The appeal of James Bond
I watched Casino Royale last night for about the 5th or 6th time(can you tell it's one of my favorite movies?). While watching it, I was thinking about the appeal of a character that's been around since 1953(the first book.....first movie was 1962). What is the appeal from other people's perspective.
Personally, I know what the appeal is from my standpoint. Simply, it's a reality I am aiming for every single day.
That's not to say I'm going to be some kind of secret agent, tracking down international criminals, and have crazy gadgets(although it would be cool to have a few gadgets for the hell of it). Not what I mean whatsoever. The reality is simple. The best cars, the best clothes, the best women, the best of everything. The James Bond image is of excellence, and that's always my goal. I watch Entourage for the same reason(even if the boys had to have some strife last season). What can I say, I'm single right now, so I can aim for all this.
But thinking on the other end, I start to realize that it is every man's fantasy to be Bond. The biggest difference is that most of them wish that the fantasy that is in front of them was real. The secret agent idea is so appealing to most males, especially ones that really haven't accomplished much in their lives(whether for real, or their assumptions).
Think about this for a second. You are a man that married your high school sweetheart. At first, she was gorgeous, and you pretty much had a prize. Before kids, you acted like newlyweds and couldn't take your eyes off one another, or keep the hands off one another. You went on vacations, had parties at the house, and basically had fun in life. Then a kid comes around, then another, then another. Both of you still love each other very much, but you are both kinda immune to each other after all these years. Plus you've both put on weight, and you've both kind have lived the mundane existence. Now women can adapt to this a little more. Honestly, they mature much faster, and much more, than men do. They have kids and other things to keep their minds going. Plus a lot of women love being mothers.
Men, on the other hand, are stuck. A lot of them act EXACTLY like Al Bundy. They think the fates of the world stuck them with kids and a wife, and not the exciting life of traveling the world and meeting beautiful women everywhere. Everything from the movies in their DVD to the swimsuit calendars in their garages show nothing but a fantasy world. Even worse, they do nothing to make it work for them. The woe is me scenario. Mind you, there is not one thing wrong with marriage, but it is half their fault for not making it exciting. They think of the fantasy, instead of the reality.
I say any man can be Bond. Maybe they won't detonate missiles, or save the world every day without a sweat, but they can still be Bond.
The simple way to do that? Expect excellence in yourself, no matter your situation. That's the true James Bond right there.
Personally, I know what the appeal is from my standpoint. Simply, it's a reality I am aiming for every single day.
That's not to say I'm going to be some kind of secret agent, tracking down international criminals, and have crazy gadgets(although it would be cool to have a few gadgets for the hell of it). Not what I mean whatsoever. The reality is simple. The best cars, the best clothes, the best women, the best of everything. The James Bond image is of excellence, and that's always my goal. I watch Entourage for the same reason(even if the boys had to have some strife last season). What can I say, I'm single right now, so I can aim for all this.
But thinking on the other end, I start to realize that it is every man's fantasy to be Bond. The biggest difference is that most of them wish that the fantasy that is in front of them was real. The secret agent idea is so appealing to most males, especially ones that really haven't accomplished much in their lives(whether for real, or their assumptions).
Think about this for a second. You are a man that married your high school sweetheart. At first, she was gorgeous, and you pretty much had a prize. Before kids, you acted like newlyweds and couldn't take your eyes off one another, or keep the hands off one another. You went on vacations, had parties at the house, and basically had fun in life. Then a kid comes around, then another, then another. Both of you still love each other very much, but you are both kinda immune to each other after all these years. Plus you've both put on weight, and you've both kind have lived the mundane existence. Now women can adapt to this a little more. Honestly, they mature much faster, and much more, than men do. They have kids and other things to keep their minds going. Plus a lot of women love being mothers.
Men, on the other hand, are stuck. A lot of them act EXACTLY like Al Bundy. They think the fates of the world stuck them with kids and a wife, and not the exciting life of traveling the world and meeting beautiful women everywhere. Everything from the movies in their DVD to the swimsuit calendars in their garages show nothing but a fantasy world. Even worse, they do nothing to make it work for them. The woe is me scenario. Mind you, there is not one thing wrong with marriage, but it is half their fault for not making it exciting. They think of the fantasy, instead of the reality.
I say any man can be Bond. Maybe they won't detonate missiles, or save the world every day without a sweat, but they can still be Bond.
The simple way to do that? Expect excellence in yourself, no matter your situation. That's the true James Bond right there.
