Idris Elba

[Len Cnut]

14 minutes ago, Dazey said:

I'd say why not? I mean I think he'd be good in the role and there's nothing fundamental in Bond's character that requires he be played by a white guy. I mean he'd probably get pulled over a lot more if they saw him driving along in the Aston Martin but that's not a total deal breaker.  

Why not ain't an answer though is it, why not is avoiding the question, why not anything, you don't make major artistic choices based on 'why not?'.  I think its a bit creepy and right-on-ish.  But perhaps I'm wrong. 

[soon]

Bond is English and was famously played by a Scotsman with a thick accent. It seems to have worked out swimmingly.

 

2 hours ago, Dazey said:

I'd say why not? I mean I think he'd be good in the role and there's nothing fundamental in Bond's character that requires he be played by a white guy. I mean he'd probably get pulled over a lot more if they saw him driving along in the Aston Martin but that's not a total deal breaker.  

Spoiler

"Mineral water with lemon. Shaken, not stirred. My entire family is pre-diabetic, you see."

[Len Cnut]

Quote

Bond is English and was famously played by a Scotsman with a thick accent. It seems to have worked out swimmingly.

Sean Connery hardly has a thick Scottish accent nor does he play Bond with one, were Connery to have a thick Scotish accent it wouldn't've been vaguely as popular as it was because no one outside the British Isles would understand a fucking word   Also, you can be of another nation and act your way out of an accent, you can't act your way out of a skin colour, not without a shitload of make up and/or special effects. 

I just find it all very disingenous.  I don't think it does black or white people a favour, its just lazy.  Fuck it, make him black, that'll work.  I think there's more to it than why not because why not has an older brother called why bother and the two cancel each other out.  I don't buy that there is nothing else to it other than 'why not?'.  And it doesn't even necessarily mean there's some right on agenda at work, which is entirely possible, it could also just be like...y'know, sensationalism, stick a black bloke in there, wind a certain amount of people up, create a buzz, more bums on seats.  Who knows. 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Len Cnut

[soon]

13 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Sean Connery hardly has a thick Scottish accent nor does he play Bond with one, were Connery to have a thick Scotish accent it wouldn't've been vaguely as popular as it was because no one outside the British Isles would understand a fucking word   Also, you can be of another nation and act your way out of an accent, you can't act your way out of a skin colour, not without a shitload of make up and/or special effects. 

I just find it all very disingenous.  I don't think it does black or white people a favour, its just lazy.  Fuck it, make him black, that'll work.  I think there's more to it than why not because why not has an older brother called why bother and the two cancel each other out.  I don't buy that there is nothing else to it other than 'why not?'.  And it doesn't even necessarily mean there's some right on agenda at work, which is entirely possible, it could also just be like...y'know, sensationalism, stick a black bloke in there, wind a certain amount of people up, create a buzz, more bums on seats.  Who knows. 

When you quote people without it tagging them, when it just says "quote" does that mean that you dont want them to respond? Honest question  Wish I could think of a better way to phrase it

[Lio]

13 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Sean Connery hardly has a thick Scottish accent nor does he play Bond with one, were Connery to have a thick Scotish accent it wouldn't've been vaguely as popular as it was because no one outside the British Isles would understand a fucking word  

After just having listened to Scottish for a few days, I can only agree! How awful! For some reason, I never really noticed that before. Maybe it's because actors or actresses will try to speak so people outside of Scotland can actually understand them, whereas these Scottish people weren't trying. (I hope!)

[Len Cnut]

14 minutes ago, soon said:

When you quote people without it tagging them, when it just says "quote" does that mean that you dont want them to respond? Honest question  Wish I could think of a better way to phrase it

I don't know, I just quote when I'm talking to the person or else responding to a specific part of their post  

 

13 minutes ago, Lio said:

After just having listened to Scottish for a few days, I can only agree! How awful! For some reason, I never really noticed that before. Maybe it's because actors or actresses will try to speak so people outside of Scotland can actually understand them, whereas these Scottish people weren't trying. (I hope!)

'i hope'   Yes, they were either Scotish or profoundly disabled  

[soon]

21 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Sean Connery hardly has a thick Scottish accent nor does he play Bond with one, were Connery to have a thick Scotish accent it wouldn't've been vaguely as popular as it was because no one outside the British Isles would understand a fucking word   Also, you can be of another nation and act your way out of an accent, you can't act your way out of a skin colour, not without a shitload of make up and/or special effects. 

I just find it all very disingenous.  I don't think it does black or white people a favour, its just lazy.  Fuck it, make him black, that'll work.  I think there's more to it than why not because why not has an older brother called why bother and the two cancel each other out.  I don't buy that there is nothing else to it other than 'why not?'.  And it doesn't even necessarily mean there's some right on agenda at work, which is entirely possible, it could also just be like...y'know, sensationalism, stick a black bloke in there, wind a certain amount of people up, create a buzz, more bums on seats.  Who knows. 

I dont follow hollywood or movies, really (star wars a bit). So, I'm not really invested in the hollywood identity politics, both real and imagined. But in this case when I first read the OP, I was kinda like "huh, yes, he really does exude a Bond vibe." So it didnt really strike me like a Fox News 'Santa is white!' thing. But it could be I guess. I could also see casting directors and writers perceiving him as a Bond just because his vibe though. The only role of his I can bring to mind is his brief run on The Office US so I cant speak to his action chops.

I really thought Connery spoke with a thick accent! 

[Dazey]

32 minutes ago, Lio said:

After just having listened to Scottish for a few days, I can only agree! How awful! For some reason, I never really noticed that before. Maybe it's because actors or actresses will try to speak so people outside of Scotland can actually understand them, whereas these Scottish people weren't trying. (I hope!)

@Graeme are you going to let her get away with that?  

[DieselDaisy]

5 hours ago, Oldest Goat said:

Do the books describe Bond as white or simply British? 

Of Swiss-Scottish parentage and there is a load of quasi-racist stuff in Live And Let Die as I recall which sets forth a sort of juxtaposition so Bond is almost certainly white even if it is only implied, but to be honest it is probably made explicit (it has been awhile since I read it). Much of the premise of that book which sees Bond enter the Blaxploitation world wouldn't work come to think of it if he was black. The book would collapse.

We also have this, commissioned by Fleming by the Express. Here is how Fleming envisioned Bond, 

 

[Dazey]

50 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Sean Connery hardly has a thick Scottish accent nor does he play Bond with one, were Connery to have a thick Scotish accent it wouldn't've been vaguely as popular as it was because no one outside the British Isles would understand a fucking word   

I can just imagine it. “Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred?”

”Nah, fuck that I’ll have 6 cans of Tennants Super and a pint of Buckfast! And fuckin’ hurry up or I’ll chib ye!”

[Graeme]

22 minutes ago, Dazey said:

@Graeme are you going to let her get away with that?  

Fortunately lots of people all over the world like our accents, so it's better just to focus on the positives  .

[DieselDaisy]

There is one more factor to consider. Idris Elba is currently 46 which is the same age Moore was when he first obtained the role. True, they produced seven films under Moore but films take longer to produce now and it become a recurring criticism of Moore, his age, from circa For Your Eyes Only onwards. Eon would like about four films out of the new actor one would think. At today's rate of filming he would be almost certainly in his 50s by the time they even got around to the second one.

[Len Cnut]

1 hour ago, soon said:

I dont follow hollywood or movies, really (star wars a bit). So, I'm not really invested in the hollywood identity politics, both real and imagined. But in this case when I first read the OP, I was kinda like "huh, yes, he really does exude a Bond vibe." So it didnt really strike me like a Fox News 'Santa is white!' thing. But it could be I guess. I could also see casting directors and writers perceiving him as a Bond just because his vibe though. The only role of his I can bring to mind is his brief run on The Office US so I cant speak to his action chops.

I really thought Connery spoke with a thick accent! 

 

thats thick scottish accents...actually they’re not even the thickest I’ve heard but you get the point I’m sure   They’re all sort of shouting over each other actually, try this:

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Len Cnut

[DieselDaisy]

Scottish father (Andrew Bond) from Glencoe, and a Swiss mother (Monique Delacroix). He was also educated at Fettes, Edinburgh. I doubt he talked with a Scottish accent, but perhaps he did (a bit).

[Len Cnut]

1 minute ago, DieselDaisy said:

Scottish father (Andrew Bond) from Glencoe, and a Swiss mother (Monique Delacroix). He was also educated at Fettes, Edinburgh. I doubt he talked with a Scottish accent, but perhaps he did (a bit).

Was a bodybuilder too weren’t he, early doors?  

[Lio]

See, I don't mind Trainspotting and certainly not Robert Carlyle.

This is what I had in mind:

 

[Dazey]

8 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Was a bodybuilder too weren’t he, early doors?  

Connery was.

[DieselDaisy]

Yes, I was discussing the literary character Bond. I doubt Connery went to Fettes haha. 

[Len Cnut]

6 minutes ago, Dazey said:

Connery was.

Was he?  I was talkin’ about his Mum

[Dazey]

3 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Was he?  I was talkin’ about his Mum

Funny you should mention his mum. I've got some pictures I can ..................  

[soon]

39 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

 

thats thick scottish accents...actually they’re not even the thickest I’ve heard but you get the point I’m sure   They’re all sort of shouting over each other actually, try this:

 

Thanks! They all sound like Oasis to my ears, whom I often cant understand in the early clips. And I think Oasis are from Manchester, England. That nurse in After Life must be Scottish but to my ears her accent isnt nearly as thick as Connery's. She sounds like some East Coast Canadians.

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by soon

[Dazey]

1 minute ago, soon said:

Thanks! They all sound like Oasis to my ears, whom I often cant understand in the early clips. And I think Oasis are from Manchester, England. That nurse in After Life must be Scottish.

 

Manchester is awesome. I have nothing to contribute to the wider discussion but I just wanted to say that.  

[dontdamnmeuyi2015]

Well, he was voted "the sexist man alive" in People magazine. lol

[Graeme]

12 minutes ago, dontdamnmeuyi2015 said:

Well, he was voted "the sexist man alive" in People magazine. lol

I didn't think he was that much of a sexist...

[Len Cnut]

15 hours ago, soon said:

Thanks! They all sound like Oasis to my ears, whom I often cant understand in the early clips. And I think Oasis are from Manchester, England. That nurse in After Life must be Scottish but to my ears her accent isnt nearly as thick as Connery's. She sounds like some East Coast Canadians.

 

Their particular accent owes more to the Irish, which Noel and Liam both are.  In fact the whole fuckin' band was, background-wise.  There's an argument to be made about paddys and popular music y'know, Morrisseys mum and dad were Irish, John Lydons too, Noel and Liams too, most of The Beatles were of Irish backgrounds too.  Billy Idol too, his people were from Cork if I'm not mistaken.  You can hear the Irish quite strongly in Lydon if you listen.

Edited April 9, 2019 by Len Cnut