Redefining

Good news! We’ve finally destroyed Toxic Masculinity, by ascribing all those same attributes to a female character!

Agent Naomi standing in the rubble of the Bond franchise.

 

Well it seems Lashana Lynch has once again put her foot in the mouth of the EON Productions publicity department. Well, to be fair I can’t tell if it’s Ms. Lynch or the author of this piece taken from the hyper political Los Angeles Times, I’d call the newspaper a leftist rag, but I’d be repeating myself.

One is a news outlet, the other a group of political activists, can you tell which is which?

 

Lynch starts with the bog standard “Different Kind of Bond (Girl) Woman” claptrap that has been propagated since at least the 1980’s:

“Nomi is a fine example of your modern-day woman who doesn’t take anything lying down and who gives everyone and anyone a run for their money,”

Yup, the “modern-day woman” never saw anyone like this in all of cinematic history! 

She continues:

“Mentally, physically, energetically and spiritually, she has everything covered so that whatever questions you had about women and this franchise are shot down completely.”

Wait whaaaat! 

I’m sorry when has anyone ever questioned women in this franchise?! From day one women have been portrayed as independent free willed individuals. Now society’s definition of “strong independent woman” may have changed over the 6 decades since, but time doesn’t exist in a vacuum which is something these folks don’t understand.

A woman who had “everything covered” in this franchise 25 years ago.

 

I’d also point out this statement flies directly in the face of a comment made by Lynch two years ago when she said:

“Lynch says creating her Bond character was about working with Waller-Bridge and Fukunaga to shape a real woman. “I didn’t want someone who was slick. I wanted someone who was rough around the edges and who has a past and a history and has issues with her weight and maybe questions what’s going on with her boyfriend.”

Doesn’t sound like someone who has “everything covered.”

 

This statement along with the rest of the article tries to walk the line of invoking Pol Pot’s principle of “Year Zero” while also trying not to step on Barbara Broccoli’s toes and fails miserably at both!

Here’s another example”

With the role, Lynch becomes just the fifth Black actress to have a major role in a Bond film across 25 movies (Gloria Hendry, Grace Jones, Halle Berry and Naomie Harris round out the list).”

 

 

Oh, “only” five, well I guess Babz just needs to “do better” then!

“They were fantastic,” said Lynch of her predecessors. “When Halle Berry was in it, when Naomie was in it — who’s now a friend so I appreciate her even more — it just meant that I could relate to this very quintessentially English franchise and actually relate it to my life. I didn’t need to be a fighter or know how to handle a gun or anything like that to be able to relate to these women. They just felt like members of my family onscreen.”

My biggest take away:

I didn’t need to be a fighter or know how to handle a gun or anything like that to be able to relate to these women.”

You didn’t need to be all of those things to relate to these women, but you needed to be the same race? Look, I’m not oblivious to the need of representation in media, a subject I will touch on in a moment, but this is getting out of hand. Good characters should be able to touch you no matter what they look like, it’s why as a little white boy I enjoyed playing with my friends as Eddie Murphy’s Axle Foley from Beverly Hills Cop or why black superstar athlete Shaquille O’Neal identifies with white Superman. If a character is good enough, it shouldn’t matter what the actor playing them looks like, they should resonate with you regardless.

 

They go on:

Lynch’s casting announcement was met with outrage from misogynistic and racist trolls who, even in 2021, can’t imagine the mantle of 007 being held by anyone but a white man.” 

While I’m sure there were far too many wretched, disgusting individuals who think it “funny” to post vial, repugnant messages online, this is the internet after all, I don’t think this is to whom they are referring. They could be speaking to the “Keyboard Commandos” who came marching across the parapets to wage war on the battlefield of pop culture, a group I spoke about at the time. Could you blame these folk though? After all we were bombarded with clickbait titles to articles and think pieces like this:

Bond’s number is up: black female actor ‘is the new 007’

Report: Lashana Lynch, a black British actress, will be the next 007

Richard Madden? Idris Elba? Tom Hardy? Nope. The New Agent 007 Is Reportedly Black British Actor Lashana Lynch.

Really subtle gang!  

Not to mention Lynch’s assertion tampons would be referenced in this film! I mean, it’s not like we’re talking about a 70 year old franchise which spans 13 original novels, 9 short stories and 24 films! You’ll have to forgive folks if they bristle a bit when you muck about so drastically with something they hold so dear.

Lynch’s response was fair enough:

“I don’t have anything to say to the trolls apart from it’s none of my business what you think, you have the freedom to live in your truth just like I have the freedom to live in mine.”

But the question is, when “your truth” encroaches upon the “truth” of so many others do you have that “freedom?”

“I’m just living my truth.” (about as subtle as the clickbaiters)

They continue:

“As for the young Black women who will get to see themselves represented for perhaps the first time, Lynch empathizes…”  

Not one paragraph after the author makes a statement about it being “current year” so how dare anyone object to a black woman taking over the Bond franchise, they turn around and make another “Year Zero” statement ignoring all history before, referring to black women (note that’s women, as in full grown adults) seeing themselves for the first time! Because they didn’t just mention the 4 previous black female characters to appear in the Bond franchise! Now admittedly not all of them are winners, but what about the two exemplary specimens you spoke of a moment before? Is there a group of grown black women who have been hiding under a rock the last 20 years and haven’t seen these characters? 

I’ve never seen a black woman in a Bond film before!

 

As to representation itself I’m all for it, especially as a fan of black women. Young people of all races, colors and shapes should see positive examples in media, but it can go too far when it’s done ham-fistedly and at all costs in the form of cheap stunt writing. We aren’t talking about casting black actors for roles their particular talents make them well suited for, no we’re back to the “authentic blackness” I touched upon a few rants ago. I’m speaking of the arbitrary stereotypes (often negative) ascribed to the black community mostly by white elites and black activists. Gone are the days of individuals possessing their own unique experiences, rather it seems we’ve been reduced to nothing more than the sum of our parts, if you are this race then you are X, Y and Z and if you don’t fit that criteria? Well, as none other than U.S. President Joe Biden said:

Or the BBC executive who ironically, is their chief diversity officer who said Idris Elba’s character on the crime drama Luther wasn’t “authentic” because he “doesn’t eat Caribbean food!” This is the problem with the notion of “shared experiences,” nevermind black people come from all over the globe or that some people who look “black” aren’t. There are many black people who have assimilated into their home country’s culture and prefer the native dishes rather than the food from where their ancestors came. My wife for example grew up on spaghetti and cheeseburgers and refuses to eat fried chicken and watermelon because of the negative stereotype associated with those dishes in the black community, however to hear this executive you’d think black folk eat nothing but! Our friend at the BBC who is black and I’m guessing of Caribbean ancestry assumes every black person in Britain does as she does, because “blackness.” Kind of like how American “wokeists” believe all black people come directly from Africa and/or America, I cringe every time I hear someone refer to a black person as “African American,” since obviously not all black people are from those two places!  

In reality if Naomi had been Agent 001-6, or 8/9 we would not be having this discussion and EON would be primed to reap the rewards of a spin off series, especially now that they have new Amazonian overlords. Instead EON had to top themselves with this bit of cheap stunt writing which has painted them into a corner. They have to either move forward in future films with Naomi as agent 007, “demote” her to another code number by the end of the film or just drop her altogether after this film, none of which will be satisfying.

I hope you’re ready to ride off into the sunset Ms. Lynch.

 

In other news, the “final” trailer for No Time To Die dropped a few days ago! There isn’t much we haven’t already seen, mostly because it starts with a barrage of images from previous films which doesn’t bode well. Of what we do see that is new:

The villain’s big scheme involves weaponizing people, so warmed over On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Also this:

Some action shots of the totally “gritty” and “realistic” folding, submarine, glider plane that is totally more superior than an invisible car and rendered in brilliant CGI that is waaaay better than what was done in 2002’s Die Another Day!

We also get more of Rami Malek’s speech to the Craig-Bond where he compares himself to the dried up husk of a spy.

Malek: “James Bond, license to kill, in love with Madeline Swann, I could be speaking to my own reflection.”

So are we to expect, with all due apologies to New Order, a bizarre love triangle?

                                          “Every time I see you falling, I get down on my knees and pray.”

They finish with:

The conclusion to what exactly? Craig’s tenure? A lot of folks have been prepared for that for quite some time! The conclusion to Bond himself? Bond as we know and love him concluded a long time ago. The conclusion to this wretched story arc cobbled together piecemeal from one disjointed film to the next? Yes please!

I guess we’ll see come the end of the month.

 

 

 

  14 comments for “Redefining

  1. Yes, as you’ve point out, there seems to be a lot of wilfully ignoring some strong and awesome female characters in the Bond series – Wai Lin, Melina Havelock, Anya Amasova, Jinx, etc. Wai Lin is one of my favourites, as she was fantastic by herself but also complemented Bond perfectly. I guess the difference is these characters were never replacing 007. Perhaps in the new movie, Bond is proving inept and needs replacing, I don’t know. But I think that someone who is not entirely happy with that direction should not be labelled a misogynist or racist. (Admittedly, there are people like that out there). Why not just make a great new female character and have a spin-off movie? Perhaps like yourself, Dirty Benny, I’m more or less resigned to the fact that the true classic Bond movies were made some time ago, and if another good one comes along that will be a bonus but I’m not holding my breath.

    • Hello Gareth! Glad to hear from you again, apparently the Craig-Bond will be 5 years retired at the beginning of the film and Lynch’s character will be the agent who replaced him as 007. To me this in itself is not the end of the world (compared to Bro-feld for instance), but I recognize it for the cheap stunt writing it is. There are those who take a great deal more umbrage to this poor penmanship and I understand why. Unfortunately the media are taking a ream of pages out of the Ghostbusters 2016 playbook and labeling those who chafe at this as all manner of foul beings.

      Yes, I’m afraid Bond is dead, if he should be resurrected we will enjoy his return, however in the meantime knowing this we can’t be disappointed.

    • Hello Jeff, thank you for taking the time to visit our site and leave a comment, it really helps with the monetization! Judging by the fact you left your comment at 2 AM Pacific time it’s safe to assume you don’t live on the west coast of the United Sates and haven’t read the LA Times in quite some time, nor have you read the article I reference above which is chock-a-block full of hyperbolic political editorializing. If recognizing that fact and pointing it out makes me a “right wing a-hole” then… guilty as charged I guess?

  2. Hey Jeff, if you’re still out there, please define “Right Wing” for me.
    If you actually can, of course…

    DB. I’ve had a field day reading reviews and spoilers for NTTD. Sounds like a bit of a sh*tshow from most accounts. I wonder how many popular films they borrowed scenes and plot devices from. It wouldn’t surprise me if they rip off Man of Steel, and have Cregg briefly transform into the late Sean Connery just before he, err, “dies” a la the You Only Live Twice book ending.
    I’ll be able to satisfy my morbid curiosity soon enough of course, once the film appears on a “suitable” viewing platform (Hahaaarr!!).
    Because I wouldn’t pay actual money to see this…

    • I’m in the same boat me hearty and once I do rest assured I’ll dissect this turkey as I did with SPECTRE. So far it appears they have ripped Endgame, Logan, The Last Jedi and planted a bushel of “Memberberries” devoted to OHMSS!

      Be sure to check back soon, I have one last rant on the fire before I dive into this “film.”

  3. Wasn’t this “ NTTD” supposed to be released last winter? With streaming and what not I have yet to see people get excited about seeing this in your local cinema/ movie theatre.

    • Hello Janna welcome back! In reality it’s even worse, this film was to be released the previous Spring in April 2020!

  4. Matthew Vaughn was originally hoping to release The King’s Man on the same date as NTTD, to rub Eon’s noses in it. Sadly we won’t get to see an actual fun adventure film until December 22nd now.
    I like to think that Vaughn and Cregg are no longer on each others Christmas card list…

  5. 15+ years of you beyond pathetic, loser geek man-babies being laughably triggered and even more laughably wrong about these GIANT successful Craig bond movies. You must be so proud XD XD XD XD XD XD XD

    Daniel Craig won,
    REAL fans won,
    end of story.

    Game Over X- )

    • Hello LOLAtYourLife (if that is your real name) I’m curious as to how people having an opinion other than your own “triggers” you so much? We’re not posting or “trolling” on the fan sites, our articles are not compulsory reading, you sought our site out and appear to be so bothered by it you had to go through the trouble of creating a fake email and account just to tell us so, which helps the advertising algorithm by the way, so thanks for that! We don’t begrudge you your opinion, why do you begrudge ours? If you love the Craig-Bond go ahead and enjoy, don’t let my cold heart dissuade you.

      I’m also curious, what constitutes a “real fan” someone who gobbles up anything and everything to fall out of EON Production’s waste basket without question?

      P.S. I hope you enjoyed watching the Craig-Bond’s death scene I know I did. Thanks again for stopping by!

  6. It’s always “the debate is over” with these childish turds, isn’t it.
    Your username gives away your mental age and level of maturity. “LOLs” back at you with an OMG, a WTF and a LMFAO for good measure.
    Now get yourself post haste to McDonalds before your shift starts…

    Sorry DB. These specimens are crawling out of the woodwork to defend their “hero” and his bland corporate slop in increasing numbers. Seems like over compensation to me…

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