“Vodka martini, shaken not stirred,” are some of the most famous words from one of the world’s most well known fictional characters: James Bond. This was my first drink for my 21st birthday and it was all due to the famed 007. As sort of a joke, I wore a tuxedo and a bow tie to dinner and ordered Bond’s famous poison and felt as smooth and sophisticated as ever.
Growing up, I saw James Bond as a figure that I admired. Being able to be a secret agent, having women fall all over themselves and being able to drive the envied Aston Martin; who wouldn’t want to be Bond?
I own many of the Bond movies and watch them frequently, due to my love for the character and his outrageous way of life. Though as I have watched film after film, I have begun to question just how good of a role model this Bond character really is. Here are some of the conclusions I have come to.
Ian Fleming created the character James Bond in 1953. As many people believe, Bond was a based on Fleming himself and his love for cigarettes, women and his involvement in the British Navy. However, numerous personas of other agents Fleming encountered while he was at war helped shape the illustration of Bond’s character. Ian Fleming had written 12 novels and nine short stories featuring Bond’s character before he died.
“When I wrote the first one in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened; I wanted him to be a blunt instrument ... when I was casting around for a name for my protagonist I thought by God, (James Bond) is the dullest name I ever heard,” said Ian Fleming about the creation of his character James Bond in The New Yorker, in April 1962.
Not only was Bond not supposed to be suave and cool with the ladies, he was actually supposed to be a goofy character in his movies. Instead, after 007 hit the silver screen and Sean Connery took control of the character, we got the James Bond that we so greatly enjoy today.
During his existence, it is calculated that James Bond has visited 12 casinos and has consumed over 34 alcoholic beverages in his films. He has also slept with close to 60 women throughout the films. In total, Bond has killed around 140 people single-handedly. I’m not sure that a gambling drunk who murders his enemies and sleeps around with women is necessarily the greatest role model to have, and yet he still finds a way to stick around. The Bond franchise just recently celebrated its 50th Birthday and still seems to be as young and sprightly as ever.
Even though I believe that Bond is nowhere near idol status, in the sense that people typically strive to be like Bond, I still believe that the infamous 007 will always be a famous figure due to his bold and adventurous lifestyle. I also believe that we can learn from Bond. Maybe not by his actions, but man, that guy sure knows how to wear a suit.
