I wouldn't have a problem with it -- the guy's awesome -- but I suspect if Broccoli / Wilson ever did cast an African-American as Bond, they would do it at a time when they deem it necessary to reboot the franchise, a la CASINO ROYALE.
With SKYFALL opening huge overseas and likely to do the same domestically, don't see that happening any time soon.
I don't know...personally I'm not a big fan of it (same reason I'm not a fan of Jamie Foxx as Electro). The character was written, described, and (and in the case of Electro) drawn as a white character. Elba is a good actor, but I just don't think it makes sense. If Luke Cage or Blade were cast as a white actor, there would be an uproar.
Originally posted by Captain Jack SparrowView Post
I'm so over this PC-nonsense.
Why not have Kristin Stewart play Bond at this rate.
WOW. Such ignorance, it's quite sad really.
I'd love to see Idris Elba play James Bond, I think he'd be great -- but then again, race is of little consequence to me...
I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt or hope you are not American. But did you really just use the word COLORED to describe African Americans in 2012? SMFH....
I'm black myself, though not American. I meant all non-white characters whether they're black/Asian/Hispanic.
I'm black myself, though not American. I meant all non-white characters whether they're black/Asian/Hispanic.
Understood. I apologize. I'm black myself. Please let's not use the word colored though when referring to minorities. We've come a long way. The term is highly offensive.
BTW I'm one of the least PC offended people, just something about that word....
Please let's not use the word colored though when referring to minorities.
This kinda thing always reminds me of the "small differences" scene in Pulp Fiction. Simply as a matter of syntax, it seems a bit odd that "people of color" is OK, "colored people" is not OK. And yet, in other contexts, that sort of shift is fine - "member of the team", "team member". But hey, connotation counts. So yeh - unless I'm writing dialogue for Archie Bunker.
I'd love to see Idris Elba play James Bond, I think he'd be great -- but then again, race is of little consequence to me...
Exactly. Whatever gets the movie made, whatever makes it good.
If Will Smith wants to play someone who is written white, 90% chance he'll get to do it. And a 90% chance that no one cares.
Internet is a breeding ground for false outrage that seems to have a groundswell but is actually just a couple of knuckleheads who are more inclined to type than all the people who disagree.
BTW I'm one of the least PC offended people, just something about that word....
PC is important. Without it, a LOT of awful things get said, a lot of hate gets bred. The people who most commonly complain about "PC" are the people who are usually least affected by negative talk/stereotypes. If you get rid of being "PC", you gotta eat people referring to you as colored if that's what they wanna do.
I don't really care if white people wanna keep Bond white, btw. To me, it doesn't matter what race a character is unless, again, your story is race specific, but hey, that's me. Keep Bond white, whatevs. I'm fine with it. But as is often the case, one topic spills into a bigger topic.
I do think that there is a desire by a lot of people to get rid of being "PC" because they don't understand where the veil of "PC" comes from, nor do they understand the ramifications of people saying whatever they want all the time.
There is a line that is not really definable. Again, nothing wrong with talking about wanting to keep Bond white but there is nothing wrong with saying that kind of thinking is outdated. Btw, it's not even "PC" to say race doesn't matter in most movie roles. Doesn't PC really mean, "don't say that"?
If, in private, you wanna refer to gay people by the "f" word or black people by the "n" word, fine. If you really wanna exercise your right to free speech--if you're REALLY against being PC, you should absolutely say these words in public too.
Lastly, to stay on topic, the reason I think Elba works as Bond is because I totally buy him as a calm, collected, suave, British spy who freely makes love to women and kills people. I doubt there is one "Bond" trait anyone can list that Elba doesn't have...except for race. And since being white didn't help most of the Bonds not be retarded, I can't really get behind that as a valuable characteristic. I don't buy Jason Statham as Bond because he's not suave. There are other British actors who I don't buy as womanizers or killers. Idris I buy as all these things.
I'm not gonna get involved in the whole race debate but I believe in being true to the character as Fleming wrote it. I don't see the point in changing his skin tone just to make an impact. I'm a big fan of Elba, he deserves to be the star of a franchise, but forcing him into this one is pointless.
I'm not gonna get involved in the whole race debate but I believe in being true to the character as Fleming wrote it. I don't see the point in changing his skin tone just to make an impact.
If they cast Idris, it wouldn't be to make a point. It'd be to get the best odds of having a successful Bond movie. I don't think it's gonna happen, btw.
Also, Bonds have changed wildly from Connery to Moore, to that googly eye'd dude to the the tortured Daniel Craig incarnation, so not sure how "true" to the Fleming books they're staying. I haven't read the Fleming books. The Fleming books don't really matter to the mass Bond audience because they haven't read them either.
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