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Post by Fritz on Aug 24, 2004 10:53:37 GMT -4
I don't think I've ever seen this topic before...you can find lots of "favorite Ghostbuster" topics (including here but what about the characters who may not go out and bust ghosts all the time, but make the Ghostbusters' lives more interesting? So who's your favorite supporting character? I guess mine will surprise no one: the Ghostbusters' ever-efficient and long-suffering secretary (or, as GBI calls'em these days, "Client Administrator") Janine Melnitz. She was interesting enough in the first movie--a lot of spit and vinegar, someone who could keep up with Venkman in an insult fight, yet demonstrated a much softer side when dealing with Egon Spengler. It was even more shocking when she made it onto Saturday morning with her personality intact--indeed, the cartoon character was even mouthier and more abraisive at times, and...er, yeah, they drew her a lot hotter than she was in the first movie, to boot. Even better, she still had her soft spot for Egon Spengler...we discovered Laura Summer and Maurice LaMarche had a great chemistry as writers like JMS and Richard Mueller slowly advanced their relationship along. Basically, in the Saturday Morning Ghetto filled with Token Females and Mommy Figures, she was a loud, gutsy stand-out. Of course, it couldn't last. ABC f***ed with the show, insisting Janine was too "unlikeable", and Laura Summer was fired. Her replacement, Kath Soucie, and the writers changed the character into Yet Another Bland Mommy Figure. Maybe even worse was Ghostbusters 2, where she was taken in the opposite direction and written as a desperate, hot-to-trot bimbo panting for Louis Tully, a guy she barely knew and hadn't seen in five years. JMS managed to salvage the character late in the game, though. "The Ghostbusters Live From Al Capone's Tomb" pretty obviously made it clear the Janine/Louis thing was history (she kisses Egon in full sight of the accountant/lawyer). And then of course was his late masterpiece, "Janine You've Changed", which both explained the changes to the character and had Egon finally admit he loved her to boot. In Extreme Ghostbusters Pat Musick played an older, more subdued but still feisty Janine, still in love with Egon (Louis Tully isn't even mentioned) Other than the fact that they forgot "Janine You've Changed" existed (by all rights, Egon and Janine should've started the show already married!), it was a pretty worthy effort in my estimation.
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Post by Silent Seraphim on Aug 24, 2004 14:47:40 GMT -4
Personally, Janine is my favourite character in Ghostbusters, full stop. If she hadn't been in the show, then I seriously doubt whether the Ghostbusters alone would have kept my interest alive in either the films or the cartoon series. Being a redhead myself, and bullied from a young age because of it, I really looked up to her, idolised her, even. I only wished I could have been as feisty as she was. Back then, her take-no-crap attitude, her style, her ability to work alongside four men as part of a team, rather than as a weak or bland subordinate character, really inspired me. In a way, she was the first strong, female role model I ever had. For a time, I had even wanted to grow up to be a secretary! This is one reason why some members of GB fandom tend to grate on my nerves. I can't understand why any female fan of the show would denigrate a character which, in many respects, represents a strong, independent and feisty role model for women (their own particular crush for whatever character aside). She came along way before the 'Spice Girls' and 'Girl Power' were even dreamt of. The toning down of her character was enough to turn me off of the Real Ghostbusters completely, ergo I haven't watched any episodes with Professor Dweeb, or the Junior Ghostbusters (of which I am truly thankful), but I also missed one of the most pivotal episodes in the Egon/Janine story. Thankfully now that has been rectified, but it leads me to another facet of Janine's character which I absolutely adore. She isn't perfect. For a strong, independent female role model, she falls a little short on the whole Egon crush business, but that's the whole point. Women can be fragile and weak, as well as strong and in control. We all want the love story, and to be swept off their feet by our white knight. Janine's character was flawed, her desire for Egon bordered on the obsessive, but that was okay. She wouldn't settle for second best (in early RGB or GB1, anyway). She smothered him, she fussed over him, one of her three wishes was to make him fall in love with her, she was dedicated to him; he was in every way her favourite, and the love story slowly developing between them was utterly captivating. The episode 'Janine, You've Changed', centres on a subject that many women have concerned themselves with throughout the centuries: trying to improve yourself so that he will fall in love with you. Many women have shared the burden of unrequited love, and Janine's character goes through the same dilemma - wondering why doesn't he like me, and what is it about me that I can change so that he will. In the end, she came to the realisation that she was perfect just the way she was. If that's not a wonderful message to women out there, I don't know what is. I love her strength, I love her attitude, and I love her flaws, and in the end, so did Egon. Despite her ill-educated background, and the fact that they have little, if anything, in common, the couple finally got together. If it were up to me, I'd have had them married (maybe even with kids) in Extreme Ghostbusters, too. I just wish that they'd have been paired up ages ago; the contrast in their characters would have added a wonderful comic element to the show (already demonstrated in the 88MPH comics), and I'd have loved to have seen the Spengler family's reaction to having a feisty, down-to-earth, straight-talking Brooklynite as a possible addition to their well-bred clan.
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The Joker
Doberman
The Smoker, The Midnight Toker
Posts: 95
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Post by The Joker on Aug 24, 2004 17:39:54 GMT -4
Janine, she's hot! Laura Summer's voice was annoying though. When I first started getting back into RGB earlier this year, I cringed upon hearing Janine speak.
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raysgal
Extreme Ghostbuster
Ooohhh...
Posts: 58
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Post by raysgal on Aug 24, 2004 20:45:51 GMT -4
I love Janine. I know she was kinda messed up in the cartoon during the later seasons and she was paired up with the worst possible person in the second movie. But Janine is great. She is exactly the kind of woman I want to be when I get older. She knows what she wants and doesn't let anything stand in her way to get it. (I.E. ---Egon.... I know if I wanted him and I was her I'd do everything in my power to get him. But I love Ray so it's kinda conflictive on my part, yet....) I don't what else I can say about her that hasn't already been said. Even though she's the secretary (oops...I mean executive assistant.) Janine still straps on the pack and gets in the middle of the action. Janine Melnitz, I salute you.
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Post by Fritz on Aug 26, 2004 19:01:43 GMT -4
This is one reason why some members of GB fandom tend to grate on my nerves. I can't understand why any female fan of the show would denigrate a character which, in many respects, represents a strong, independent and feisty role model for women (their own particular crush for whatever character aside). We all know exactly who you mean
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Post by Captain Nate on Apr 16, 2005 21:16:01 GMT -4
I voted Slimer 'cause...well...Slimer needs love.
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Post by Kingpin on Apr 18, 2005 5:27:26 GMT -4
Out of the lot of them, on an official canon status, I have to go with Janine, despite her changes, that got explained, there was no excuse for Slimer to become a hero in the later episodes.
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The Joker
Doberman
The Smoker, The Midnight Toker
Posts: 95
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Post by The Joker on Apr 18, 2005 7:12:22 GMT -4
But for all the hate Slimer gets from fans, you do have to admit that most (but not all) of the RGB eps focusing on Slimer came off pretty well.
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Post by EGBFan on Apr 18, 2005 10:41:51 GMT -4
Ok, I'm going to be honest. I was never THAT fond of Janine. Actually, I think that whatever she was doing between RGB and EGB did her some good. I just think you can be feisty without being loud - at times I found her a little too much. Sorry. I voted for Dana. I was never that into Slimer either (although he's kinda cute), and for all that I defend poor innocent Louis to Fritz, I never actually liked him that much. Dana's... well... normal, I guess. And as far as my stories go, I've got more mileage out of her than the other three characters, so I must like her best.
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Yami Mirai
Doberman
dustn00b
Insane fangirl, at your service. :D
Posts: 120
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Post by Yami Mirai on Dec 6, 2005 20:23:51 GMT -4
I voted for Janine.
Ever since I was a kid, I loved her character. Moreso in the cartoon than in the first movie (and the less said about the way she was written in the second movie the better).
When I was a kid, I was always happy when there were strong female characters in the shows I watched and the video games I played because they were characters I could look up to, ones that I could idolize. I didn't want a mommy figure, or a damsel in distress, I wanted a tough-as-nails chick who could take care of herself.
Janine was that tough-as-nails character I was looking for. I thought she was so cool and wanted to be just like her. (Then ABC stuck their noses where they didn't belong, but whatever. I'm talking about the original cartoon Janine here, the cool one, not the later crappy version. Which thankfully was fixed with Janine, You've Changed. God bless JMS).
Plus, I love her accent. It just fits the character so well and is one of the things that gives her that "tough girl" image.
Aside from the beautiful Egon/Janine romance, some of my favourite moments were when she suited up and took on the role of Ghostbuster herself. I used to wish that she would become a permanent Ghostbuster and go around helping the guys kick butt. That would have been so cool. ;D
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Post by ghostdiva on Dec 6, 2005 20:59:21 GMT -4
Why have I not voted yet? Oh well, I voted Janine, everyone pretend to be shocked! She is my all time favorite character. I always wanted to be just like her, and for the most part I am, but I was probably drawn to her because she had so many of the same inborn traits as me. She can take care of herself, she's independant while still keeping a strong sense of family and she's smart. I don't know many people that could run a business office by themselves. But somehow she did, and he determination should be an inspiration, not something to be ignored. Having said I should rank the others, so I have to say that Dana and Louis are my least favorite characters, Prof. Dweeb and slimer rank higher for me. ghostdiva
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Post by Fritz on Dec 6, 2005 22:06:08 GMT -4
Interesting comment. Louis I guess I could understand...but Dana?
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Post by ghostdiva on Dec 6, 2005 22:22:13 GMT -4
Has to do with the question I asked you before about her. If I meet a person like her we wouldn't be friends. There's just something about her. I would say what but I don't want to start an argument. ghostdiva
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Post by EGBFan on Dec 7, 2005 7:16:16 GMT -4
That's ok - I don't think I'd get on with Dana either. Yeah, I know, I voted for her. I'm funny like that. But seriously, it's not that I don't like her. She isn't lacking as a character, and she's helped me spin out a few stories. I don't think we'd hate each other, if she and I met (cos, y'know, that's so very likely) - I just don't think we'd click. Does that make sense? Probably not...
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Post by Fritz on Dec 7, 2005 10:48:19 GMT -4
Has to do with the question I asked you before about her. If I meet a person like her we wouldn't be friends. There's just something about her. I would say what but I don't want to start an argument. ghostdiva Ah... I admit, I didn't really consider Dana all that "important" for a long time, as she wasn't in the cartoons and I obviously tend to prefer the cartoon depictions of the characters, especially the early episodes, over stricter adherence to the movie (ie I draw Egon as a tall guy with weird blond hair instead of a doppleganger (there's that word again) of Harold Ramis). Oh sure, I did consider her Venkman's One True Love, and losing her the secret pain he hid beneath his tomcat antics, but it was hard to really consider her vital to the scenario. Obviously, being around Movie Purists online, and more importantly great ideas from writers such as Rosey, have modified my view. On the other characters: Louis. Well, obviously, I have a lot of disagreement with the way he was utilized in GB2...heck, I didn't really see any need for him to be in the sequel at all. He just simply didn't have the personal ties to the Ghostbusters Dana did, and they compounded the aggravation by grafting on a new persona (the lawyer) to justify putting him in at all, then of course they found the worse possible way to put him in the rest of the movie. As for Slimer, well, I don't hate the spud the way some fans do, but I agree he was best used sparingly as comedy relief in gags about how much he eats and annoying Venkman. I don't make him talk, he certainly doesn't go out on busts and save the guys' butts
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