ibn Harm

Category: Media

  • Is “James Bond” sexist or not?

    Good evening,

    This survey will discuss whether the cinematographic world of James Bond is sexist or not. First lets get the obvious examples to make an informed judgement:

    In the earlier bond movies James hits women (f.e. goldfinger), this is to be considered sexist since it perpetuates a victim role for the female and oppressor role for the male. It can be considered sexist since:

    • It teaches that women are weaker than men
    • It teaches that it is normal behaviour for a lover to hit his Love.

    Prima facie it might not be abundantly clear why the second reason reinforces sexist paradigms. But perhaps merely asking whether a franchise is sexist or not does not ultimately contribute to increased attention for femicide.

    A better approach might be to ask if the world which is promogated through James Bond is the world in which we want to live. Then James Bond can be sexist merely if enough women deem it sexist. Nothwithstanding the obvious first example (supra) if the conversation moves to “do we want to live in this world” instead of scrutinizing definitions it becomes clear right away that the world of James Bond is sexist.

    The later movies attempt to solve this ethical vacuum by introducing a female James Bond but in my opinion also the last installments do not convincingly answer the “do we want to live in this world” question.

    Thank you for your attention.

  • The World of Academia: Wednesday

    This article features spoilers for the series “Wednesday” seasons one and two.

    The series “Wednesday” on Netflix (2022-2025 with another season expected) stands on its own as outsider-story following the life of Wednesday Addams who is a student at a high-school in America. The world of Nevermore, which is the name of the boarding-school, is a world of outcasts. There are students who turn to werewolves, there are vampires, psychics and other supernaturals. One of the main themes the series touches is town-and-gown which describes interactions between the community of the University with the community of the city. Through the lens of freaks the students at Nevermore can be seen as egocentrical, antisocial and disruptive to social stability. Through the lens of Academia the citizens of the city are violent and unsupportive. Though both the talking heads (the mayor of the city and the rector of the school) of the communities try to bring the two groups together through outreach days and other shared activities. Through the instruments of Slurp the Zombie and the characters of Isaac Night, Pugsley Addams and Gomez Addams the series hints at the novel Frankenstein and at plagiarism. Night intends to extract the electrical powers of Pugsley and Gomez Addams in order to save his sister Francoise from an untimely death related to her condition as Hyde (one of the types of outcast). Night’s motivations are understandable but his choices seem misguided since he not once but twice decides to sacrifice the lives of outsiders to save his sister. In contrast Enid Sinclair decides to sacrifice herself to a fate of a hunted outcast by choosing to save Wednesday. The second season ends with Wednesday and her uncle preparing to find Enid in order to try to save her. The series then also transports to the house of Wednesday’s grandmother where her aunt lives and who seems drowned in her own mind. She seems particularly sensitive to her abilities as a psychic and to have a strong psychic connection to Wednesday. Thus the series ends in another Apocalyptic cliffhanger repeating the theme of Wednesday being connected to extratemporal monads. I am anxiously looking forward to the next season for the excellent investigations into the themes of prophecy and psychology.