A female member I remember well is Jaelle, who seems to have been absent for quite a long time now. Her posts were consistently thought-provoking, literate and informative. She had a great knowledge of Timothy Dalton and other subjects, and I always enjoyed reading her thoughtful posts. Moreover, where there were disagreements they were agreeable ones, and there was a distinct amiability in her writing.
As for the general lack of female posters, I would assume this is due to more Bond fans being male than female, and this being particularly apparent in the core fanbase (i.e., those who care enough to post their thoughts on an internet website).
I think female members should be sought out and welcomed, not chased away.
I do agree Barry, as I think diversity is something to be valued in itself. However, where a disagreement occurs I do not see this as being anything to do with the gender issue on AJB; disagreements are based on what has been written regardless of gender. I only speak for myself, of course, although I should have thought this was the same for everyone.
I do realize it's been several years since I've been an active member on this site, but I do have a few thoughts on the OP subject.
I never felt unwelcome here at AJB - indeed, as someone attended an all-girls school for 7 years when she first became a member, it was refreshing to hear what males in "the real world" had to say about Bond and life in general. Despite skirmishes with the occasional troll, I think the mods have done a wonderful job keeping the forums safe and welcoming to fans of all perspectives. It's heartwarming to see how many familiar names I still see posting, as well as new members contributing fresh ideas.
It can be tricky to be a woman and admitting you're a Bond fan when meeting people "in real life" (I hate that phrase, because it implies that people you communicate with on the Internet don't actually exist. At the very least you're all convincing and entertaining figures of my imagination). The men I've met seem to be intimidated by how much I know about both the books and the films. To my female friends, I find it difficult to justify my 007 fangirling as a feminist. Yes, I love the series for what it is, but there are certain elements that do make me feel uncomfortable. I was tired of defending Ian Fleming's and his creation's prejudices from well-intentioned friends involved in political and social advocacy; there's this perception among non-fans that liking Bond means you adopt all of his attitudes. While all of this happened offline, it still dampered my enthusiasm in the 007 fandom.
As to why there are female posters who have to cut back on how much they post, perhaps it's due to cutting back on discretionary activities like posting when times are busy? As a full-time student who also works and does research, I simply didn't have the time or motivation to post, even when CR and QoS had been released. Again, this is my 2 cents; I can't speak for the experiences of other female members.
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
Oh the days of emtiem..... but I joined just as he was finally kicked off - he was such an antagonist.
Anyway, there are quite a few girls on here - especially on the water cooler thread - it seems that Ale just needs to throw the stiletto beacon and we all come running
I've been posting on here for almost 3 years now... and I'm sure the boys are sick of my continued defence of Craig - and the love of the past two Bond Movies.....
I was going to comment on your post count Tracy - as you've obviously been on here for ages, but just not in the past couple of years.
Anyway, welcome back..... -{
She's worth whatever chaos she brings to the table and you know it. ~ Mark Anthony
Oh the days of emtiem..... but I joined just as he was finally kicked off - he was such an antagonist.
Anyway, there are quite a few girls on here - especially on the water cooler thread - it seems that Ale just needs to throw the stiletto beacon and we all come running
I've been posting on here for almost 3 years now... and I'm sure the boys are sick of my continued defence of Craig - and the love of the past two Bond Movies.....
I was going to comment on your post count Tracy - as you've obviously been on here for ages, but just not in the past couple of years.
Anyway, welcome back..... -{
Much obliged! It's great to see vocal female posters like you, Alessandra and Pendragon around.
There was a guy in the Music forum a few years ago who used to harass me and call me ignorant because I was female. The mods kindly gave him the boot. I vaguely recall the ladies starting up an alternative to the Izabella Stuff thread, with jetsetwilly as a top contributor, but it looks like it's gone defunct.
I do remember hearing the initial fan backlash against Craig's casting and was saddened; while I didn't know who DC was at the time, I was genuinely excited for CR. While it's not my favorite, I did see QoS five times...in theaters. And I've seen CR 16 times and it never gets old. That said, Dalton's still my favorite and always has been. While I do find it disappointing to see so many Bond fans ready to see DC go for Bond 23, it does bring up interesting debates.
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
I can't think of anything better than a female Bond fan! If my wife liked Bond as much as you ladies I wouldn't have to wait until I'm practically asleep at night before watching a Bond dvd and then dozing off before I'm half-way through cold, tired and alone in the lounge with the fire burnt out! And she might actually just get one of my witisisms or references, and not look bored or worried, or make you feel like you're sad (and I don't even collect anything!) for liking the series etc.
I like the girls' opinions and views and it balances things out nicely. No, there should be loads more ladies on here - so it's up to you, Lexi, Pen, Allesandra, Lady Rose and Tracy (and anyone else I've missed) - you must recruit more women and get them posting!!!
Amazon #1 Bestselling Author. If you enjoy crime, espionage, action and fast-moving thrillers follow this link:
I can't think of anything better than a female Bond fan! If my wife liked Bond as much as you ladies I wouldn't have to wait until I'm practically asleep at night before watching a Bond dvd and then dozing off before I'm half-way through cold, tired and alone in the lounge with the fire burnt out! And she might actually just get one of my witisisms or references, and not look bored or worried, or make you feel like you're sad (and I don't even collect anything!) for liking the series etc.
I like the girls' opinions and views and it balances things out nicely. No, there should be loads more ladies on here - so it's up to you, Lexi, Pen, Allesandra, Lady Rose and Tracy (and anyone else I've missed) - you must recruit more women and get them posting!!!
I can sympathize with you, thesecretagent - I'm rewatching all of the 007 films again, and I can't convince my significant other or my roommate to join me. My roommate is very bipolar about watching sexy scenes in TV/movies and doesn't like on-screen violence. Still trying to convince the boyfriend that he should watch - he's only seen GE and CR, and he only watched GE my partner's soon to be boss helped design the original Goldeneye video game.
I'll keep trying with the rest of my female friends anyway
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
Something that was quite funny with my liking for all things Bond, was that my wife once described my interest as "bondage" to my mother, who practically went to pieces as my wife said she wasn't into it and didn't think she would ever get into it, and that it was an obsession with me - the films, the lifestyle, the books, the gadgets.... )
Amazon #1 Bestselling Author. If you enjoy crime, espionage, action and fast-moving thrillers follow this link:
^ haaahahaha that's brilliant. gotta love ambiguous wording.
I'll have to secret some of the Bond movies out of my parents house this weekend...they're all my DVDs anyway (bought and paid for by yours truly), but my dad has a fit when I take them
Both my wife and daughters Hate the Bonds,and now I have to watch them on my Own. But then again they did put up with years of having to watch them with my running commentary on various facts etc from each film. So I kinda blame myself.
But then again they're lucky in that I'm not into any Sport of any Kind so they're fee to watch all their soaps and reality shows. )
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Both my wife and daughters Hate the Bonds,and now I have to watch them on my Own. But then again they did put up with years of having to watch them with my running commentary on various facts etc from each film. So I kinda blame myself.
But then again they're lucky in that I'm not into any Sport of any Kind so they're fee to watch all their soaps and reality shows. )
I got into the Bond series because I watched all the Connery, Lazenby, and Moore ones with my Dad when I was a teenager. I hope that in time your daughters will Bond with you over the 007 films. (Sorry, I'm prone to terrible puns when tired.)
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
Having 2 older brothers and a Dad in the service.... I didn't really have much choice.
javascript:void(0);
Bond movies were the secret highlight of Christmas in our household..... and I have to say, I am so pleased I was introduced to Bond as such a young age.
I now have a love of spy movies - and what the hell is there not to love in a Bond movie?
Gorgeous Leading men, sexy ladies in great dresses...exotic locations, fast cars, great theme songs.... witty banter and now, quite by fluke, the crush I've had for years is the leading role :x
I've never understood why women don't like/get Bond. Doesn't every girl want to be a 'Bond Girl?' - Doesn't every woman not want to have the gorgeous man risk his life, sweep in and rescue her from some dangerous situation, in some flash and swanky car - and end up seducing her to bed? (Haven't I just described the Milk Tray advert....? ) )
No?
Crazy...... )
She's worth whatever chaos she brings to the table and you know it. ~ Mark Anthony
Having 2 older brothers and a Dad in the service.... I didn't really have much choice.
javascript:void(0);
Bond movies were the secret highlight of Christmas in our household..... and I have to say, I am so pleased I was introduced to Bond as such a young age.
I now have a love of spy movies - and what the hell is there not to love in a Bond movie?
Gorgeous Leading men, sexy ladies in great dresses...exotic locations, fast cars, great theme songs.... witty banter and now, quite by fluke, the crush I've had for years is the leading role :x
I've never understood why women don't like/get Bond. Doesn't every girl want to be a 'Bond Girl?' - Doesn't every woman not want to have the gorgeous man risk his life, sweep in and rescue her from some dangerous situation, in some flash and swanky car - and end up seducing her to bed? (Haven't I just described the Milk Tray advert....? ) )
No?
Crazy...... )
That's a fascinating point you bring up, Lexi - how many real life women would be willing to admit that they want to be a Bond girl with the popular perception that they're decorative eye candy who can kick enough butt until they need to be rescued? Not that I agree with that perception necessarily - we both know that there are plenty of exceptions to that rule (Tracy, Domino, Melina, Pam, etc.), but I do think it's uncomfortable for younger women, especially those with more feminist viewpoints, to admit to that kind of fantasy.
For me, personally, I'd rather be in a Bond/spy movie rather than be seduced by Bond, if that makes any sense - I'd rather be considered "one of the guys" like Stacie on Hustle and trade ambiguous double entendres with everyone because I'm platonically promiscuous that way :P. Actually resolving that kind of relationship with Bond, even if it's meant to be a "fling," is less interesting to me than the ongoing tension Bond and Moneypenny. If I woke up being Emma Peel for a day, I think I could die happy. That said, I'd never turn down the opportunity to be a Bond girl in the extremely unlikely chance that ever happens ).
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
I vaguely recall the ladies starting up an alternative to the Izabella Stuff thread, with jetsetwilly as a top contributor, but it looks like it's gone defunct.
Now THAT was a fun thread .... if I could remeber what it was called I'd re open it ! If I remember correctly I was lusting after Gerard Butler at the time and posted lots of pics of him . Only problem is, Ale will probably spam it with Henry Cavill pics ! .... Where's Mo when I need her? She'd remeber what it was called .....
I vaguely recall the ladies starting up an alternative to the Izabella Stuff thread, with jetsetwilly as a top contributor, but it looks like it's gone defunct.
Now THAT was a fun thread .... if I could remeber what it was called I'd re open it ! If I remember correctly I was lusting after Gerard Butler at the time and posted lots of pics of him . Only problem is, Ale will probably spam it with Henry Cavill pics ! .... Where's Mo when I need her? She'd remeber what it was called .....
It's the Brozzer Stuff thread! Can't believe it took me this long to remember...
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
I vaguely recall the ladies starting up an alternative to the Izabella Stuff thread, with jetsetwilly as a top contributor, but it looks like it's gone defunct.
Now THAT was a fun thread .... if I could remeber what it was called I'd re open it ! If I remember correctly I was lusting after Gerard Butler at the time and posted lots of pics of him . Only problem is, Ale will probably spam it with Henry Cavill pics ! .... Where's Mo when I need her? She'd remeber what it was called .....
It's the Brozzer Stuff thread! Can't believe it took me this long to remember...
OMG ... thats the one ... I was searching for brozzer thread ... good find Tracy.
Comments
I do realize it's been several years since I've been an active member on this site, but I do have a few thoughts on the OP subject.
I never felt unwelcome here at AJB - indeed, as someone attended an all-girls school for 7 years when she first became a member, it was refreshing to hear what males in "the real world" had to say about Bond and life in general. Despite skirmishes with the occasional troll, I think the mods have done a wonderful job keeping the forums safe and welcoming to fans of all perspectives. It's heartwarming to see how many familiar names I still see posting, as well as new members contributing fresh ideas.
It can be tricky to be a woman and admitting you're a Bond fan when meeting people "in real life" (I hate that phrase, because it implies that people you communicate with on the Internet don't actually exist. At the very least you're all convincing and entertaining figures of my imagination). The men I've met seem to be intimidated by how much I know about both the books and the films. To my female friends, I find it difficult to justify my 007 fangirling as a feminist. Yes, I love the series for what it is, but there are certain elements that do make me feel uncomfortable. I was tired of defending Ian Fleming's and his creation's prejudices from well-intentioned friends involved in political and social advocacy; there's this perception among non-fans that liking Bond means you adopt all of his attitudes. While all of this happened offline, it still dampered my enthusiasm in the 007 fandom.
As to why there are female posters who have to cut back on how much they post, perhaps it's due to cutting back on discretionary activities like posting when times are busy? As a full-time student who also works and does research, I simply didn't have the time or motivation to post, even when CR and QoS had been released. Again, this is my 2 cents; I can't speak for the experiences of other female members.
Oh the days of emtiem..... but I joined just as he was finally kicked off - he was such an antagonist.
Anyway, there are quite a few girls on here - especially on the water cooler thread - it seems that Ale just needs to throw the stiletto beacon and we all come running
I've been posting on here for almost 3 years now... and I'm sure the boys are sick of my continued defence of Craig - and the love of the past two Bond Movies.....
I was going to comment on your post count Tracy - as you've obviously been on here for ages, but just not in the past couple of years.
Anyway, welcome back..... -{
Much obliged! It's great to see vocal female posters like you, Alessandra and Pendragon around.
There was a guy in the Music forum a few years ago who used to harass me and call me ignorant because I was female. The mods kindly gave him the boot. I vaguely recall the ladies starting up an alternative to the Izabella Stuff thread, with jetsetwilly as a top contributor, but it looks like it's gone defunct.
I do remember hearing the initial fan backlash against Craig's casting and was saddened; while I didn't know who DC was at the time, I was genuinely excited for CR. While it's not my favorite, I did see QoS five times...in theaters. And I've seen CR 16 times and it never gets old. That said, Dalton's still my favorite and always has been. While I do find it disappointing to see so many Bond fans ready to see DC go for Bond 23, it does bring up interesting debates.
oooooh emtiem...
mountainburdphotography.wordpress.com
I like the girls' opinions and views and it balances things out nicely. No, there should be loads more ladies on here - so it's up to you, Lexi, Pen, Allesandra, Lady Rose and Tracy (and anyone else I've missed) - you must recruit more women and get them posting!!!
http://apbateman.com
I can sympathize with you, thesecretagent - I'm rewatching all of the 007 films again, and I can't convince my significant other or my roommate to join me. My roommate is very bipolar about watching sexy scenes in TV/movies and doesn't like on-screen violence. Still trying to convince the boyfriend that he should watch - he's only seen GE and CR, and he only watched GE my partner's soon to be boss helped design the original Goldeneye video game.
I'll keep trying with the rest of my female friends anyway
mountainburdphotography.wordpress.com
http://apbateman.com
I'll have to secret some of the Bond movies out of my parents house this weekend...they're all my DVDs anyway (bought and paid for by yours truly), but my dad has a fit when I take them
mountainburdphotography.wordpress.com
But then again they're lucky in that I'm not into any Sport of any Kind so they're fee to watch all their soaps and reality shows.
I got into the Bond series because I watched all the Connery, Lazenby, and Moore ones with my Dad when I was a teenager. I hope that in time your daughters will Bond with you over the 007 films. (Sorry, I'm prone to terrible puns when tired.)
javascript:void(0);
Bond movies were the secret highlight of Christmas in our household..... and I have to say, I am so pleased I was introduced to Bond as such a young age.
I now have a love of spy movies - and what the hell is there not to love in a Bond movie?
Gorgeous Leading men, sexy ladies in great dresses...exotic locations, fast cars, great theme songs.... witty banter and now, quite by fluke, the crush I've had for years is the leading role :x
I've never understood why women don't like/get Bond. Doesn't every girl want to be a 'Bond Girl?' - Doesn't every woman not want to have the gorgeous man risk his life, sweep in and rescue her from some dangerous situation, in some flash and swanky car - and end up seducing her to bed? (Haven't I just described the Milk Tray advert....?
No?
Crazy......
That's a fascinating point you bring up, Lexi - how many real life women would be willing to admit that they want to be a Bond girl with the popular perception that they're decorative eye candy who can kick enough butt until they need to be rescued? Not that I agree with that perception necessarily - we both know that there are plenty of exceptions to that rule (Tracy, Domino, Melina, Pam, etc.), but I do think it's uncomfortable for younger women, especially those with more feminist viewpoints, to admit to that kind of fantasy.
For me, personally, I'd rather be in a Bond/spy movie rather than be seduced by Bond, if that makes any sense - I'd rather be considered "one of the guys" like Stacie on Hustle and trade ambiguous double entendres with everyone because I'm platonically promiscuous that way :P. Actually resolving that kind of relationship with Bond, even if it's meant to be a "fling," is less interesting to me than the ongoing tension Bond and Moneypenny. If I woke up being Emma Peel for a day, I think I could die happy. That said, I'd never turn down the opportunity to be a Bond girl in the extremely unlikely chance that ever happens
Now THAT was a fun thread .... if I could remeber what it was called I'd re open it ! If I remember correctly I was lusting after Gerard Butler at the time and posted lots of pics of him . Only problem is, Ale will probably spam it with Henry Cavill pics ! .... Where's Mo when I need her? She'd remeber what it was called .....
It's the Brozzer Stuff thread! Can't believe it took me this long to remember...
OMG ... thats the one ... I was searching for brozzer thread ... good find Tracy.