The true beauty of this movie is the startling social commentary that it provides.

Hypothetically, any work of fiction is a reflection of the political and social climate of the time in which it was written, and when describing a blockbuster hit (like this was), this is especially pertinent, because it apparently resonated with a lot of people. But what does this mean?

Let's look at the movie:

  • The BAD GUYS: It’s the summer of 1984, and Ronald Reagan is stepping up his re-election campaign. And who is the bad guy in the biggest hit movie? The mean, petty, maniacal, self-promoting, just plain won't-mind-their-own-business Environmental Protection Agency. Yep, those guys over at the EPA sure are evil.
  • The GOOD GUYS: Those three wacky scientists who are determined, despite all odds being stacked against them, to round-up and imprison all of the supernatural residents of the city of New York. Sure, the ghosts may have been living, err, not-living, in that house for hundreds of years, but if we don’t stop them, a veritable invasion of aliens, or at least alien gods, from another world would take over the American way of life. I mean come on, these guys are just trying to make an honest dollar, you know, in the spirit of free trade. Not only that, the ghosts would pervert even the most basic of American institutions—the marketing campaigns of our youth.

So in conclusion, let me just say thank God for the Ghostbusters, because with out them we might have “dogs and cats living together,” and I for one shudder at the thought of different races cohabitating peacefully.


Credit where credit is due: This idea was first suggested to me by my friend Matt over cards, but he doesn’t node.


Personal Note: I LOVE this movie. It's just funny to me how conservative it is when you look at it. What can I say, I’m just another bitter victim of the “just say no” campaign. :-)