James Bond sexist stereotypes are strewn through Ian Fleming’s books. The movies are epic sexist fails. Will the next movie be better?
My 2015 post James Bond and women: the movies are an epic sexist fail (links in bold italics are to other posts on this blog) noted the casual sexism of most Bond movies.
James Bond sexist stereotypes
That sexism has deep roots in Ian Fleming’s original books, which I’ve been reviewing on this site:
- in Goldfinger, Bond pontificates about how votes for women (sic) have led to ‘a herd of unhappy sexual misfits’. He also converts a lesbian to heterosexuality by his manliness: [Bond] ‘They told me you only liked women.’ [Pussy Galore] ‘I never met a man before’.
- In Diamonds are Forever, Tiffany Case is a great, injured, creation. But sexism rages: Bond: ‘Up to forty, girls cost nothing. After that you have to pay money, or tell a story. Of the two it’s the story that hurts most.’
- From Russia with Love is thick with rampant homophobia;
- in Casino Royale, Bond remarks after the love of his life has died tragically, ‘The bitch is dead’.
A black female Bond
Personally, I would prefer to see the franchise ditch all the James Bond sexist stereotypes in one go. Why not a black female Bond? Ian Fleming would have hated it, but then he lived in a different era (he was born in 1908).
Naomi Harris: a glimmer of hope?
So I was interested to read a recent review with top actress Naomi Harris. She plays “Miss Moneypenny” in Skyfall, Spectre and the upcoming No Time to Die.
Intriguingly, the interview says that the producers of No Time to Die recognised that James Bond sexist stereotypes was outdated. So they hired Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the creator of Fleabag, to give the script a “feminist edge”.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge has always struck me as rather brilliant. The trailer above shows plenty of women in action, rather than pouting helplessly. It also features a new female black “00” agent.
Could they be testing audience reactions with a view to her taking over the role from Daniel Craig? Or am I being too optimstic?
That’s the problem. As I wrote in my post 5 reasons James Bond movies suck. 5 reasons you watch them anyhow, all the evidence shows that the next movie will be no better than the last. But we keep watching them anyway.
Including me.
James Bond sexist stereotypes: No Time to Die – Verdict
OK. Congratulations to Phoebe Waller-Bridge. No Time to Die did better than most Bond movies in diminishing sexist stereotyping. Curiously, although I quite enjoyed watching No Time to Die, a few days later I could remember almost nothing about it.
What to do next
Want to try a thriller with a female action hero? If you haven’t yet read my thriller Blood Summit, you can read it here. It was rejected by some publishers because Helen Gale, a tough, resourceful woman, was “too much like a man”. Tell me what you think. If you can find any sexist stereotypes, please tell me.
