#8 - The James Bond Problem
I'm a big James Bond fan. I'm not entirely sure why - most of those movies are pretty silly. But I love them all the same, and so do you, and so does everyone else in the world. There's a real joy in comparing the different actors who've played the role; the unique quirks, the different methods of violence and/or seduction, and so on. This gives audiences a special appreciation for that character, and distances him from your Tony Starks and Jack Sparrows.
There's also a great joy in speculating who would play a good Bond. My top picks are Tom Holland, John Boyega, and Henry Cavill. But the name that's been tossed around more than any is Idris Elba. And for good reason: he'd be pretty perfect for the role, especially a more suave Bond. Unfortunately, some folks just can't seem to wrap their little minds around the concept of Black Bond.
Here's an example. Katie Hopkins (a journalist and media personality, according to Google) recently tweeted a video describing why Idris Elba can't and won't be allowed to play James Bond. "It's not because you're a gentleman of color," she says. "It's because James Bond isn't." Let's, for now, ignore the backwards logic of that comment.
She goes on to explain that Bond's character is rooted in his white upbringing. "He is written as an upper-class, arrogant white toff, born with a silver spoon in his mouth... well connected by his Swiss family fortune." Essentially, she's saying (if I may) that Bond cannot be Bond without white privilege.
Some of this makes sense. Historically speaking, James Bond has always taken full advantage of the privileges he's had. It's been an integral part of that character and his struggles. It's easy to infer that his arrogance and attitude toward authority could come from his upper class white upbringing. "I don't need to listen to them, I'm James Bond. I'll do whatever I want." There are plenty of real life examples of this kind of behavior.
But here's the thing: James Bond is fictional. They're not making a series of biopics about real life super spy James Bond. He's entirely made up. The writers can make him whatever they want. So of course he could be written to be black.
"But, Drew, that won't realistically match previous versions of the character!" Maybe. But Black Bond could still have all the traits of previous Bonds, just rooted in a slightly different origin. White folks do not have the only claim to arrogance, or deception, or violence (Bond's three biggest traits, I think).
But then why stop there? I'd love to see someone like Emily Blunt or Sophie Turner playing Jane Bond, or Joan Bond (my roommate suggested Janelle). Again: a different set of struggles would lead to a new, fresh take on the old character. Keep it going: let's get Gay Bond out there, or Trans Bond.
My point is this: it doesn't matter. You can change certain qualities and still stay true to the character. Changes like this would do well to freshen up these movies, and would help represent folks who aren't often represented in Hollywood. Do we really want the same version of James Bond over and over forever?
Katie Hopkins ends her video by saying that she has no problem with Idris Elba, and would love if a "creative liberal" wrote a spy series involving him. Yes, she actually specified "creative liberal." Again, I don't entirely disagree. There are a million James Bond archetypal characters already, another could easily be created for Mr. Elba. And who knows, it might be a big hit. But Bond is unique in that he's already iconic. Attaching his name to a movie insures monetary success. It's a real shame for a great actor to miss out on a role like that just because of the color of his skin.
In summary: just don't be racist, I guess. I know I've said this before, but I am the least qualified person to be writing about this sort of thing. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Please leave a comment below, or tweet @andrewhowsmon to tell me what you think. It's been really great hearing from people in response to my last few articles. As always, thanks for reading!
There's also a great joy in speculating who would play a good Bond. My top picks are Tom Holland, John Boyega, and Henry Cavill. But the name that's been tossed around more than any is Idris Elba. And for good reason: he'd be pretty perfect for the role, especially a more suave Bond. Unfortunately, some folks just can't seem to wrap their little minds around the concept of Black Bond.
Here's an example. Katie Hopkins (a journalist and media personality, according to Google) recently tweeted a video describing why Idris Elba can't and won't be allowed to play James Bond. "It's not because you're a gentleman of color," she says. "It's because James Bond isn't." Let's, for now, ignore the backwards logic of that comment.
She goes on to explain that Bond's character is rooted in his white upbringing. "He is written as an upper-class, arrogant white toff, born with a silver spoon in his mouth... well connected by his Swiss family fortune." Essentially, she's saying (if I may) that Bond cannot be Bond without white privilege.
Some of this makes sense. Historically speaking, James Bond has always taken full advantage of the privileges he's had. It's been an integral part of that character and his struggles. It's easy to infer that his arrogance and attitude toward authority could come from his upper class white upbringing. "I don't need to listen to them, I'm James Bond. I'll do whatever I want." There are plenty of real life examples of this kind of behavior.
But here's the thing: James Bond is fictional. They're not making a series of biopics about real life super spy James Bond. He's entirely made up. The writers can make him whatever they want. So of course he could be written to be black.
"But, Drew, that won't realistically match previous versions of the character!" Maybe. But Black Bond could still have all the traits of previous Bonds, just rooted in a slightly different origin. White folks do not have the only claim to arrogance, or deception, or violence (Bond's three biggest traits, I think).
But then why stop there? I'd love to see someone like Emily Blunt or Sophie Turner playing Jane Bond, or Joan Bond (my roommate suggested Janelle). Again: a different set of struggles would lead to a new, fresh take on the old character. Keep it going: let's get Gay Bond out there, or Trans Bond.
My point is this: it doesn't matter. You can change certain qualities and still stay true to the character. Changes like this would do well to freshen up these movies, and would help represent folks who aren't often represented in Hollywood. Do we really want the same version of James Bond over and over forever?
Katie Hopkins ends her video by saying that she has no problem with Idris Elba, and would love if a "creative liberal" wrote a spy series involving him. Yes, she actually specified "creative liberal." Again, I don't entirely disagree. There are a million James Bond archetypal characters already, another could easily be created for Mr. Elba. And who knows, it might be a big hit. But Bond is unique in that he's already iconic. Attaching his name to a movie insures monetary success. It's a real shame for a great actor to miss out on a role like that just because of the color of his skin.
In summary: just don't be racist, I guess. I know I've said this before, but I am the least qualified person to be writing about this sort of thing. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Please leave a comment below, or tweet @andrewhowsmon to tell me what you think. It's been really great hearing from people in response to my last few articles. As always, thanks for reading!
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