Ghostbusters Director Says ‘Chick Flick’ Is a ‘Derogatory’ Term

The new Ghostbusters movie was met with criticism before it was even released, but the cast and crew aren’t having it. Director Paul Feig called complaints about the female-heavy casting “misogynistic,” and now he’s fighting back against more sexism toward the movie.

“The whole ‘chick-flick’ idea is an excuse for guys not to have to see something,” Feig said in an interview with the New York Times. “It’s what I consider to be a derogatory title. I try with my movies to go: Look how funny these people are.”

The film’s female stars, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, are all well-known actresses and comics—three of them have been regular cast members on Saturday Night Live. Yet as with Bridesmaids and what feels like all other female-driven films, the criticism seems relentless.

“I’m surprised, because women have been killing it for years,” Jones told the New York Times. “It’s the same thing, when you go to a comedy club. [announcer’s voice] ‘Are you guys ready for a woman?’ Are you ready for a unicorn? Why is being a woman so surprising? There are two sexes. A man and a woman. So, if it’s not a man in a movie, what else was it going to be?”