re: Rush Limbaugh pouts about potential black James Bond

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Yes, the character is Scottish

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That's even up for dispute. "Bond" was a name Fleming took from an American ornithologist - he wanted as bland a name as possible.

As far as background - Fleming didn't mention Scottish until the first novel written after Connery played the character in film, Dr. No. Even then, he hedged and made Bond's mother Swiss.

Now - does James Bond have to be "white"? Of course not. I would challenge Rush on that preconception. There is a significant black population in the U.K. The fact that he has always been "white" is a starting point. The biography would have to be radically altered - in my humble opinion - if it were updated that far, to the point where a different character (Hollywood - maybe a new character? A new product that is neither constrained be or stepping on old traditions and the fans of the existing product, maybe?) might be in order.

Interesting to note - the Bond franchise is so extensive, film-wise, it is one of the rare examples I can think of where a character (in this case, CIA agent Felix Leiter) has been played, variously, over the years by black and white actors.

Tropic Thunder kind of poked fun at the idea of a white character actor playing a black character in the film-within-a-film context.

And, to the broader point, I agree that James Bond makes sense as a white character - just based on the history of this fictional character. It does seem like stunt casting to cast a black actor, although Idris Elba (or, for that matter, Chiwetel Ejifor) would be excellent.

Connery had a certain physicality for his day (recall he was a Mr. Universe contestant in the pre-PED era) that they didn't recapture until Daniel Craig - most of the others were more in the foppish, "gentlemanly" spies in the Roger Moore mold. Elba would be more like Connery and Craig's Bond, rough around the edges.

I heard they were remaking Huck Finn and Jim was being played by a white guy.

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I remember seeing Othello played by Lawrence Olivier. He wore a lot of black make up. But he really didn't look black.

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I think the jury is still out on whether Othello was North African (Arab) or actually black (sub-Saharan).

I'd forgotten about that song.

Are people really upset about this? I mean, really?

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Are people really upset about this?

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Some are furious.

Some are upset.

Some would be disappointed, but still watch "Me".

Some don't care.

Some thing its the greatest idea ever.

Look at the box office number for the new black Annie. It's made 19 million as of Dec 22nd. Sony might want to rethink a black bond.

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M played by a woman

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I'm sure he lost it over this too. The horror!!

Would play so much bigger than. Annie....