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Evangelical Outrage Over 'Real Ghostbusters' Episode
19 Jul
Summary
- An episode featuring a demon caused backlash from evangelical parents.
- The cartoon was a spin-off of the 1980s movie 'Ghostbusters'.
- Writer clarified the character was a dybbuk, not the devil.
The animated series 'The Real Ghostbusters,' which aired in the 1980s, unexpectedly drew criticism from evangelical parents concerned about its content. Despite being a spin-off of the mature-themed 'Ghostbusters' movie, one episode in particular caused a stir.
The episode, titled 'The Devil To Pay,' featured a minor demon character. While this entity was not explicitly the devil, its appearance and actions, including attempting to trick the Ghostbusters out of their souls, were enough to elicit numerous complaints from religious viewers.
According to Troy Benjamin and Craig Goldberg's book on the show's history, episode writer Pamela Hickley stated that parents were angered by the presence of the devil. However, she clarified that the character was actually a dybbuk, a different type of demon, suggesting a misunderstanding on the part of the viewers.
Her husband and co-writer, Dennys McCoy, confirmed the significant volume of mail received regarding the controversial episode, highlighting the strong parental concerns during that era.
