Would Bond in his Connery incarnation today be regarded as a sexual pr

osris

Would Bond in his Connery incarnation today be regarded as a sexual predator? I’m thinking of the forceful way he restrained Pussy Galore in the barn in GF, and his physical persistence with the female masseur in Shrublands in TB. True, in both instances the women finally consented, but in today’s climate do you think such “pick-up” procedures would be regarded as bordering on sexual harassment etc?

welshguy34

The shrublands scenes where Bond openly harasses the nurse would certainly be classed as sexual harassment. Those scenes would be shot differently today.

osris

Yes, no doubt.

I'm surprised that TV repeats of the film haven't edited those scenes out.

hehadlotsofguts

welshguy34 wrote:

The shrublands scenes where Bond openly harasses the nurse would certainly be classed as sexual harassment. Those scenes would be shot differently today.

He blackmails her for sex too. Basically saying "If you don't have sex with me, ill tell your boss that you left me unnattended on a machine, nearly getting me killed in the process."

Barbel

These earlier threads may be of interest:

http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/43933/the-deplorable-sexism-of-early-bond-movies/

http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/46518/racism-sexism-homophobia/

osris

Thanks. Didn't see those.

Napoleon Plural

Moore's Bond is a bit 'rapey' too, just goes right up and kisses the girl.

I can't quite take the Connery stuff seriously, it is pretty clear that Pat is keen generally, and I don't know, I mean with Pussy Galore it's the accepted trope that in a movie she's going to be interested in the handsome hero.

But one question: after 'Man talk!' with Dink, Leiter suggests he's letting the opposition getting close to him. Okay, that's a gag about the opposite sex of course, but I did wonder (overthinking it) if he meant to imply that he was sending Dink away cos she was a spy hoping to eavesdrop, hence her annoyance at being banished. Overthinking.

Jovius

He absolutely would, no doubt. The Pussy Galore "seduction" scene (as so many euphemistically call it) makes me uncomfortable for the fact that she's a lesbian who is "cured of her affliction" by the right man. A trope of the day that has not aged well. The blackmail in Thunderball is pretty gross too.

Napoleon Plural

Not sure she is officially a lesbian in the film. Anyway, who says she's been cured? There are plenty of bi's who swing both ways.

Matt S

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Not sure she is officially a lesbian in the film. Anyway, who says she's been cured? There are plenty of bi's who swing both ways.

"You can turn off the charm. I'm immune" is the hint that she is not interested in men, but then at the end of the film she is clearly interested in Bond. Generally that is not an acceptable thing. But some people can change if they meet the right person. The mayor of New York City is married to someone who identified as a lesbian before she met him, and they've now been married 22 years. But I expect and hope he didn't force himself on her like Bond did. What Bond did is unacceptable.

Barbel

Richard Maibaum- "I've kept the lesbian angle, but played it as "man-hating", a perfectly acceptable, recognisable proclivity".

Matt S

Barbel wrote:

Richard Maibaum- "I've kept the lesbian angle, but played it as "man-hating", a perfectly acceptable, recognisable proclivity".

Very interesting. Some people put up a barrier to the sex on is attracted to, though it's often due to previous abuse. Perhaps we can conclude that Bond is not the first man to force himself on her. But then I'd think that after Bond forcing himself on her she would hate him even more. It's just an idea.

chrisisall

Matt S wrote:

Barbel wrote:

Richard Maibaum- "I've kept the lesbian angle, but played it as "man-hating", a perfectly acceptable, recognisable proclivity".

Very interesting. Some people put up a barrier to the sex on is attracted to, though it's often due to previous abuse. Perhaps we can conclude that Bond is not the first man to force himself on her. But then I'd think that after Bond forcing himself on her she would hate him even more. It's just an idea.

She was more than capable of keeping him from kissing her. She wanted him, and he knew it is all. -{

superado

He actually did what some people only boast about, which is grabbing Ms. Galore )

chrisisall

superado wrote:

He actually did what some people only boast about, which is grabbing Ms. Galore )

Hey! Keep politics out of here!
:v

Agent Lee

The way Connery's Bond coerces women into sexual situations would be classified as blatant sexual harassment, and even sometimes assault, today. I still enjoy the old Bond films immensely, but those scenes are definitely harder to watch for me than they used to be. I mean, it's still pretty easy for me to dismiss them as products of the time, but I could see some of the sexual scenes in the old Bond films being kind of triggering for women.

Napoleon Plural

Actually, I have more of a problem with Moore.

His come-ons seem perfunctory, and it's like he doesn't have to try because in fairness Moore is playing it as a joke. Obv you have the Solitaire and Goodnight in the wardrobe antics which are horrible. That scene where a young girl presents a rose to him in his Bogus Sheil outfit is also grisly, like he's in Rotherham or something. Roger'am, even.

Jellyfish

Here's a clip from Family Guy which plays on the attitude of Connery's Bond towards women:

https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Mxo-LAHVHdw

zaphod99

Agent Lee wrote:

The way Connery's Bond coerces women into sexual situations would be classified as blatant sexual harassment, and even sometimes assault, today. I still enjoy the old Bond films immensely, but those scenes are definitely harder to watch for me than they used to be. I mean, it's still pretty easy for me to dismiss them as products of the time, but I could see some of the sexual scenes in the old Bond films being kind of triggering for women.

I find the highly questionable encounters in recent film to be more troublesome as earlier movies have an excuse to some degree being products of earlier less enlightened times. Also in recent films no one seems to be having much fun or enjoyment in their frolics. It's all so angst ridden. With Connery I at least got the impression that he liked women and was powerfully attracted to them and they to him, often to his cost. Admittedly it did not always work out well for the women. With Connery- Bond we knew that he enjoyed fast cars, beautiful women, adventure and sticking it to the bad guys. I have no idea what Bond currently derives pleasure from. This was true of Dalton to some degree also

osris

This thread seems apt given the current situation regarding sexual harassment in the media.

I wonder if Bond, today, would be sacked from MI6 because of it.

dr. evan-gelist

Yes in todays silly world he would be seen as a predator but people judge the 60s- the 80s in todays world which is wrong. I hate political correctness but i dont preach about it. I could go on....

DavidJones

Nothing is worse than stepping uninvited into a shower with a former sex slave, and that was this decade.

AugustWalker

DavidJones wrote:

Nothing is worse than stepping uninvited into a shower with a former sex slave, and that was this decade.

But he was invited...

DavidJones

AugustWalker wrote:

DavidJones wrote:

Nothing is worse than stepping uninvited into a shower with a former sex slave, and that was this decade.

But he was invited...

That's debatable, though it could be argued that she has been conditioned to be sexually passive from an early age.

Napoleon Plural

He wasn't really invited to step into the shower... only for a drink. Which he missed, so she took a shower...

Bond wouldn't be sacked, he works for the State. From Hillsborough to Gosport, it always protects its own. In fact, the woman making the allegations would be smeared as mad or a sexual predator herself - the usual victim-blaming strategy of 'It's not us it's you...' See Rose McGowan.

AugustWalker

Well, she was telling him when and where she‘ll cast off. Later awaiting him with champagne and a very charming dressing gown. As for the Bond-universe, that’s a clear case...

Thunderpussy

I always joke with my daughters that
" He's just being an alpha Male "
They usually just roll their eyes.

dr. evan-gelist

The victim would be paid off to keep quiet.

Sir Hillary Bray

Someone needs to design a logo for all this -- #MeT007 or thereabouts.

Joshua

I think he would, but I must ask should we be looking at a film made in the 1960s through 2019 specatcles? The times Sean Connery and others films were made were only to reflect the society of that times.

We can only see that we have come forward in our attitude to many things including sexism and racism and hopefully these things are not acceptable any more in society.

005

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Not sure she is officially a lesbian in the film. Anyway, who says she's been cured? There are plenty of bi's who swing both ways.

Trigger Mortis answers this.