Chastised for loving James Bond films

jamesm123

I grew up on James Bond. Roger Moore practically taught me good manners. The only reason I didn't see the last two movies on my own was because my missus fancies Daniel Craig. It's like I have to keep it a secret I like Bond stuff or I'll get labelled a Trekkie type nerd! At least I'm into something cool as f¥#k, stylish and iconic. Having said that I do think the Star Wars/Star Trek mega fans are geeks. Does this make me a hypocrite?

DJ007

Yes it does.

thesecretagent

Don't let anyone tell you what to like. It's not just Bond. I caused an awkard silence at a dinner party the other night because I talked about the computer re-map I've just had on my M3, which now gives it over 480bhp. Combine this with talking about V8 engines vs turboed straight sixes - and you'd think I'd opened up about secretely making child porn snuff movies or something!

mrbain007

I do know the feeling. On a certain forum (*cough*MI6*cough*) I almost feel like I'm somehow "wrong" for liking (and growing up on) the Pierce Brosnan era and Pierce Brosnan as Bond.

The bashing the poor fellow seems to get on there

Thunderpussy

I grew up like "The only Gay in the Village " as I was the Only person Into Bond. So it's great to have somewhere to discuss, argue and sometimes agree ( Not often) with others on all things Bond.
I'm a bit of a fan of old Sir Roger,coming home from school to watch the Saint etc. And have never had a problem with any of the actors playing Bond, until a certin Blonde took over. But I'm hoping with a few changes to Bond 23 Even I might be Won Over.
And as The Secretagent said, Don't let Others tell you what to like,Think or Act. As Shakespere said
"To thyne own self be True "
As a Teen I took some Leg pulling over liking Bond.and where my mates had posters of Cars or Footballers, I had the Bond Movie posters, ( I think my parents did get a bit worried, all those posters of Roger Moore and Sean Connery. But I think they were reasured when my mum found a collection of some Playboy and Penthouse mags with various Bond girls in them , This of course was my only reason for Buying them, They're all part of the collection ! ) )

Napoleon Plural

thesecretagent wrote:

Don't let anyone tell you what to like. You'd think I'd opened up about secretely making child porn snuff movies or something!

I didn't know you were into that stuff, secretagent. Send me a PM.

Thing about Bond is, there's a difference between him and your own lifestyle very often. If you don't get to drive an Aston, the chasm is obvious, though frankly even if you do, it can look a bit desperate. No one expects a Star Wars fan to fly a Millennium Falcon.

Bond is generally seen as a humorous interest by most, so not best to take it too seriously. Or take anything seriously in a dinner party situation.

cdsdss

I get kidded a little about my 007 fanboyishness, but it's nothing major. Just yesterday my office was having a conversation about menswear, and I said that the reason I almost never wear the khakis/polo shirt combo that's so popular among men of my age is because James Bond never wore such a combo. This prompted a co-worker to ask in jest, "Did something happen in your childhood to make you idolize James Bond?"

I answered, "Look, I was smart enough to know that no one in my family had any sense of fashion, culture, or sophistication, so who could I look to as a role model? James Bond has always been been a fashion icon. Who better to take cues from?"

My coworker replied, "That actually makes a lot of sense."

mishtabond

@cdsdss

ditto

DEFIANT 74205

I'm a Bond fan and a Star Trek fan. I do get chastised for being a Trekkie, but when other people find out I'm a Bond fan, they think that's cool. Roger Moore might've taught you good manners, but watching Bond films has taught me how to speak! English is my second language, and I learnt a lot from watching Bond films, to the extent that some people tell me I speak with a hint of an English accent, despite never having been to the UK before

So, to answer your question: yes, you're a hypocrite for thinking that Trek fans are geeks

Alex

Usually when someone finds about about my Bond or Trek love, I'll get their stupid attempts at comedy in the form of "Bond, James Bond" or "Beam me up Scotty". Always with a cringe inducing English or Scottish accent. So who really needs to be chastised here, me or them??

I'm also chastised for loving old movies which my co-workers deem "cheesy" or "corny". I got flack after buying the Val Lewton set! Whatever.

Agent Sidewinder

Can't say I've been outright chastised for liking Bond films, but I do remember one of my old school friends expressing incredulosity upon hearing that I'd seen every single Bond film.

I've been chastised though for liking Roger Moore's films though....chiefly by my dad, who is firmly of the opinion that Bond should be a hard b*st*rd. He knows absolutely nothing about Bond despite having seen most of the films, though, so it doesn't bother me

Thunderbird 2

(Eyes narrow at Jamessm123's opening comment) Answer? = Major hypocrite!

I was born a full scale Sci Fi geek and proud of it too! - Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, Thunderbirds, and Bond, amongst others. People react in one of two ways - A minority automatically judge me as beneath them - I ignore them. Life is too short for that nonsense. Most I am pleased to say, often find a way to praise and take the P in an affectionate way simultaneously. (I like them, give as good as I get with their hobbies / interests, and have made a lot of friends that way.)

To a varying degree being a major fan of anything carries a certain level of stigma, even if you don't go overboard with it. (Shrugs)

Gassy Man

Every girlfriend I've ever had has treated my affection for Bond with a degree of eye-rolling . . . it's not that they find it dorky or geeky a la Star Wars or Star Trek, it's that they find it a sexist, juvenile "guy thing." Fortunately, my best friend is a woman and she really enjoys Bond, as do other women in my life. When I started teaching college full-time, I still wore suits that were required at my last job . . . and not cheap ones . . . and the combination of tailoring and affection for Bond, clips of which I might show in class as examples, got a lot of my students into thinking I was emulating Bond.

little nelly

Unenlightened workmates stick to the cliches - "shaken, not stirred" etc. They don't so much chastise as take the piss - then they drone on and on and on about football for what seems like forever. Which is sadder? I know what I think.

Mark Hazard

Message for all UK Bond fans with a significant other who's not too keen on 007 - and who don't mind having the urine extracted.

I recently received a message from Lucy at Zeppotron, one of the Endemol tv companies that are putting together a new comedy panel show - to quote from my mail:

Dear Robin (my real name),

My name is Lucy and I’m currently working on a new primetime comedy panel show being made by Zeppotron, an Endemol company.

We are looking for fun couples who are very much in love, but have an ongoing tiff or dispute that they want resolved, once and for all! It doesn’t matter how small or ridiculous the issue may be – it could be an annoying habit, a strange hobby, or something silly that they just always argue about.

Our celebrity comedy panel will watch each couple in action, listen to both sides of the story, and then ultimately decide who they think is right, and who is wrong.

At the moment, I am specifically looking at people who love James Bond and whose partner doesn’t understand why they spend so much time on it! It’s a very light hearted entertainment show and we’re looking for people who are up for a laugh and would quite like to be on television.

We filmed a pilot of this show earlier in the year, and our comedians included Jack Dee, Jo Brand and Sarah Millican.

Is this something you or any of your fellow Bond fans that you know may be interested in?

Best Wishes,

Lucy

If you have any interest, contact the show at: couples@endemoluk.com I'm sure they'd like to hear from you - tell them I sent you and hopefully have fun.

Thunderpussy

I had to rule myself ou at "Fun couple, very much in love " as we're Married so wouldn't qualify )

Ammo08

I got my wife hooked on Bond. I grew up reading the books, when I could get one from Uncle Frank, I got to see Dr No at the theatre, I must have been in the third grade. I took my wife to see The Spy who Loved me, it was our first date. She had never seen a James Bond film, I guess, even on TV. She was hooked.

I really like Sir Roger Moore, he's my favorite, but Daniel Craig is good. I think Brosnan did a good job, it could have been better, but then I can't act, sing, write or dance, so I'm never too critical of a performance.

PPK 7.65mm

You guys are lucky, when I went to boarding school during the summer of 1997 there were some of my fellow students who though I was strange being a 14 year old and liking James Bond films. I had to endure verbal insults, and constant lectures about how my collecting posters, toys, books, and other items related agent 007 was a waste of time.

I am glad that I don't have to deal with it anymore. Most of my family and friends are pretty understanding of watching the films and being a collector. Sometimes I even ask my relatives Bond related stuff for my birthday or Christmas.

Donald Grant

Mark Hazard wrote:

Message for all UK Bond fans with a significant other who's not too keen on 007 - and who don't mind having the urine extracted.

I recently received a message from Lucy at Zeppotron, one of the Endemol tv companies that are putting together a new comedy panel show - to quote from my mail:

Dear Robin (my real name),

My name is Lucy and I’m currently working on a new primetime comedy panel show being made by Zeppotron, an Endemol company.

We are looking for fun couples who are very much in love, but have an ongoing tiff or dispute that they want resolved, once and for all! It doesn’t matter how small or ridiculous the issue may be – it could be an annoying habit, a strange hobby, or something silly that they just always argue about.

Our celebrity comedy panel will watch each couple in action, listen to both sides of the story, and then ultimately decide who they think is right, and who is wrong.

At the moment, I am specifically looking at people who love James Bond and whose partner doesn’t understand why they spend so much time on it! It’s a very light hearted entertainment show and we’re looking for people who are up for a laugh and would quite like to be on television.

We filmed a pilot of this show earlier in the year, and our comedians included Jack Dee, Jo Brand and Sarah Millican.

Is this something you or any of your fellow Bond fans that you know may be interested in?

Best Wishes,

Lucy

If you have any interest, contact the show at: couples@endemoluk.com I'm sure they'd like to hear from you - tell them I sent you and hopefully have fun.

That's funny. My wife often tells me James Bond is not a real person. Of course I tell her she married him. She gets a big laugh out of that.

As for being chastised for liking Bond, it's not something I share with everyone but most of my friends know. There was one fellow who I worked with who used to liked to say Scarmanga and rib me. But it was all in good fun. I just thnk he liked the name Scaramanga. It is a cool sounding name. At this point in my life though I'm like Popeye, "I am what I am and that's all that I am."

DG

Mister White

I once mentioned something on this board about an interview with Timothy Dalton in Doctor Who magazine, and you wouldn't believe the reactions I got because I had the audacity to mention Doctor Who magazine.

So I think as long as everyone keeps a narrow mind like that, how can we ever hope that people will understand our interest in James Bond?

Also, Thunderpussy, I never realised you were gay. I want to applaud you. It takes strength of character to come out on a site like this...

Thunderpussy

I'm always very happy )

Thunderpussy

Also it's a very tough call, to "come out" or admit to being a Dr Who fan )

Sir_Miles_Messervy

I have a decently sized, generally visible bond tattoo on my right arm. I get chastised a bit, but I'm insanely proud of it and my affinity for Mr. Bond.

hegottheboot

If you think it can be bad in public...just wait till you get to film critics and scholars...saying you like 007 makes you an instant punching bag. Unless it's Goldfinger or people reminiscing about the 60's, Bond is garbage. Maybe that's why I wrote my college thesis on Bond.
I once had an intense discussion on the merits of Moore's Bond with the head professor (PhD and all). I even found myself sticking up for AVTAK and it merits. (There are some...really there are)