Sony Pictures Entertainment explicitly politicized one of its movies on Wednesday by allowing the official “Ghostbusters” Twitter account to endorse Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
“Boo-yah, we smashed your glass ceiling. There was a ghost behind it. #ImWithHer #BustTheCeiling #Ghostbusters,” the account tweeted. A gif accompanying the message read “2016 — The year we busted ghosts and the glass ceiling. #I’m with her.”
The all-female “Ghostbusters” movie, directed by Paul Feig, has courted controversy for months. Mr. Feig lamented “middle-aged” male critics, and producers Dan Aykroyd and Judd Apatow claimed the same individuals were supporters of Mrs. Clinton’s GOP rival Donald Trump.
“These people, first of all, they’re insignificant gnats, they’re losers, they have no lives of their own,” Mr. Aykroyd recently told Entertainment Weekly Canada of anonymous individuals sending “Ghostbusters” star Leslie Jones racist messages, The Washington Times reported on July 20. “They can probably barely pay for the Wi-Fi they’re using — probably no jobs. I would say you’re looking at obese white men between 50 and 60 who are active Klan members or member of the Aryan Nation and there are millions of them. I’m afraid to say that that contingency will be voting for the Republican ticket.”
Statistics analyzed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal nonprofit organization, put the KKK’s current membership between 5,000 and 8,000 members.
Sony’s decision to endorse Mrs. Clinton, at least on Twitter, appeared to alienate fans.
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“Now I don’t want to go and see it and I am a woman!” wrote Shani Neal on Wednesday.
“You have absolutely demolished your only defense against the criticisms of your film,” added another. “It’s confirmed the all-female cast was a deliberate political play.”
“Ghostbusters” has domestically grossed $92 million since it was released July 15. The film’s production budget cost the studio roughly $150 million.
Update: The official “Ghostbusters” Twitter account deleted its endorsement of Mrs. Clinton Thursday afternoon. No explanation was given for the decision.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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