Webbo Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 Or maybe people genuinely feel it shouldnt matter? For something that doesn't matter they seem to be very keen to let us know.
yorkie1999 Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 Or how about it's just a woman playing Moneypenny, a man playing Felix and will be another man playing Bond and we stop looking at colour of the skin. I totally agree with casting a role based on skin colour in a film or show depicting something intended to be totally historically accurate, but Bond has evolved so much over the last 60 years, to say he's one thing or another is ridiculous. The current films and they're plots and gadgets must be so far from Fleming's original vision, the colour of the skin of the actor portraying him hardly seems worth talking about. If they were making that Queen film again with Helen Mirren and they were looking at Elba to play Tony Blair instead of Michael Sheen, then we'd have to discussion to have. Even to a degree if it was a white Shaft we might have something to discuss, because that's a one off character. But Bond, in much the same way Doctor Who does, changes from film to film and actor to actor, and from time period to time period. James Bond is not a time lord, and therefore he hasn't got the ability to regenerate.
MPH Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 For something that doesn't matter they seem to be very keen to let us know. Is this not a discussion board?
Jimothy Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 James Bond is not a time lord, and therefore he hasn't got the ability to regenerate. He's not, but he is a character that has changed over time, moving with the times over the last 60 years to become almost completely unrecognisable from the original character in the books. Sherlock Holmes would be another character who I wouldn't mind seeing a modern adaptation played by someone non-white. In fact there's already been a female Watson of Asian origins. For something that doesn't matter they seem to be very keen to let us know. People are coming out in the media, and on here, stating that to them it does matter what colour skin the actor who plays Bond has. People who don't see an issue with the actors race, so therefore don't think it matters are arguing against that. Is that really that difficult for you to grasp? Just because I don't think the colour of a persons skin, or their sexuality or disability shouldn't prevent them from doing certain things, does that mean I can't engage in a discussion with you when you state your opinion that you do believe it should?
Bettsj2 Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 James Bond is not a time lord, and therefore he hasn't got the ability to regenerate. Q needs to pull his finger out and make a Tardis.
Trav Le Bleu Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 Do the books state that Bond is white? I'd have no issue with Bond being non-white as long as it was done because the best candidate was non-white and not in a desperate attempt to use race politics to "reinvigorate" the franchise. If you have to be all faux-controversial and attention seeking just to publicise a film reboot then it's probably a series you should have left dead. (This would apply to more than just Bond, see also Indiana Jones, Batman, Spiderman, you name it.) There was an item on R4 that I caught this morning (don't normally listen to R4 in the morning, but a caller to R5 had made me so irate I turned over) and it was talking about racial diversity in films. It was editted by Lenny Henry and he was that he had no problem with the cast of a program like Downton Abbey being all white, so long as there were plenty of racial diversity amongst the production and film crew, it's just common sense. They also talked about the next incarnation of Captain America being black - which kind of ties inwith what you were saying. There was protest that Marvel were making an already popular character black rather than creating (and taking a risk on) a new black character. Of course, with some superheroes it isn't really an issue as many have been killed off or retired, with a new incarnation rising as someone else takes up the mantle - in fact Cap America is a prime example of this, so in many ways the point is moot, but still caused protest amongst black Americans apparently. Also Marvel are making a Black Panther film, which should be interesting. You can't really do it with Bond but what you could do is make a black guy 007, having killed off Bond - the 00 moniker being a kind of codename/callsign. I highly doubt that Ian Fleming intended that Bond was black (I've never read the books so I can't be sure) and with 20+ (30+?) films as a white guy, it really would be a stretch. The argument though is, as I said above, why do you need to shoehorn a black guy into an established roll? Why can't you create a new black hero instead - Bourne worked quite well in a similar vein. Interestingly when was reading Jame's Paterson's Alex Cross books, I never realised that Cross was black (I hadn't seen any of the films either) until the third book I read (can't remember which one) and the thing that gave it away, rather than any overt statement that Cross was black was that he gave his son nuggies.
Webbo Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 James Bond is a debonair English/British snob, a product of the public school system, even in the latest film his family had an estate in Scotland. He's not black and working class, if you want a black working class spy write a story about a black working class spy . What's the problem with having a white James Bond?
Jimothy Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 James Bond is a debonair English/British snob, a product of the public school system, even in the latest film his family had an estate in Scotland. He's not black and working class, if you want a black working class spy write a story about a black working class spy . What's the problem with having a white James Bond? No problem with a white Bond, and no problem with a black one either. Who said there was a problem with a white one? You're just making things up now.
Harry - LCFC Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 James Bond is a debonair English/British snob, a product of the public school system, even in the latest film his family had an estate in Scotland. He's not black and working class, if you want a black working class spy write a story about a black working class spy . What's the problem with having a white James Bond? Where has working class crept it's way into this? If Elba gets the part he's going to have to be cool and well spoken like the previous Bonds but I'm not seeing anyone suggesting that isn't what's going to happen.
Jimothy Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 James Bond is a debonair English/British snob, a product of the public school system, even in the latest film his family had an estate in Scotland. He's not black and working class, if you want a black working class spy write a story about a black working class spy . What's the problem with having a white James Bond? In 2014/2015, black people have the money to send their kids to private school and buy big estates too you know.
yorkie1999 Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 No problem with a white Bond, and no problem with a black one either. Who said there was a problem with a white one? You're just making things up now. Well actually, you did say you wanted to see a chinese sherlock holmes, so you could assume that you had a problem with Bond being white.
Jimothy Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 Well actually, you did say you wanted to see a chinese sherlock holmes, so you could assume that you had a problem with Bond being white. What the actual ****? How can you come to that conclusion? Because I'd happily see another race play an established character, that means I have a problem with white people playing that character?
Webbo Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 No problem with a white Bond, and no problem with a black one either. Who said there was a problem with a white one? You're just making things up now. I'm not making anything up. People are saying what's the problem with a black James Bond? Well apart from the fact that in all the books and films he's quite clearly a white character from an obviously white background and that by changing his ethnicity you would be radically changing his character nothing. What good reason is there for changing? Seems like posturing to me.
Jimothy Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 I'm not making anything up. People are saying what's the problem with a black James Bond? Well apart from the fact that in all the books and films he's quite clearly a white character from an obviously white background and that by changing his ethnicity you would be radically changing his character nothing. What good reason is there for changing? Seems like posturing to me. But that's not people having a problem with a white Bond, that's people not having a problem with a black one. It's a world of difference.
Webbo Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 In 2014/2015, black people have the money to send their kids to private school and buy big estates too you know. James Bond is around 40, so he would have been born in the early to mid 70s, don't think there was many black families with large estates in the Highlands of Scotland then, I doubt if there are many now.
yorkie1999 Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 James Bond is around 40, so he would have been born in the early to mid 70s, don't think there was many black families with large estates in the Highlands of Scotland then, I doubt if there are many now. Samual l jackson, 51st state.
MPH Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 James Bond is a debonair English/British snob, a product of the public school system, even in the latest film his family had an estate in Scotland. He's not black and working class, if you want a black working class spy write a story about a black working class spy . What's the problem with having a white James Bond? He's a fictional character. Thats what he is. If there is any problem here its that people are taking something make believe way too seriously and want to make it realistic as possible.. ITS NOT REAL, WEBBO. LET IT GO!!
Webbo Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 He's a fictional character. Thats what he is. If there is any problem here its that people are taking something make believe way too seriously and want to make it realistic as possible.. ITS NOT REAL, WEBBO. LET IT GO!! Is this not a discussion board?
yorkie1999 Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 He's a fictional character. Thats what he is. If there is any problem here its that people are taking something make believe way too seriously and want to make it realistic as possible.. ITS NOT REAL, WEBBO. LET IT GO!! Like Santa.
bovril Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 He's a fictional character. Thats what he is. If there is any problem here its that people are taking something make believe way too seriously and want to make it realistic as possible.. ITS NOT REAL, WEBBO. LET IT GO!! Stop getting Bond wrong!
MPH Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 Is this not a discussion board? Yep and im discussing my oponion.
Webbo Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 Yep and im discussing my oponion. You're welcome to your oponion on here.
whoareyaaa Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 why would this even be brought up for discussion, Bond should always be played by a white man it stems back from the 60/70s, it would be like casting Warick Davis instead of ET in ET, or Ben Afflect play the lead role in 12 Years a Slave.
Bettsj2 Posted 30 December 2014 Posted 30 December 2014 why would this even be brought up for discussion, Bond should always be played by a white man it stems back from the 60/70s, it would be like casting Warick Davis instead of ET in ET, or Ben Afflect play the lead role in 12 Years a Slave.No it wouldnt. If you want to use the argument that Bond is an exclusively white character and a black actor would alter the dynamic, a better comparative would be if they re-made Beverley Hills Cop and had Danny Dyer play Axle Foley.The 60's and 70's has nothing fo do with it either. Bond is always set in present day.
phg Posted 31 December 2014 Posted 31 December 2014 Don't see why a black person couldn't be. It's not like the films have stuck that close to the books. I can't imagine Fleming would have written about Bond requesting a heineken for starters... Heineken shaken not stirred !!
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