ENGLISH author Anthony Horowitz who is the most recent writer chosen to write a James Bond novel by the estate of Bond's creator Ian Fleming, recently sparked an outrage when he said actor Idris Elba was "too street" and not "suave" enough to play Britain's favourite spy. Mr Horowitz later apologized for his comment which some deemed as racist.
Though I did not agree with author's claim that Idris is 'too street' to play 007, I found nothing racist about his statement. Idris Elba is the personification of sex in my opinion. He is a versatile actor who can certainly play suave. I have watched him play many varied roles very well indeed. He is a great actor.
However, he cannot be James Bond because James Bond is a white guy with white parents. According to Ian Fleming, the creator of this fictional character, James Bond was born in 1920. His father is from Scotland and and his mother is Swiss. His eyes are blue. With that said, it would compromise the narrative to Idris Elba as bond, as worthy and capable as he is.
I know someone is already calling me a racist. Let me point out that I'm a black man and I have nothing against the colour of my skin. Furthermore, I'm a huge fan of Idris Elba. He is an amazing actor and I believe he can play the part smoothly. However, the idea of a black actor playing the Scottish-Swiss James Bond is as daft as having a white actor playing Shaft.
Furthermore, if Ian Fleming didn't care about Bond's ethnicity he wouldn't have mentioned it. For him to go to the length of describing the colour of Bond's eyes meant he wanted us to know his character's race. Fleming created a white character and we should respect his product.
I was listening to the the cast of the latest Bond movie, 'Spectre' last night. I found it ridiculous that some thought it would be a great idea to have a woman play James Bond or that 007 be gay in future films.
I'm all for equality, but James Bond has always been a white heterosexual man. 'It's who Bond is. I think people forget we're talking about a character in a movie, that is based on a series of books. This is not a race thing, it's a back story and continuity thing. It's about sticking with the character.James Bond was written as a white heterosexual male just as Shaft was written as a black heterosexual male, some things are just not meant to be altered.
Perhaps I don't buy into political correctness bullshit, but are we not supposed to respect the creative mind of the person who invented James Bond? What will be next? A native American Snow? Should we have an Indian girl play Harry Potter?
Why is everything sexist these days? Why is everything racist these days? Political correctness gone wrong.
James Bond, in the books and films, has spoken of a Scottish dad and a white European mother. I couldn't give two hoots who plays any other role in a Bond movie but if 007 ain't a well spoken British white chap. then it ain't Bond.
If certain actors/actresses [if the latter is acceptable to female actors] and/or producers etc want to create films about spies who are different, let them. But they ought not usurp the Bond franchise which has worked so well on its own merits for so long.
Saturday 24 October 2015
James Bond Has Always Been A White Heterosexual Man
ENGLISH author Anthony Horowitz who is the most recent writer chosen to write a James Bond novel by the estate of Bond's creator Ian Fleming, recently sparked an outrage when he said actor Idris Elba was "too street" and not "suave" enough to play Britain's favourite spy. Mr Horowitz later apologized for his comment which some deemed as racist.
Though I did not agree with author's claim that Idris is 'too street' to play 007, I found nothing racist about his statement. Idris Elba is the personification of sex in my opinion. He is a versatile actor who can certainly play suave. I have watched him play many varied roles very well indeed. He is a great actor.
However, he cannot be James Bond because James Bond is a white guy with white parents. According to Ian Fleming, the creator of this fictional character, James Bond was born in 1920. His father is from Scotland and and his mother is Swiss. His eyes are blue. With that said, it would compromise the narrative to Idris Elba as bond, as worthy and capable as he is.
I know someone is already calling me a racist. Let me point out that I'm a black man and I have nothing against the colour of my skin. Furthermore, I'm a huge fan of Idris Elba. He is an amazing actor and I believe he can play the part smoothly. However, the idea of a black actor playing the Scottish-Swiss James Bond is as daft as having a white actor playing Shaft.
Furthermore, if Ian Fleming didn't care about Bond's ethnicity he wouldn't have mentioned it. For him to go to the length of describing the colour of Bond's eyes meant he wanted us to know his character's race. Fleming created a white character and we should respect his product.
I was listening to the the cast of the latest Bond movie, 'Spectre' last night. I found it ridiculous that some thought it would be a great idea to have a woman play James Bond or that 007 be gay in future films.
I'm all for equality, but James Bond has always been a white heterosexual man. 'It's who Bond is. I think people forget we're talking about a character in a movie, that is based on a series of books. This is not a race thing, it's a back story and continuity thing. It's about sticking with the character.James Bond was written as a white heterosexual male just as Shaft was written as a black heterosexual male, some things are just not meant to be altered.
Perhaps I don't buy into political correctness bullshit, but are we not supposed to respect the creative mind of the person who invented James Bond? What will be next? A native American Snow? Should we have an Indian girl play Harry Potter?
Why is everything sexist these days? Why is everything racist these days? Political correctness gone wrong.
James Bond, in the books and films, has spoken of a Scottish dad and a white European mother. I couldn't give two hoots who plays any other role in a Bond movie but if 007 ain't a well spoken British white chap. then it ain't Bond.
If certain actors/actresses [if the latter is acceptable to female actors] and/or producers etc want to create films about spies who are different, let them. But they ought not usurp the Bond franchise which has worked so well on its own merits for so long.
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