The Construction of Masculinity in the Media. The Character James Bond

Abstract or Introduction

How is it that James Bond films can be so appealing to those interested in feminism and gender theory? That is the quesion, this essay tries to answer. It aims to show what this enormously popular fictional leader of our culture is, where its strengths and weaknesses lie in the films.

At first glance, James Bond seems to embody nothing more than a reactionary ideal of masculinity. Bond is the 'perfect' man. As a loyal secret agent serving the British monarchy, he always successfully fulfills his mission. He takes the hearts of women by storm, remains smart and controlled even in the most critical situations, masters all new, however complicated technologies and is always superior to his enemies in the end. James Bond is the absolute hero. Scientific articles dealing with the "James Bond phenomenon" pose similar questions. The young men identify with him, the young women desire him, and these two relationships cannot be separated because of their oedipal structure. He is rude, open and at the same time distinguished, clever and sporty, a real English gentleman, but not a scorn of food, such as Sherlock Holmes, a colleague from the 19th century.

This essay is, therefore, divided in three big sections. In the first, a quick overview of thte topic is given. before, in the second part, several aspects of the figure´s attractivness are carved out. Finally, a short conclusion of the findings is given.