Revisions to James Bond novel won’t affect its sexist core

Half a century ago, on April 13, 1953, author Ian Fleming published the first James Bond novel: “Casino Royale” introduced the world to the British secret agent James Bond, code 007, who would do several missions to defeat villains in 14 books that formed the basis for a popular film franchise.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the first novel, the James Bond books will be reissued in a revised edition, in which some outdated racist descriptions and language will be removed, including the use of the N-word.

The announcement was made by Ian Fleming Publications, the company that manages the author’s literary estate. “Some racial words that may cause great offense now, and detract from the reader’s enjoyment, have been changed, keeping as close as possible to the original text and period,” the Fleming family said in a statement posted on the organization’s website. company.

The decision sparked controversy in the UK and among fans around the world.

Some critics see this as a form of censorship. Meanwhile, others point out that while references to black people have been reworked, terms that mock other ethnicities, such as East Asian and Korean characters, remain in the book, as UK reports. Independent.

The book will also include a disclaimer saying that the novel may contain expressions and attitudes that modern audiences may find offensive.

Misogynistic content remains

However, the revision did not affect sexist and homophobic terms and descriptions, which are retained in the novels, including “sweet taste of rape”, “drunken women” and referring to homosexuality as an “obstinate deficiency”, as the UK daily telegraph reports.

There is a scene in a strip club that has been slightly revised, but overall it would be impossible to change Bond’s sexist attitude, which remains central to the character. As Sam Barsanti wrote for the culture website Club AV“editing these things from the James Bond series can make them structurally unstable.”

For Australian author Clementine Ford, who has written about sexism in the Bond universe, the aim of retroactively erasing racism from the Bond universe is “to ensure that Bond remains admirable and popular in a modern climate”, she said. Time magazine. In this context, “one has to ask why sexism and the dehumanization of women is not considered anathema to Bond’s appeal, but the core of it”, she added.

James Bond “has a history of raping, objectifying and using women. And Bond films often glamorized this behavior. The character taught generations of men that misogyny was cool”, wrote Eliana Dockterman in 2021, in her Time magazine review of “No Time to Die”, the latest 007 film starring Hollywood actor Daniel Craig.

This is not expected to change in revised editions of the books.

Ford points out that this creates an implausible character: “Consent is a concept absent from the world of Bond, but somehow the audience, and women in particular, are expected to embrace it as part of its cultural appeal,” she said. to the Independent. “Are we supposed to have a Bond who protests the scourge of white supremacy but somehow ignores the impact misogyny has on women?”

Edits follow controversial changes to Roald Dahl books

Revisions to Fleming’s novels follow a heated debate over revised editions by beloved British children’s author Roald Dahl. Dahl’s novels were recently reviewed with support from “sensitive readers”, who pointed out content that could offend or be interpreted as harmful.

For example, a woman in Dahl’s books will no longer be referred to as “fat” but as “huge”. Author Salman Rushdie, who was the victim of a knife attack in 2022 for defending free speech, called the changes “absurd censorship”.

Even the British Queen Consort intervened: Camilla, wife of King Charles III, urged authors “to remain true to their calling, unhindered by those who wish to restrict the freedom of their expression or imagination”.

In the case of Roald Dahl, and prompted by the Queen Consort’s comments, the publisher has backtracked: Penguin Random House will now issue two editions, one of which will contain the original text.

Ian Fleming Publications, on the other hand, asked readers to pick up a copy of the revised editions and “make your own decisions”.

This article was originally written in German.