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How the world views us, Bond fans
DarthDimi
Behind you!Moderator
I ran across this "interesting" chat on the always "interesting" reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/ba5igw/why_are_the_folks_at_dedicated_james_bond_forums/
Looks like a couple of people over there think us a pompous lot who take Bond too seriously, write lengthy essays as if our lives depend on it, and prefer Lazenby over Brosnan (not the movies, the acting). I can see some of their points, but I laugh at others. Also, someone complains about having been put on hiatus by us -- someone who, in an ironical twist, no longer seems welcome over there either. But I digress.
This thread can entertain discussions about how the rest of the world perceives us, self-proclaimed hardcore Bond fans. I invite a healthy dose of self-mockery as well.
https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/ba5igw/why_are_the_folks_at_dedicated_james_bond_forums/
Looks like a couple of people over there think us a pompous lot who take Bond too seriously, write lengthy essays as if our lives depend on it, and prefer Lazenby over Brosnan (not the movies, the acting). I can see some of their points, but I laugh at others. Also, someone complains about having been put on hiatus by us -- someone who, in an ironical twist, no longer seems welcome over there either. But I digress.
This thread can entertain discussions about how the rest of the world perceives us, self-proclaimed hardcore Bond fans. I invite a healthy dose of self-mockery as well.
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Comments
As for this chat itself, it seems to be from 6 years ago and hasn’t really gained much traction there compared to some of the other posts people have made.
And yes, it's a post from 6 years ago, but again, 6 years later, MI6Community still seems more nicer than Reddit.
Thank you. We consider ourselves lucky with the members we have.
Yeah I pop in there sometimes but I tend to find it a bit... vacuous? Like posting a picture of a Bond girl and saying she looks pretty, or a clip from a film.. I dunno, I don't want to bash it because everyone's having fun and there's nothing wrong with it, I just like a little more meat.
Yeah, it’s sort of a mixed bag with regards to the quality of the conversations over there. Recently there was a video where John Cleese was sounding off on how he doesn’t really like the newer films and some of the observations from members of that website were quite interesting; but then you’ll find bonkers posts that don’t really add much.
Me. It was all me, MI6Community. It's always been me. The author of all your pompousnessness.
Actually, just double checking the meaning of pompous - surely that only really applies to the one or two members who pop up every now and then to demand Mrs Broccoli step down (but not MGW) or at least owe us a debt paid in full. I wouldn't describe most members here as pompous. Pendantic? Definitely :))
But that's fandom. And Bond may be the fandom with the longest history, so it's kind of a big deal yeah?
I wouldn't pay much mind to what others are saying elsewhere, we have a very diverse community here when it comes to what we like and what we want to see.
At the end of the day, those who complain about others and their passions; label them this or that - and especially not directly to them - are usually the ones who need to make some kind of improvement in their lives or find a constructive hobby. When you're happy and content in your own life you tend to whinge about others less IMPO. ~O)
I don't care. I just thought it would be interesting to discuss how others (not just Reddit) feel about us, fans (not just MI6com).
It offended me at the time, and I do love those franchises. But upon reflecting on this over the years, I've come to realize this person very likely didn't have any hobbies - well, other than helping her husband steal other people's property for drug money. Yes, well, after all the police raids and arrests that would follow, I feel I made the better choice.
A couple of people at work have an interest in Bond, a father and son who treat me like I'm a walking encyclopaedia of knowledge on all things Bond and should go on the quiz shows, but of course that's far from the case. They are keen to see the next film, and have even gifted me with Bond gear from time to time.
Around 90% of people I've met in person and discussed Bond with have seen some of the films but have little interest in discussing the films past "Yeah, they're alright".
5% have said they're not into Bond at all. I point to the door and tell them to 'Get out', even while in their own house or moving vehicle.
The other 5% are casual fans who've seen all the films, have favourites, and surprise me with what knowledge they do know, but give out a clear vibe when it's time to change the topic. :D
I know, @j_w_pepper. :-) And you're absolutely correct in saying that we shouldn't care about these people.
With that being said, I feel that we're a niche fanbase and Bond is a niche franchise. Especially when you compare it to Star Wars or any comic book franchise or company. It comes with lack of saturation and lack of overexposure. We should be grateful for that.
I never have met a Bond fan. Yeah i know plenty who go to see when a new film comes out and depending if it's good or not it's never fully discussed or dissected by a general film goer compared to other franchises
Oh I don't know, I think it depends which subreddits you go to. The Bond subreddit seems nice enough.
Mind you, I joined a while back, almost never engaged much in conversation, I posted some of my art in the Bond bit sometimes and chatted a little about watches on one of the subreddits, never got into anything approaching an argument, and then one day got told 'one of my linked accounts has broken the rules' (I don't have any linked accounts) and that was it, my account was banned. To this day genuinely no idea why. It might have been because I posted my art and that was too much like promotion? Maybe I didn't chat enough on there and it was perceived as spamming? I don't know.
Yeah, agreed there. I'm not sure most folks would even think there is a Bond fanbase: it's kind of too mainstream for that. Sometimes I meet some bloke who volunteers that he's a Bond fan, and usually that means he might have a couple of the DVDs! :D
I think it is this longevity of the 007 saga appealing to people of almost all ages that distinguishes Bond from other franchises. And it also seems to contribute to a much more civil discourse on discussion boards than you could expect with only hyped-up teenies (or supposed grown-ups acting like those). The late IMDb James Bond board was probably a good example, with very few and occasional outright trolls (and even those were somewhat Bond-savvy), while the more popular other boards actually contributed to the demise of the IMDb communities. And yes, I'm still glad I found an excellent replacement with all of you guys (and a few gals), including a steady but reliable moderation that gets rid of obvious trolling attempts. Thanks to everyone involved.
Yeah I usually get "I liked Skyfall" when discussing Bond with a casual viewer. But that same person will go on and on about all of the Star Wars shows on Disney
Of course the one exception was the CraigNotBond thing, where a load of weirdo fans got a lot of public exposure. I don't know if that has persisted though, it was a long time ago.
Unfortunately I can imagine a similar 'fan' reaction to something about the new Bond film before it's released.
Even many fans don't like the novels!
Oh yeah, no matter what it is it'll be a nightmare. Even the reaction to Nomi in NTTD was ridiculous, and yet all forgotten now.
Obviously you're talking about those outside the more dedicated fanbase, which really we are. Still, that's not insignificant. I always compare it to the Mission Impossible franchise insofar as both franchises have that general appeal (and even some overlap in viewers) but MI's fanbase - fans and 'regular viewers' - are much more 'soft' about those films to the point where the last one could underperform due to many simply not being bothered to go and watch it under specific circumstances. I can't imagine that apathy with Bond.
Yeah, I remember a fair bit of anti-woke stuff about NTTD before it was released that just didn't stick in the long run.
Now we have people who think Craig is like Connery so I guess it will be hard for them.
It depends on who they choose. ATJ has haters and he hasn't been chosen yet!
To be fair I think even that's more on here. Most people I've talked to in real life, as well as looking quickly at comment sections on these various articles/videos or whatever claiming ATJ will be Bond, have been more positive about him.
But honestly, there'll always be something for people on the internet to pounce on.