Sometimes the internet does something that gets under my skin enough for me to sit down and write about it. This week, the internet was getting up in arms about the possibility of actor Idris Elba being cast as the next James Bond. I have a habit of reading comment threads for Facebook articles. Honestly, this is a mistake on my part. I usually end up frustrated, which is how I felt this weekend after reading the comments on articles about Elba possibly playing James Bond.




The rumors about Elba taking on 007 have been circulating for quite some time now. When the rumors first started Elba continually denied them. Then Craig announced he would be doing another Bond film after announcing he was done with the role. Money comes into play here. Now, the rumors of Elba being the next Bond have started back up. The internet is not having it and the arguments made by the internet are wrong.

The most frustrating comment theme was the idea you can compare Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or Kunta Kinte to James Bond...

First of all, three of the people I mentioned above are real. This argument is clearly invalid. I don't think I need to explain the ridiculousness of the 4th person mentioned in comparing Kunta Kinte to James Bond.

I have also seen the argument that James Bond is English (or Scottish) and that clearly means Elba cannot play the role. Idris Elba is English, born in London. The argument that James Bond has always looks the same is invalid. Superman is usually played by men that look similar. They all have dark hair which is styled the similarly, defined jaw lines, deep set eyes, and many of them had a dimple on their chin. However when it comes to Bond, the actors look nothing alike. Bond is a suave guy with an accent. Even the accent varies greatly.

The use of the word "they" is troublesome when I have read some of the comments. People are saying that "they" should have their own spy or character similar to James Bond. This made my skin crawl. Really, "they?" Why exactly do "they" need their own? No one can make the definitive argument that James Bond is one person and that 007 is the title. Many will argue that 007 and James Bond are both titles given to the spy. So if they are both just titles and aliases, then why does the actor who plays the character have to be white?

Of course there are some who approve Elba for the role.





People are becoming so passionate over a character that is a work of fiction. The character M was played by a woman for the first time when Judi Dench played the head of MI6. She was a perfect fit for the role. Miss Moneypenny was played by a black actress when Naomie Harris played the character in Skyfall and Spectre.

Idris Elba is perfectly capable of taking on the role of James Bond. However, he is sending mixed signals with his most recent tweet.



Personally, I would love to see Elba take on the character. He has the only requirements needed to play Bond: he is British, he's cool, and he looks good in a suit. Beyond that it doesn't really matter who plays 007.

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