What is reality anymore? Today more then ever, our lives are run by the media around us. We eat, breath, live, die the products presented to us. It’s true. Every day we are consuming something. Whether it is the way we walk, the video games we play, to the $200 dollar True Religion jeans we wear, to the self improvement we undergo, to the morals we derive from a movie. How can we consume some of these things you might ask. We can because “in order to become [an] object of consumption, the object must become [a] sign.” Baudrillard [418]. This ties in the whole Saussure concept of signs. Even though these objects seem ordinary. They signify something greater: an ideal. This is how marketing comes into play because in taking an ordinary object and turning it into an ideal, that ordinary object becomes extraordinary.
The walk becomes your swagger, you style, and defines you as a person. Woe unto the person that has a poor swagger. Today, people judge more then ever and the reason is because we have become so capitalist, is has ingrained itself into our very nature. We just take a walk down the street and are immediately selling ourselves. Not literally of course, but in a figurative sense. We want to impress people, to show people how great we really are, or rather, how “uninferior” we are. The problem is that we are all selling a similar yet unachievable ideal…perfection; a concept that was born in the movies, the original mass medium that slaved the masses.
Movies united our country, giving us a common culture from coast to coast. They brought us together and gave people a connection to build a relationship off of (likely why movies are still a good first date). However, this also united everyone’s standards as well. Our uniqueness was sacrificed because we were presented with an image that was perceived as better then our current situation. Since, we have found ourselves seeking and attempting but always falling short of this beautifully deadly concept.
Nevertheless, we remain blissful addicts. This is what we know. This is how we have grown up living. What once was a job for life experiences and parents has been taken over by the rectangular prison we bind our eyes and worth too. TV, internet, movies. It’s our teacher, our judge, our friend, our dream, our drug. There is a certain “click” that goes off in our heads. Very much like Brick’s “click” in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, our alcohol is the objects being sold through media and when we consume enough, for a minute “everything’s peaceful” [75]. And then of course the feeling wears off after a time and we need to once more consume again to renew the feeling once more.
The ironic part is that the media is both the poison and the antidote. The media influences these ideals that promote self dissatisfaction and yet if you join it, they have the solution to make you better. The expensive jeans become a look of class, wealth, and power. In wearing something that is known to be cool and expensive, you take on these traits of power. The Tiffanys jewelry is quite simply Tiffanys jewelry and because it is this incredibly awesome brand, the jewelry becomes incredibly awesome (even though the quality isn’t as good as one would think). Plastic surgery has become an everyday thing in the hopes of gaining a piece of perfection. Our bodies are no longer seen whole but rather in parts due to the shift in technology. Suddenly surgeons can change any part of your body creating an even larger sense of temptation. Our bodies have become more then just ideals in advertising and movies, but they have become parts as well.
“Popular culture does not apply any brakes to these fantasies of rearrangement and self-transformation. Rather, we are constantly told we can “choose” our bodies.”
-Susan Bordo (1100)
On the other hand, the objects aren’t the only thing being sold. Sometimes it’s an entire world or person that we wish to obtain or become. Such is the case with movies, TV shows, but especially video games. There are some people that are known online simply by their game name. This world that is presented to them is so enticing that it is a place one would forgo their own world for. Everyone wants their own adventure, their chance to be unique and special because they cannot receive it in this one. Thus people crave these games, these stories that they might lose themselves and share in the experience.
This past semester I have had a lot of thoughts running through my head in response to many questions and debates brought up in class. What is popular culture? I would say what is relevant and appealing in today’s society. But more specifically, popular culture is the object the media is currently dangling in front of us, just out of reach. We are living in these dreamscapes. These places and codes found in film and television. We live through these things. In as such, these impossible standards are subliminally set in ourselves and we create another reality based on them.
“What passes for reality in any culture is the product of that culture’s codes, so “reality” is always already encoded. It is never “raw”. If this piece of encoded reality is televised, the technical codes and representational conventions of the medium are brought to bear upon it so as to make it (a) transmittable technologically and (b) an appropriate cultural text for its audiences.”
-John Fiske
Gender is just like this sense of reality. For “gender is a kind of imitation for which there is no original”. [Judith Butler] In the same sense, reality is an imitation for which there is no original. Therein lies the issue. Every sign must have a binary to be understood. In order to understand what something is, you must also know what it is not. So reality’s binary is a dream, and gender splits into masculine and feminine. Yet how do you know what is the dream and what is reality, what is masculine and what is feminine. Who defines the state when there is no real definition. The physical world is reality and strong is masculine. But is it because it is, or is it because we are told it is and therefore believe it to be.
The Matrix brought up an interesting point. Morpheus once asked Neo “what is real?” What defines our reality? Reality is basically the world we deem as real. Every definition is fairly vague giving the sense that it is up to us to decide. So what is the dream and what is the real world. Is our reality the world that we live in, or is it the media in which we escape into that defines our existence?
Seeing as we can no longer be sure of what is real and what is not, a look at something that carries both traits might finally derive an answer; that being the radical romantic comedy. “The radical romantic comedy striv[es] to interrogate the ideology of romance” (McDonald, 59) Now there are multiple definitions of ROMANCE:
1. love affair: a love affair, especially a brief and intense one
2. love: sexual love, especially when the other person or the relationship is idealized or when it is exciting and intense
3. spirit of adventure: a spirit or feeling of adventure, excitement, the potential for heroic achievement, and the exotic
Now each of these is at its core a reason to which people relate, watch, and consume the media, because they wish to find these terms of romance in their own realities, even if it means reassessing what reality is for them.
While our realities may vary upon the objects we surround ourselves with, the Radical Romance helps ground these chaotic thoughts. Reality is simply a matter of perspective. Just because the media sells it and the world endorsees it, doesn’t make it correct. Our reality is what we make of it no matter what or who try to define it. Existentialism to be exact. Because in the end we are all after Romance, and will redefine anything in the hopes of achieving it.
The Matrix. Dir. Wachowski Brothers. Perf. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving. DVD. Warner Brothers, 1999.
Williams, Tennessee. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. New York: Signet, 1958
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Derrida, Jacques. “Différance.”
Butler, Judith. “Imitation and Gender Insubordination”, Gender Studies, Gay/Lesbian Studies, Queer Theory
Fiske, John. "Television Culture." Cultural Studies.
McDonald, Tamar Jeffers. Romantic Comedy, Boy Meets Girl Meets Genre. London: Wallflower Press, 2007.
Bordo, Susan. "'Material Girl': The Effacements of Postmodern Culture."
Baudrillard, Jean. "The System of Objects."
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Sex and the City Presentation
My task for the sex and the city presentation was dealing with that of the economy. I had written up a serious of questions and written 2 paragraph to help promote discussion. Work that I did was:
Throughout film, romantic comedies especially, characters usually start with money, or inherit money by some means. Yet, rarely do we see a character struggling with finances. Why has society moved past these rags to riches films and films dealing with the lower class?
Stories are written to be relatable, meaning certain current conditions in the real world should apply to the story, specifically the economic conditions of the time. How might this affect current films and shows being made?
Times of debt and poverty have definitely left us and America sees itself on a plateau of imagined wealth. While many people do well, a lot of society is under the impression that they can have more than they can afford. Why is it that people feel the need to spend left and right. Do you feel people truly save up anymore?
Why do people want to be like people in films? Why do we act like people in Romantic Comedies? Has film become a part of our culture enough that it can influence it as well?
What would you define as high culture in our economy? Low culture?
What economic class are the people in sex and the city? Is this class appealing? Is it made appealing?
WE believe that shows like sex and the city and current RomComs in general, exploit the idea of instant gratification. They go out and get what they need in these shows and films with no seen repercussions or effort made to achieve these items. While it is understood that they may work, the subliminal message is there. If I want, I should have. Then of course logic usually kicks in with the idea that you cannot afford something. But marketers have learned to counter this. In psychology, specifically motivation, people become more aroused when given more options. Aroused, meaning more likely to do something. This falls back into instant gratification because the common defense of I can’t afford it is thrown out the window. IT is no longer pay now but, pay a year from now, pay on your credit card, get zero interest, etc. All these other options don’t really deter from the fact that most people cannot afford something but give the illusion and excitement to convince people that they can.
Also I might add I helped engage discussion with other parts of the presentation as well.
Throughout film, romantic comedies especially, characters usually start with money, or inherit money by some means. Yet, rarely do we see a character struggling with finances. Why has society moved past these rags to riches films and films dealing with the lower class?
Stories are written to be relatable, meaning certain current conditions in the real world should apply to the story, specifically the economic conditions of the time. How might this affect current films and shows being made?
Times of debt and poverty have definitely left us and America sees itself on a plateau of imagined wealth. While many people do well, a lot of society is under the impression that they can have more than they can afford. Why is it that people feel the need to spend left and right. Do you feel people truly save up anymore?
Why do people want to be like people in films? Why do we act like people in Romantic Comedies? Has film become a part of our culture enough that it can influence it as well?
What would you define as high culture in our economy? Low culture?
What economic class are the people in sex and the city? Is this class appealing? Is it made appealing?
WE believe that shows like sex and the city and current RomComs in general, exploit the idea of instant gratification. They go out and get what they need in these shows and films with no seen repercussions or effort made to achieve these items. While it is understood that they may work, the subliminal message is there. If I want, I should have. Then of course logic usually kicks in with the idea that you cannot afford something. But marketers have learned to counter this. In psychology, specifically motivation, people become more aroused when given more options. Aroused, meaning more likely to do something. This falls back into instant gratification because the common defense of I can’t afford it is thrown out the window. IT is no longer pay now but, pay a year from now, pay on your credit card, get zero interest, etc. All these other options don’t really deter from the fact that most people cannot afford something but give the illusion and excitement to convince people that they can.
Also I might add I helped engage discussion with other parts of the presentation as well.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Economy vs. radical romance
The relation of the economy to the radical romance is this idea of instant gratification. In todays market, it is so easy to get a hold of something. The problem is this: people watch the romatic comedies and see these people getting almost anything they want. They come up with these clever schemes to treat the person they are trying to win over. Instant gratification has developed from these movies to create a culture where we try and appear like these characters to gain the appeal and lives they have, yet to do so may require ourselves to plunge into debt. The reason we still do it is because marketers today allow you to not pay anything for over a year, or zero percent interest, or a small amount at a time. All these options give the idea that something can be achieved when it really cannot all to appease the need to have it now. The movies don’t really show people saving up for something anymore, rather they just have money or money comes to them. What is this teaching in society today other than the idea that we need to spend now so we can acquire now even if we don’t have the money to spend.
Observance
Strange as it may seem, for my observance I chose a gay club called “Tiger Heat”. I will admit that this coincided with my gay friends birthday and while it may have been his decision, I figured that I might as well capitalize on it. My reasoning really was to step outside the box and see the world through a different set of eyes. I will admit, being a straight man in a gay club was a little awkward, but the girls we took with us defiantly provided a some sanctuary. But enough blathering, to my observances.
In a world that sees heterosexual couples as the standard, and in a country where homosexual couples is just starting to become an accepted idea, this little club turned out to be a doorway into another world. Or rather, opposite world. One, the go-go dancers were men in underwear. Two, I’ve never seen that much dude in one place. Three, it was one of the best clubs I’ve been too.
I suppose your wondering about now what I am getting at. Well to put it plainly, the romantic comedy. Romantic comedies are portrayed as boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. Very much a heterosexual ideology. And yet, I believe this is still a valid idea, the only thing I would change about this statement is the sex to gender. Granted, we are each a male or a female in sex. But a new form of thinking has been coming out in the idea of Gender. Gender is not the same as sex. Sex is the difference between an X and a Y. Gender on the other hand is whether a male or female is more masculine or feminine in nature. Couples tend to have a masculine and feminine person or even switch at times. The point is that this seemingly odd club, going against the “norm”, is a new look at popular culture. Because of course, the question we must ask is “to whom is this popular”. Well from my observations, there were a few differences in this setting but for the most part, people were the same. The “girls” (gender wise here) were dancing in the middle with the “guys” scoping them out. Exchanges were similar to those in a club, perhaps a little bolder. However, its what wasn’t the “normal” club that struck me as interesting. I have never had a case where the men’s bathroom line was longer then the women’s. The bar had some of the best service. Probably what shocked me the most was that the music was good. A little to much Pink played but then again its not my usual sort of place. As for similarities, you still saw a lot of single people milling around looking for someone to dance/connect with. Some people were obviously couples and had been for some time. Others still went around flirting a little with everyone. Dress attire ranged from button downs and jeans, to t-shirts and jeans, to just jeans, to underwear. I suppose it depends on what your looking for. On this I thought was very interesting was the style of clothing. I will admit that there is a certain “gay“ image that society determines is gay. I honestly didn‘t see this “image“ all that much. In fact, I saw some very interesting couples that were multiracial, others that were dressed very hip hop gansta, and still others that were dressed up. The diversity here was amazing. It was an eye opening experience because its as if we went from high culture (the straight club), to low culture (the gay club). I did not anticipate having fun, but did surprisingly.
On to more in depth observations. When I walked in to the main dance area, I noticed a very tall guy that caught my attention. Mainly because he was really tall and looked uncomfortable. Then as I came around front when my group passed him, I noticed him clutching this girl that was closer to half his size. It was an interesting sight. Her having a great time, him looking like a fish out of water. Must be straight I thought to myself. I secretly wished him luck knowingly full well that I probably looked the same.
Throughout the night I caught myself looking at these huge screens where music videos were being played. There were balconies up there, and many couples too I found out. One caught my eye, mainly because they weren’t moving to the beat of the music like everyone else. Instead, time seemed to have slowed for them and they were too caught up in each other to care. As the turned in they’re orbit of each others mouths I realized that it was two guys. I instantly thought afterward that it shouldn’t be that surprising in a gay club. Still what caught me off guard was the fact that you never really see a homosexual couple show that much affection and feeling in public. Generally, most of their displays of affection are usually behind closed doors. It struck me as sad, for seeing the level of pent up passion the two obviously held, made me realize that they probably aren’t accepted outside this place. Tonight was special in the sense that they could go somewhere and not be afraid to show how they felt. Love is a beautiful thing, but it is a sad reality to see it caged.
Now the reason I brought in the idea of Romantic Comedy is because this genre does to a certain extent, emphasize the “correct” way of meeting someone. It generally is a heterosexual idea but if you put sex aside, the ideas of love and meeting people are the same. Everyone is looking for this special kind of relationship. Romantic comedies both hinder and guide us on what a relationship should consist of. The thing about Romantic Comedies is the same as this club I ventured into with my friends. Its thrilling and exciting and funny, but then the novelty wears off at some point. And pretty soon, you realize that all either one is doing is building a cage to protect you and keep you from the outside world. Very much like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Our ideas are safe inside the cage, but at the same time, nothing will change if we remain in the cage.
Popular Culture is what is current and relevant in today’s society. Change is brought about when people go against this norm. Yet you cannot bring about change from above. High culture can only go so far. Rather you must start from the ground up, and change the low culture to the new high culture. Real change is possible, but you must play by the rules of the popular culture machine to achieve it.
In a world that sees heterosexual couples as the standard, and in a country where homosexual couples is just starting to become an accepted idea, this little club turned out to be a doorway into another world. Or rather, opposite world. One, the go-go dancers were men in underwear. Two, I’ve never seen that much dude in one place. Three, it was one of the best clubs I’ve been too.
I suppose your wondering about now what I am getting at. Well to put it plainly, the romantic comedy. Romantic comedies are portrayed as boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. Very much a heterosexual ideology. And yet, I believe this is still a valid idea, the only thing I would change about this statement is the sex to gender. Granted, we are each a male or a female in sex. But a new form of thinking has been coming out in the idea of Gender. Gender is not the same as sex. Sex is the difference between an X and a Y. Gender on the other hand is whether a male or female is more masculine or feminine in nature. Couples tend to have a masculine and feminine person or even switch at times. The point is that this seemingly odd club, going against the “norm”, is a new look at popular culture. Because of course, the question we must ask is “to whom is this popular”. Well from my observations, there were a few differences in this setting but for the most part, people were the same. The “girls” (gender wise here) were dancing in the middle with the “guys” scoping them out. Exchanges were similar to those in a club, perhaps a little bolder. However, its what wasn’t the “normal” club that struck me as interesting. I have never had a case where the men’s bathroom line was longer then the women’s. The bar had some of the best service. Probably what shocked me the most was that the music was good. A little to much Pink played but then again its not my usual sort of place. As for similarities, you still saw a lot of single people milling around looking for someone to dance/connect with. Some people were obviously couples and had been for some time. Others still went around flirting a little with everyone. Dress attire ranged from button downs and jeans, to t-shirts and jeans, to just jeans, to underwear. I suppose it depends on what your looking for. On this I thought was very interesting was the style of clothing. I will admit that there is a certain “gay“ image that society determines is gay. I honestly didn‘t see this “image“ all that much. In fact, I saw some very interesting couples that were multiracial, others that were dressed very hip hop gansta, and still others that were dressed up. The diversity here was amazing. It was an eye opening experience because its as if we went from high culture (the straight club), to low culture (the gay club). I did not anticipate having fun, but did surprisingly.
On to more in depth observations. When I walked in to the main dance area, I noticed a very tall guy that caught my attention. Mainly because he was really tall and looked uncomfortable. Then as I came around front when my group passed him, I noticed him clutching this girl that was closer to half his size. It was an interesting sight. Her having a great time, him looking like a fish out of water. Must be straight I thought to myself. I secretly wished him luck knowingly full well that I probably looked the same.
Throughout the night I caught myself looking at these huge screens where music videos were being played. There were balconies up there, and many couples too I found out. One caught my eye, mainly because they weren’t moving to the beat of the music like everyone else. Instead, time seemed to have slowed for them and they were too caught up in each other to care. As the turned in they’re orbit of each others mouths I realized that it was two guys. I instantly thought afterward that it shouldn’t be that surprising in a gay club. Still what caught me off guard was the fact that you never really see a homosexual couple show that much affection and feeling in public. Generally, most of their displays of affection are usually behind closed doors. It struck me as sad, for seeing the level of pent up passion the two obviously held, made me realize that they probably aren’t accepted outside this place. Tonight was special in the sense that they could go somewhere and not be afraid to show how they felt. Love is a beautiful thing, but it is a sad reality to see it caged.
Now the reason I brought in the idea of Romantic Comedy is because this genre does to a certain extent, emphasize the “correct” way of meeting someone. It generally is a heterosexual idea but if you put sex aside, the ideas of love and meeting people are the same. Everyone is looking for this special kind of relationship. Romantic comedies both hinder and guide us on what a relationship should consist of. The thing about Romantic Comedies is the same as this club I ventured into with my friends. Its thrilling and exciting and funny, but then the novelty wears off at some point. And pretty soon, you realize that all either one is doing is building a cage to protect you and keep you from the outside world. Very much like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Our ideas are safe inside the cage, but at the same time, nothing will change if we remain in the cage.
Popular Culture is what is current and relevant in today’s society. Change is brought about when people go against this norm. Yet you cannot bring about change from above. High culture can only go so far. Rather you must start from the ground up, and change the low culture to the new high culture. Real change is possible, but you must play by the rules of the popular culture machine to achieve it.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Battle of First
Sex Comedies really can be based on one thing: competition. It really
comes down the the idea that both of these people have the urge to
pursue this game and end it in sex, its the how that we follow. The
reason I call it a competition and game is because the winner is the one
that gets the other in bed. The one to give in and release ground
loses. Its all a game, a battle of the sexes. This battle actually has
been around since the start of mankind. The idea that the man came
first. Therefore he won. Winning is associated with being better. Man
is better then. Everything is a competition in this regard. This is
why brands are better, because they came first or where the first to do
something like this. Back to the sex comedy, this "battle of first" is
a defining part of our culture. We live in a patriarchal society based
on this idea. Man is first in these things therefore he is better. The
real question is, if it were accepted that woman came first, would they
be in power? I have no solution to this game as a frequent player
myself. Rather, I wanted to simply emphasize the success of these
battle of the sexes because society relates to it. This is a defining
part of our culture, with the prize being sex, or rather the first to
make the other give in.
Disney Vs. Romantic Comedy
Are disney movies romantic comedies? Prince meets girl, Prince loses
girl, Prince finds girl in dangerous situation, prince gets girl back.
Disney’s princess tales are quite possibly one of the biggest influences
on todays society through our childhood experiences. Through subliminal
messages in the story structure, we are influenced as to what is the
norm, and what isn’t.
Allow me to explain,
--The simple structure of the princess tales is a woman who is searching
for something because she is not complete on her own.
--As beautiful, charming, (well we shall get in to all that later), but
as much as she is, she is not complete.
--Somehow she is also in danger on her own as well.
--She needs to enlist the help of forest creatures, fairies, dwarves.,
fish, etc
--The villains are mainly women. Intelligent women.
--Princesses - generally naïve, compassionate, never really smart,
--Aladdin however, is under the ruse that it is different, but in
reality it is not.
REALISM is male
FANTASY is female
Even if we just look at the princesses portrayed. They are generally
helpless on their own and rely on thier innocence and naive beauty and
kindness to get them anywhere. They get into trouble when they become
to curious and ask to many questions. They always end up in some
compramising situation where the male must save them. They fall head
over heals in love with the first real man they meet, which ultimately
saves them. They are all the prettiest women in the kingdom and are
idolized for that.
Even the supposed exception of Aladdin, really is just the same. It is
about a girl that isnt happy with her perfect life. Attempts to screw
it up, but is saved by someone who knows better and goes back to her
perfect life and finally settles down her rebellious nature.
Response Paper: Popular Culture as seen through James Bond
Gunfights, gadgets, cars, women, danger, suspense, world danger, badass. All of these could be summed up rather quickly with just a few words: “Bond…James Bond”.
In 1962, Dr. No premiered, and our entire culture has been shaped by it since. James Bond has become an entire genre of its own, and yet it is more than a film, it is a way of life. Our life to be exact. James Bond was perhaps and still is one of the most honest expressions of popular culture in today’s time.
For example, lets start with the man himself. James Bond, a man above men. Every man would tell you that they would love to be Bond. Why? Perhaps because of the revolutionary stuntwork always known to be in a film. Perhaps for the top of the line gadgets created. Perhaps for the souped up Bond cars. Perhaps to triumph over evil. Or perhaps it’s the Bond girls that surround him. Bond has become an icon and an ideal of what a man should be. Today we are influenced by Bond more that we realize. In fact, it wouldn’t be to stretched to play with the idea of Bond being a sort of Midas, everything he touches turns to gold. The jet ski was actually first invented for a bond film. Many cars have been promoted and bought because of a bond film. Certain dress and attire is hot because of a bond film. Even Bond’s swagger and drink have become mainstream ideas of what is suave. But above all, James Bond is a player. He is always pursuing women, hence the sex icon surrounding him. Yet the thing that allows James to get away with this behavior that was pushing the envelope of film etiquette, is that he learns from these women, and he cares for these women.
This took Kinsey’s 50% percentage and threw it out the window. Bond was actually considered very racy for its time, mainly because of the sex. Almost every Bond Girl in the films sleep with Bond and if not usually share some sort of sexual tension. The movie is juxtaposed by sexual tension. it’s a good reflection on the world that Kinsey revealed, the stereotypes of Men sleeping before marriage and women not simply were absurd. While many romantic comedies and sex comedies dealt with the issues of sex by eventually having the couple get married, Bonds never did. This is one of the reason Bond films may have escaped this RomCom fate, they don’t emphasize the idea of this flawed couple coming together despite differences and finding true love. Bond shows how the world really reacts. People connect to other people through these sexual Bonds. If I could give a character tag for James Bond, I would simply use his last name. Bond is looking for someone to bond with. The thing about these bonds are that there is no promise to keep them. Its bonding for the sake of bonding, not bonding to become one. Thus the difference in marital sex and any other type of sex for that matter. Yet while this explores the underlying theme of Bond, it does not decipher his character.
Bond in a way, is very much a Holly character. Independent despite relationships, sexual, witty. But most especially in the way Holly refers to herself and Cat, they, like James, don’t belong. James Bond can try as he might to fit in, belong, even having relationships like Holly, but he still does not belong. Holly in the movie stays mainly because the production company wanted a happy ending. Bond in the same light always ends up with the girl, and yet by the next movie that’s all gone. I want to emphasize the fact that this points out that Bond isn’t getting the happy ending, the audience is. Bond will still need to leave and return back to work from the dream world because in the end, Bond will never belong so long as he is a part of MI6.
MI6- Bonds cage. Cat on a hot tin roof could also be correlated because Bond, like Brick, is stubborn and tends to drink (although not alcoholism as seen in Brick). But like Brick, Bond is trapped. Bonds cast is his duty to his country, and this will always deter him. Margaret would be any Bond girl in the film. Yet while they seduce Bond, is Bond truly happy? Does he stay? No. Bonds biggest cage is that he cares about his allys: the girls. This is his weakness emphasized in every film. Here is were Bond is like Margaret. He is alone, fighting to save a world he has no one to share it with. So, like Maggie, he is willing to go to extreme means to try and achieve his goal, no matter how delusional and temporary it may be.
However, while James Bond may be the protagonist and unifying theme throughout the genre, there are equally important
James Bond Films can be put in a similar category to RomComs and Sex comedies because much of the ideologies are the same. The movie is one big masquerade where Bond may pretend not to be an agent, a Bond girl may pretend to be on his side, both pretend to be doing something they’re not. Many times girls may start of hating Bond yet fall for him in the end. The movie is action based but the subplot is the romance. Bond relationships are described by the sexual tension and game of cat and mouse played by Bond and the Girls. No movie relationship in any of the films is truly the same, although they are based upon RomCom ideals. The main thing about Sex Comedies not described is that to have a good game of cat and mouse, both the man and woman need to be strong independent characters. If the woman was the passive, stereotypical role, there wouldn’t be a tug of war, the game would have already been won. In the same fashion, Bond girls are independent and powerful. They give a new look at the woman ideal. These women have saved Bond a number of times in his journeys and are key components to his success. Bond may work well alone, but his weakness is also his biggest strength, these women.
In all, James Bond is a revolutionary genre that has always sought to broaden the cage that binds our society. The power of the genre lies in its successful subplot of the sex comedy, disguised in an action film, utilizing characters that both uphold yet break stereotypes created by society. James Bond influences our culture in many ways, but its most effective is perhaps the “bond” it creates between men and women through the shared enjoyment and empowerment of the Bond films.
In 1962, Dr. No premiered, and our entire culture has been shaped by it since. James Bond has become an entire genre of its own, and yet it is more than a film, it is a way of life. Our life to be exact. James Bond was perhaps and still is one of the most honest expressions of popular culture in today’s time.
For example, lets start with the man himself. James Bond, a man above men. Every man would tell you that they would love to be Bond. Why? Perhaps because of the revolutionary stuntwork always known to be in a film. Perhaps for the top of the line gadgets created. Perhaps for the souped up Bond cars. Perhaps to triumph over evil. Or perhaps it’s the Bond girls that surround him. Bond has become an icon and an ideal of what a man should be. Today we are influenced by Bond more that we realize. In fact, it wouldn’t be to stretched to play with the idea of Bond being a sort of Midas, everything he touches turns to gold. The jet ski was actually first invented for a bond film. Many cars have been promoted and bought because of a bond film. Certain dress and attire is hot because of a bond film. Even Bond’s swagger and drink have become mainstream ideas of what is suave. But above all, James Bond is a player. He is always pursuing women, hence the sex icon surrounding him. Yet the thing that allows James to get away with this behavior that was pushing the envelope of film etiquette, is that he learns from these women, and he cares for these women.
This took Kinsey’s 50% percentage and threw it out the window. Bond was actually considered very racy for its time, mainly because of the sex. Almost every Bond Girl in the films sleep with Bond and if not usually share some sort of sexual tension. The movie is juxtaposed by sexual tension. it’s a good reflection on the world that Kinsey revealed, the stereotypes of Men sleeping before marriage and women not simply were absurd. While many romantic comedies and sex comedies dealt with the issues of sex by eventually having the couple get married, Bonds never did. This is one of the reason Bond films may have escaped this RomCom fate, they don’t emphasize the idea of this flawed couple coming together despite differences and finding true love. Bond shows how the world really reacts. People connect to other people through these sexual Bonds. If I could give a character tag for James Bond, I would simply use his last name. Bond is looking for someone to bond with. The thing about these bonds are that there is no promise to keep them. Its bonding for the sake of bonding, not bonding to become one. Thus the difference in marital sex and any other type of sex for that matter. Yet while this explores the underlying theme of Bond, it does not decipher his character.
Bond in a way, is very much a Holly character. Independent despite relationships, sexual, witty. But most especially in the way Holly refers to herself and Cat, they, like James, don’t belong. James Bond can try as he might to fit in, belong, even having relationships like Holly, but he still does not belong. Holly in the movie stays mainly because the production company wanted a happy ending. Bond in the same light always ends up with the girl, and yet by the next movie that’s all gone. I want to emphasize the fact that this points out that Bond isn’t getting the happy ending, the audience is. Bond will still need to leave and return back to work from the dream world because in the end, Bond will never belong so long as he is a part of MI6.
MI6- Bonds cage. Cat on a hot tin roof could also be correlated because Bond, like Brick, is stubborn and tends to drink (although not alcoholism as seen in Brick). But like Brick, Bond is trapped. Bonds cast is his duty to his country, and this will always deter him. Margaret would be any Bond girl in the film. Yet while they seduce Bond, is Bond truly happy? Does he stay? No. Bonds biggest cage is that he cares about his allys: the girls. This is his weakness emphasized in every film. Here is were Bond is like Margaret. He is alone, fighting to save a world he has no one to share it with. So, like Maggie, he is willing to go to extreme means to try and achieve his goal, no matter how delusional and temporary it may be.
However, while James Bond may be the protagonist and unifying theme throughout the genre, there are equally important
James Bond Films can be put in a similar category to RomComs and Sex comedies because much of the ideologies are the same. The movie is one big masquerade where Bond may pretend not to be an agent, a Bond girl may pretend to be on his side, both pretend to be doing something they’re not. Many times girls may start of hating Bond yet fall for him in the end. The movie is action based but the subplot is the romance. Bond relationships are described by the sexual tension and game of cat and mouse played by Bond and the Girls. No movie relationship in any of the films is truly the same, although they are based upon RomCom ideals. The main thing about Sex Comedies not described is that to have a good game of cat and mouse, both the man and woman need to be strong independent characters. If the woman was the passive, stereotypical role, there wouldn’t be a tug of war, the game would have already been won. In the same fashion, Bond girls are independent and powerful. They give a new look at the woman ideal. These women have saved Bond a number of times in his journeys and are key components to his success. Bond may work well alone, but his weakness is also his biggest strength, these women.
In all, James Bond is a revolutionary genre that has always sought to broaden the cage that binds our society. The power of the genre lies in its successful subplot of the sex comedy, disguised in an action film, utilizing characters that both uphold yet break stereotypes created by society. James Bond influences our culture in many ways, but its most effective is perhaps the “bond” it creates between men and women through the shared enjoyment and empowerment of the Bond films.
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