This more casual format, outside of their Let’s Plays, also includes some film reviews, as James and Mike are also big movie nerds. Occasionally the two will sit down to discuss a new blockbuster or sequel, such as 2014’s Godzilla or Terminator: Genisys. But tackling more modern nerdy media hasn’t always panned out for AVGN, as evidenced by James’ recent video where he refused to review the new Ghostbusters reboot. In it, he explains that he will absolutely not be seeing the new Ghostbusters, on the grounds that not only does the movie look bad, but that it also comes across as a shameless remake that cashes in on the name value of one of his favorite movies.
The timing of the video placed Rolfe right in the middle of the ongoing and heated discussion on the remake, which has become very divisive among fans. What’s more, the reasoning seemed hypocritical to some, as James had happily reviewed, and sometimes even celebrated, sequels and remakes that nobody asked for. Reviewing stuff many think of as “bad” is also something ingrained into his wider gimmick.
It’s an incident that speaks to the other, more negative side to the Nerd’s influence. Following the Nerd, there is now a sect of voices on YouTube whose platform is entirely based around angrily criticizing what they view as “social justice”-infected media, often decrying when creators try to increase diversity, if not openly standing against critics using a feminist or other political lens. James’ video isn’t as antagonistic as some of the other stuff out there, but the video appeared during a wider conversation surrounding Ghostbusters 3, some of which was definitely steeped in sexism.
James’ video landed him right in the middle of that discussion, despite it not really being about the new cast at all. In the video, he laments how we’ll never get a Ghostbusters 3 with the original cast, which has been oft-rumored for years, pointing out that a new team would be an easier sell if the old team were still involved. He even points out that the film might be better than the trailers and that he’s biased due to his adoration of the 1984 original. This is all something he doubles-down on in a direct follow-up video in which he talks about the history of all the failed attempts to produce a Ghostbusters 3 with the original four:
The timing of the first video, with its very stoic titling - “No Review. I Refuse.” - and what seemed like a lack of awareness of an already volatile wider discussion made it easy for some people to consider it sexist. The video hit at a time when sexist backlash against the new movie’s female cast was building online, and splitting the videos up obfuscated his points, leading some to construe the video as soft-sexism toward the idea that the new Ghostbusters team is all female. With that one vlog, James became aligned with those angry, white nerds whose content he had both influenced and satirized for years.
That side of YouTube isn’t something James and Mike have necessarily shied away from, either. They’ve had the occasional guest who make a point of flipping off “SJWs” who they believe are ruining entertainment and media. The angry white dude stereotype that’s at the center of AVGN is a very tangible, loud corner of YouTube culture, and it’s one they have played into, at least in part. And despite AVGN being its own niche, the negativity surrounding the Ghostbusters video has brought on a new wave of attention for the Nerd, with many not liking what they see. Instead of a fun YouTube show that makes fun of old games, they saw another white nerd getting frustrated about “SJW”-related stuff online.
