Rog was given a Rogering this week in the headlines.
Because some cricketer cited Moore’s Bond as a possible creep/creepy?
OK Cricket people. I get it. You are all being witch hunted. That means you are eager to prove that you are on message / immune from the thought police and so on. But do not bring Roger Moore’s 007 into the equation.
Let’s talk about the problem here. Sure, Roger’s Bond romances some women younger than he. In certain cases, yes, the age gap grates a bit. And in some movies they really get it wrong. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN has Rog trying to go all Connery and give women a smack. No!
(nb: Sean’s Bond only slapped women if he felt they were an imminent threat to his life and limb; it was NOT intended as some nasty manifesto for violent abuse, even if he does go too far in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER with that bra).
MOONRAKER has a high count of 00-beddings. And in one case, he is at it so immediately and incredibly that yes, it feels a BIT odd.
And yet, consider the following:
- SIR ROGER MOORE WAS A THOROUGH GENTLEMAN. AND FOR THE MOST PART, SO IS HIS BOND. Look at how tenderly he cooks and cares for Stacey Sutton (Tanya Roberts) in A VIEW TO A KILL.
- Yes, Roger’s Bond is indeed paired with younger women on occasion. But he is not playing an ‘old’ Bond. Despite being older than Connery, Roger looked and indeed played younger than his years.
- So even in his 50s, Moore is in effect acting the role as a 30 something. That is NOT the same as a man TRYING TO BE younger or in any way ‘creepy’ by relishing an age gap.
- In any event? Some women fancy older men. Same way some men fancy older women. If it’s mutual, consensual, safe, fun? If nobody is being hurt, deceived, led astray, even mildly inconvenienced? Then I see no innate moral or even ethical barrier.
- Roger Moore Bond films are largely harmless fun. If you MUST zero in on something Bond does wrong in his movies, across incarnations? Then maybe look at the so called ‘deep’ ones. As in REALLY RECENTLY.
- In NO TIME TO DIE, for example, Daniel Craig’s Bond ditches Madeleine (Lea Seydoux) based on some fairly spurious, shaky and suspect logic. He does not seem to investigate any further for FIVE YEARS. What a knob. Seriously though, what a knob. But totally representative of today’s triple standard in media/social politics.
- Basically? Societal media message du jour? Bond is no longer allowed to be a ladies’ man player. But it’s perfectly fine for him to behave like a bit of a dick, with everyone misreading that as somehow profound or mature character development. Just let that sink in. THAT is where we are ‘at’ today. Dear oh dear..
JAMES BOND WILL RETURN. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND, ONE AND ALL. TRANSMISSION ENDS. X
