I hate James Bond. The continuation of his cult disgusts me, embarrasses me, depresses me. Yes, “cult” is the appropriate word. He embodies everything that’s really awful about our national psyche. He mixes nostalgia with vulgarity, snobbery with hedonism. Because he’s a semi-cartoon figure, caked in irony, he evades serious censure. Clever critics might sometimes scoff at the naffness, but the vast majority, including many intelligent ones, say stuff along the lines of “Cool!”.
It’s hard to dissent from this barrage of adulation. Call me Licensed to Killjoy, but it has to be said: this cult hero is a deeply malign cultural presence. He represents a nasty, cowardly part of us that ought to have been killed off long ago.
Of course there is a very serious case to be made against 007 on strictly feminist grounds. The women in the books and films are silly, naughty, flimsy things who need hard male mastery. I don’t know how offensive this is to women, but it’s offensive to me. Indeed I think the real victims of the Bond cult are men, who are impelled by a vile peer-pressure to worship at the shrine of this lethal lothario.
It’s fiction. No one is making you watch it. If it offends you so much, don’t. Theo, you are an unremitting self-righteous wanker – go away and grow up.
Agreed. This Theo should get a life.
jameshighams last blog post..[priory of sion] and other tares
He needs to understand the difference between fiction and real life. James Bond is pretty exaggerated escapism and bears no resemblance to real life. If fiction had to comply with Theo’s politically correct criteria, it would be tedious in the extreme. It’s also worth pointing out that those of us who enjoy such escapism do not go out and emulate the fictional characters in the films we watch. This is because, unlike Theo, we are adults who can tell the difference between fact and fantasy.
The final paragraph is a peach:
I’m sorry, but anyone who does see a connection is a fucking moron.