Extreme Ghostbusters: A Hidden Gem

 

While I anticipate seeing the new Ghostbusters movie Frozen Empire this weekend, I went down a Ghostbusters content rabbit hole. Which led me to revisit the 90's cartoon Extreme Ghostbusters, which honestly is a underrated and worthy addition to the Ghostbusters mythos.

Released in the fall of 1997, the cartoon followed original Ghostbuster Egon Spengler who recruits a new generation to defend the city against new paranormal threats. The new recruits were a very diverse crew, far different than the original crew. There was a female member Kylie, a Hispanic member Eduardo, a Black member Roland, and a paraplegic member Garrett (which I believe was the first depiction of a paraplegic in a cartoon). With Janine and Slimer by their side they set out to make their own legacy while saving the city.

Being the late 90's the cartoon took a bit more of a edge. The classic theme song had a rock inspired version. The series creators also worked on the Men In Black  and Godzilla cartoons. The styling of Extreme Ghostbusters matched those cartoons and  the tone was slightly darker with the creatures looking a bit more terrifying. And there seemed to be real life stakes in play throughout the series.

But what really makes the cartoon a hidden gem was the character development. All four members of the team were fleshed out and had their own reasons for joining the team. They were relatable and provided reasons for the audience to care about them.

The cartoon also gave fans a very satisfying moment years before Ghostbusters Afterlife did. The original Ghostbusters teamed up with the new Ghostbusters to take down the villain in the series Finale. A true Holy Shit moment back when that wasn't common in media.

The cartoon deserves another look as it truly may have just been ahead of its time. It's not available to stream anywhere, but YouTube will satisfy your appetite. If you don't remember the gem or never seen it, do yourself a favor and check it out.

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WWE Get Out Of Your Own Way

During these times of covid-19 quarantine, many people have taken the opportunity with all this extra time to learn new hobbies, complete projects they’ve been putting off, read more, or learn new things about themselves. At the same while major sports leagues around the world has shut down, professional wrestling has continued to truck along without fans. It’s safe to say WWE has not taken this opportunity to improve their presentation.

WWE was the first company to announce they would continue to produce shows during this pandemic. Due to the circumstances and working with a mostly skeleton crew on a honestly already thin roster, they have not completely failed. Wrestlemania 36 turned out to be quite enjoyable, particularly the cinematic match between AJ Styles and Undertaker. In that, WWE has discovered people like those types of matches even though Lucha Underground and Impact Wrestling has done those type of matches before with great fanfare. Managers seem to be making a comeback with Zelina Vega building a stable, and hints MVP is looking for talent to manage. Some superstars such as Otis have been given opportunities to shine, winning the money in the bank match.

One thing WWE is failing on, and they failed with before the pandemic hit..creating new stars. WWE has had issues creating stars on the level of Hogan, Austin, Rock, and Cena for quite some time. One of the biggest reasons attributed to that by fans is they don’t feel a connection to the talents, and most promos leave a lot to be desired. Which leads to my brief rant.

For the life of me I cannot figure out why WWE is not taking this time to get more guys on the mic. Even talents who are not active due to injuries or have chosen not to wrestle due to safety concerns should be given opportunities. That could be done by having them record mission statements “off the cuff” from home and included in the programs. WWE previously did this with their “Tout” videos and a couple years ago with selfie promos that included graphics. Those promos failed because they were over produced.

If the promos are shot with that grittiness aspect and not so produced, it may be more well received. This give performers more opportunities to improve their promo skills and allows them to come off more “real”. It also leaves them at the forefront of fans minds for when they do return. Prospects that have been recently used on Raw, Smackdown, and NXT should be given insert promos before their matches. Especially the talent they have plans for, this allows that talent to create an identity and promo skills.

If they can’t fit it into the shows, WWE has YouTube and the WWE network where they could play the promos instead. Or maybe have watch parties of matches with wrestlers who can show their personalities by commentating on the matches.

It’s easy to pick on WWE cause they are the biggest pro wrestling organization in the world. Now they are a multi billion dollar corporation and I’m just a fan who has been watching for twenty something years. I have been watching wrestling a long time and can tell many of the issues are from lack of talent connection. AEW and Impact Wrestling have had their downs during this time, but their ups have been better because of their more forward thinking. Using vignettes, skits, and remote promos from talent to help get them over. It’s working because it appeals to the current generation, and proves most of WWE problems are...they can’t get out of their own way.

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The Classic that is My Brother and Me

Twenty-five Years ago Nickelodeon debuted My Brother and Me showcasing a middle class Black

family in Charlotte, NC and the hijinks of the two sons and daughter in the family. It's historic as it

was the first show on Nickelodeon to feature a predominately Black cast. It's definitely a product of it's

time straight 90's, from the attire to the lingo, it's funny yet looking back some aspects of it are very

very corny.

At the time of its release I simply watched the show because I enjoyed it. Looking back now I realize how important the show was to the Black community. The show is a milestone in my eyes because of course we had the Cosby's and Family Matters, but My Brother and Me was actually the first show featuring a Black family where the kids were around my age getting into shit. I could relate to some of their problems they had or even the sibling rivalry all siblings go through.

The series introduced the world to a young Amanda Seales, Kim Whitley as Ms. Pickney in one of her first roles. Vanessa Baden who is more famously known as Kyra from Kenan and Kel and Vanessa from Gullah Gullah Island made her debut on the show. Pro wrestler Kenny King made his TV debut on an episode as a cool kid from L.A.

                                              

The show was also unapologetically Black when that necessarily wasn't the norm. The dialogue,

the opening credits. The way the characters talked, little nods to Black culture on the sets

such as the Greek memorabilia in the Parker's living room. The father with the corny jokes or

long ass stories which we've all experienced and I'm worried I may grow into.

It contained so much authenticity for the culture, it's beyond a crime it didn't last longer.

Who can forget classic episodes such as Dee Dee getting bullied and the famous line "Hit Me",
basketball tryouts and the famous "Goo Punch" scene we all sung along to, wishing

we were shilling our own product Dee Dee being very impressionable in an attempt to be cool

getting a wild haircut.  Life lesson episodes such as stepping out of your

comfort zone in the Robin Hood episode.

If for some reason you have never seen it, do yourself a favor and check out the clips on YouTube or

buy the dvd of the show you'll thank yourself later,

My Brother and Me only lasted one season but has left a legacy for a lifetime.

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