Next Agent 007 is a Black Woman.
Why does that bother you?
"Sorry, dude", but every website "confirming" the "news" still links to that singular, unreliable source: an anonymous "insider" quoted by a sensationalist tabloid. This is Fact Checking 101, "dude": show me a reliable source confirming this news which doesn't link back to the Daily Mail.
And even if it does turn out to be true, "dude", it's still cynical pandering. If Hollywood truly wants to atone for the long-standing sexism and misogyny of the James Bond franchise, it's not as easy as throwing a token minority into the role and calling it a day, especially if her character ends up being written as a mere vapid sex object like so many female protagonists in contemporary action films are (including some James Bond films). Are you still going to be hailing this casting as "progressive" if her character ultimately serves no purpose to the narrative other than shooting big guns in skimpy outfits? I'll believe it when I see it in execution, otherwise I have every reason to be skeptical about this unproven rumor, because as far as it appears on the surface, it's a totally shallow PR move from condescending producers.
To add onto that, I supported Jodie Whittaker's casting as The Doctor for several reasons: one, that showrunners had proposed a female lead since the 1980s, two, that The Doctor is a friggin' shapeshifting alien so race and gender need not apply, and three, her casting came during the revival series which had placed years-long emphasis on developing strong and three-dimensional female characters. The casting of a female Doctor was a natural progression for the series based on everything which had come before that. It made sense.
The James Bond franchise hasn't demonstrated that same level of self-conscious integrity when it comes to gender or race, so to throw out such blatantly opposite casting with no logical build-up can only be met with skepticism over the producers' intentions. There's no sense behind having 24 films flaunting - to varying degrees depending on the film - sexism, misogyny, chauvinism, racism and imperialism and then suddenly "Bam! Now your hero's a black woman! Enjoy!". That can only read as a cheap stunt. Granted, said casting is not entirely a BAD thing, it's indeed a START and better than nothing, but the James Bond franchise still has a ways to go if it truly wants to be socially and culturally relevant in the 21st century.
Having grown up with black action stars like Pam Grier and Tamara Dobson, I would love to see more of the same in contemporary cinema, and hey, I'm even open to the idea of a black female 007, but there has to be legitimate social context and effective execution in the studio's decision, not just a cheap stunt to make them seem "woke" and "with it". I'm not going to immediately cheer for such a brazenly sensationalist casting choice until the James Bond franchise can prove that it will treat its women with dignity and respect rather than objectification, otherwise I could be inadvertently cheering for the very things I'm against in such movies; that's like people who claim to want "a woman - ANY woman" for president, 'cuz, you know, Elizabeth Warren and Michelle Bachmann are totally the same person, right?
But, and I need to stress this again, I can't find a single reliable source which "confirms" this casting choice, because they all trace back to an anonymous tipster in a supermarket tabloid. Stories like this serve only to generate clicks and buzz and incite arguments. I'll believe it when I see it.
As always an idea comes down to execution, but this is a poor idea. If they knock it out of the park creatively than it will be wildly successful, if not they'll lose the fan base and have to try again with a new bond in a few years.
_________________
"Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge is power."
auntblabby
Veteran
Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 113,740
Location: the island of defective toy santas
Kraichgauer
Veteran
Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 47,796
Location: Spokane area, Washington state.
auntblabby
Veteran
Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 113,740
Location: the island of defective toy santas
James Bond will still be a man. It's his job as Agent 007 that will be give to a woman!
Though I guess this disproves that longstanding-ish fan-theory that "James Bond" is also a fake identity given out to agents. Which is supposed to explain away him having different faces through the years and also make it slightly less weird that this superspy's catchphrase is him giving out his real name...
_________________
I'm bored out of my skull, let's play a different game. Let's pay a visit down below and cast the world in flame.
auntblabby
Veteran
Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 113,740
Location: the island of defective toy santas
ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,478
Location: Long Island, New York
Now what would be sacralidge is if she is not British
It's cool , Lashana Lynch is a Brit
and incidentally her characters name in Bond 25 is Nomi
Oh good I can sleep tonight. Bond has not been corrupted by American cultural imperialists.
If they are going to troll white nationalist chauvinists, If they really want to go SJW they should go all out, make Bond non binary who has a weapon that eliminates the ability of opponents to emote all racist, sexist, ableist, transphobic language and constantly say ‘I shall check my privilege”.
_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
It is Autism Acceptance Month
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
Similar Topics | |
---|---|
Woman uses corpse to try and sign bank loan |
20 Apr 2024, 12:13 am |
Where are the black people in Shogun? |
17 Mar 2024, 8:46 am |
School permission slip to listen to black authors |
17 Feb 2024, 10:07 pm |