted in Hollywood. Thanks for standing strong, Leslie. Can't wait to see your dress!

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