A Tribute to Winston Zeddmore
There is one thing missing from the above Ghostbusters poster. Can you figure it out? That’s right, there is no Winston Zeddmore involved in any way, shape, or form on that sheet. It doesn’t even have “starring Ernie Hudson” written anywhere on there.
Not many people know this, but Winston Zeddmore is actually the fourth Ghostbuster. You wouldn’t know that, considering he’s not on the movie posters. Okay, to be fair he is on the official one sheet of Ghostbusters II, but he wasn’t included on the DVD release of the movie. Also, if you have ever caught the movie on TV before, like on Comedy Central, you’ll notice he gets cropped out of the frame quite often. If there is ever a shot that shows all four Ghostbusters, they’ll usually choose to crop the image where Winston is normally standing.
Take for example, his big scene in Ghostbusters II, where he gets ran over by a ghost train. Leading up to that moment, they crop him out until they finally have to show him since this is his big scene in the movie. I can’t believe him getting run over by a ghost train is his big scene. That and him getting into a fight with Ray after they fall into the river of slime. Both scenes involve him being a big pussy.
That isn’t to say that Winston doesn’t have some great scenes in both movies. He actually has what is one of my favorite exchanges in the entire movie with Ray.
Winston Zeddemore: Hey Ray. Do you remember something in the bible about the last days when the dead would rise from the grave?
Dr Ray Stantz: I remember Revelations 7:12…And I looked, and he opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became as black as sack cloth, and the moon became as blood.”
Winston Zeddemore: “And the seas boiled and the skies fell.”
Dr Ray Stantz: Judgement day.
Winston Zeddemore: Judgement day.
Dr Ray Stantz: Every ancient religion has its own myth about the end of the world.
Winston Zeddemore: Myth? Ray, has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason we’ve been so busy lately is ’cause the dead HAVE been rising from the grave?
Dr Ray Stantz: How ’bout a little music?
Winston Zeddemore: Yeah.
For whatever reason, when I was a kid and Ghostbusters were at the height of their popularity, Winston was my favorite member of the team. I’ll never forget the day my Mom took me to Toys R Us and let me pick out my first Ghostbusters action figure. I remember seeing a whole wall of every imaginable Ghostbusters figure and being blown away. Of all the characters I could pick from, I chose Winston, and I picked him because he is that awesome.
I think one of my most favorite Winston moments as a kid is during the Super Mario Brothers Super Show (SMBSS). Yeah I’m not kidding around. By the time the SMBSS was on, the Ghostbusters popularity had died down greatly. By this point, the Ninja Turtles were pretty much the best thing in the universe. Anyway, the SMBSS had these terrible live action segments that I couldn’t stand, even when I was a kid. There is one episode where Mario and Luigi get attacked by a ghost, and only one man can save the day. Ernie Hudson.
I love the fact that he is Ernie Hudson in this clip, and not Winston. This basically means that in real life, Ernie Hudson is a real Ghostbuster. I don’t see Bill Murray or Harold Ramis coming to save the day now do I? As far as I’m concerned, teaming up Mario and Luigi with Ernie Hudson is basically one of the most amazing crossovers ever conceived. This will always be my favorite segment from what is otherwise an almost unwatchable mess. Actually, it’s pretty amazing just how terrible that show was, I still don’t understand who thought those segments were a good idea.
It turns out I’m not the only one who thinks Winston hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves. In the following clip, this dude put together a Ghostbusters trailer that is all about Winston, and I love it.
There isn’t much more I can say. Ernie Hudson/Winston Zeddmore, I salute you.
