Introduction
James Bond refers to a fictional character that was created in 1953 by one of the renowned writers Ian Fleming. James Bond featured in twelve novels and an additional two short stories.
Since the original author died in 1964, other writers have taken over the authorship of James Bond novels, including Christopher Wood and Sebastian Faulks. The name is used to refer to a British Secret Service, which is common in major radio programs, comic strips, and other video games.
In the film industry, the name has been used extensive to produce a number of cinemas and movies. Currently, at least twenty-three video productions exist, featuring James Bond.
Sky fall is the recent film featuring James Bond. Films featuring Bond are known for some features, including music accompaniment and songs1. The movies have received various awards in the international stage due to the messages they carry.
This article looks at the reasons that make James Bond famous in the world, some of the things that James Bond has changed in the world and his effects politically, socially and culturally.
Bondās Fame and Importance
James Bond is very famous in the world because of the guns used in the production of the films, the cars used, and the type of gadgets used in the films. In the first movie, James bond was armed with a Beretta 418, which later criticized as belong to women2.
Before then, it was considered the best weapon mainly because of its effectiveness. In the subsequent movies, a sophisticated weapon was adopted, referred to as Walther PPK. This type of a weapon made Bond famous in a number of ways.
Bond is depicted as the best small-arms operator in the world. Apart from the small guns, Bond used other weapons such as Savage Model 99 and a Winchester. These weapons made Bond famous because there were no sophisticated weapons at the time.
Many individuals admired the efficiency of the guns that could only be seen with Bond3. At the time, the world was experiencing various conflicts that needed efficient weapons to survive. Each state was in need of weapons that could be used to subdue the enemy, both internally and externally.
Since Bond demonstrated skills of a wise security agent, a number of officers wanted to be like him. This raised his popularity to extent of becoming shaping the opinion of many security agents.
Regarding the type of vehicles that Bond used, Bentley half liter was used. When the vehicle spoiled, he was given a different brand, which was a Mark II continental Bentley.
In the subsequent series, Bond was provided with the latest brands of vehicles that never even existed in some parts of the world4. Many people would simply admire the vehicles, but they could not acquire them.
The vehicles had high efficiencies that prompted some African and other third world leaders to order them. The latest vehicles had sophisticated gadgets that could trace the activities of an individual in a different country.
The sales of the vehicle brands went up, as individuals wanted to test the comfort. The most famous car that Bond used was the Aston Martin DB5, which was introduced in the Gold finger movie.
Since the vehicles had sophisticated designs and shapes, they made Bond famous in the world. It is surprising that one of the vehicles was sold at an exorbitant price of $ 2090000 in the United States in 20065.
The vehicle gained popularity because Bond used it in one of the movies. In the current society, the vehicle cannot fetch that much, but since it is associated with Bond, it can even fetch more. The vehicles were produced at the time when motor technology had reached its peak.
The quality of these cars was high and their efficiency was incomparable. Every person wanted to acquire the best vehicle, but was unavailable in the market. They could simply admire the prestigious vehicles in the Bond movies.
James Bond is very important because he reshaped the media and film industry. In the television, a number of stations used his ideas and styles to advertise some good and services.
Consequently, the author of the film received a considerable amount of money, which proved to the world that superstars could earn from their talent. In the modern world, many celebrities are used in advertizing goods and services, particularly athletes.
In 1990, the BBC radio adopted the ideas of the author on James Bond. The Daily Express also adopted the works of Fleming on James Bond in 1957.
Changes Brought by James Bond
The ideas of Fleming on James Bond have continuously shaped the way leaders address their issues. For instance, it teaches leaders not to bother giving lengthy speeches. In other words, the author confirmed that flashy orations are not necessary when conducting an investigation.
A leader can still get what he or she wants through other means other than listening to narrations. This was proved in the Thunder ball and the Spy Who Loved Me6. Persuasion is portrayed as the worst leadership trait since it threatens the life of other people.
The best leader is illustrated as the one who leads from the front. He or she should be involved in the activity, which would encourage others to follow. In this regard, a good leader ought to be courageous and confident.
One of the leaders in the United States, Larry Ellison, is known to apply this type of leadership successfully in Oracle. He is a leader of very few words, but is plenty of actions.
George Soros was able to influence the world ideology, but he was a leader of few words7. He managed to stem out communism in most parts of Eastern Europe through his traits.
Bond changed the way people conduct their business in the modern society. Before the introduction of the movie, everyone knew that a governmental mission had to be accomplished by a group of individuals.
However, he proved to people that a mission could be accomplished without the assistance from others. In other words, he taught people to go it alone. In a number of occasions, he goes alone to accomplish a certain task. The outcome of the mission is always successful.
For this to happen, the leader needs to be courageous and confident8. The individual is expected to absorb the pressure from outside alone and ensure that a positive result is delivered. Bond sacrificed the life of his loved one and even the country to achieve greatness for the society.
In the same way, a good leader is expected to give everything in order to achieve greatness for his or her organization. The ideas of Fleming on James Bond proved to people that they only have to master a few things and they would be ready to perform their duties without supervision.
For instance, Bond learned many things, including playing the music and doing business. He was not a musician since his profession was killing and wooing. As he progresses with his work, he becomes a pilot, a gambler and driving sophisticated vehicles.
Ideally, individuals who are always willing to learn new things have progressed in life. Since Bondās movies were introduced, many people have come to the realization that life is about learning.
If something does not work out the way it is supposed, an individual should seek the services of the expert. This was proved in the Goldfinger when bond was forced to seek the services of an expert to defuse a nuclear bomb that was almost exploding.
He was pushed aside since he did not know what he was doing. He could have caused a tragic accident were it not for the services of the expert. Leaders are urged to recognize the capability of their team members.
Many leaders have messed up things by issuing information without even consulting their juniors. The works of Fleming on Bond have shown people to recognize the efforts of their colleagues and team members.
Finally, James Bond shows people the important of paying attention to the small details. In this world, it is noted that each detail matters so much. The small details that Bond picked from Goldfinger helped him escape death. Note taking is therefore the strength of a good leader.
Effects of James Bond
James Bond has influence the culture of many people in the western world. In the 2012 London Olympics, one of the characters who featured as Bond in one of the movies was given the honor of escorting the Queen.
The movies featuring bond have earned a good income to individuals in the industry. Eon productions have benefited a lot from the works of Bond, generating at least five billion US dollars. In many countries, people have seen at least a single Bond film meaning that it is very popular.
In the United Kingdom, the influence of Bond film can never be neglected9. The UK Film Association underscored the fact that Bond movies form the backbone of the industry. Many producers are currently imitating the ideas of Fleming on James Bond.
Many young people are now willing to feature in movies focusing on the ideas of Fleming. In the United States, James bond is rated as the 22nd best movie in the country. In the United Kingdom, the movies are also highly regarded given the fact that they influence society positively.
Conclusion
Through James bond movies, people have adopted the culture of never giving up, even though things might not be working out as expected. In Thunderball movie, Bond was trapped in one of the pools full of sharks, but he was determined to soldier on with his plans.
Individuals are convinced through the movie that things will one day get better. He teaches people to make use of prevailing technology to salvage their situation.
He applies personal skills to realize his personal and collective aims. All leaders wishing to influence their societies positively should emulate this trait.
Bibliography
Keylor, William, Kinney Tracey, and Bannister, Jerry. The Twentieth-Century World: An International History. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Macintyre, Ben. For Your Eyes Only. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2008.
Packer, Jeremy. Secret agents: popular icons beyond James Bond. New York: Peter Lang, 2009.
Pearson, John. James Bond: The Authorized Biography. New York: Random House, 2008.
Simpson, Paul. The Rough Guide to James Bond. London: Rough Guides, 2002.
Smith, Jim, and Lavington, Stephen. Bond Films. London: Virgin Books, 2002.
Thompson, Maggie, and Frankenhoff, Brent. Comic Book Price Guide 2010. London: Krause Publications, 2010.
Footnotes
- Paul Simpson, The Rough Guide to James Bond (London: Rough Guides, 2002), p. 56.
- William Keylor, Tracey Kinney, and Jerry Bannister, The Twentieth-Century World: An International History (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2011), p. 34.
- Jim Smith and Stephen Lavington, Bond Films (London: Virgin Books, 2002), p. 12.
- William Keylor, Tracey Kinney, and Jerry Bannister, The Twentieth-Century World: An International History (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2011), p. 49.
- Maggie Thompson and Brent Frankenhoff, Comic Book Price Guide 2010 (London: Krause Publications, 2010), p. 78.
- William Keylor, Tracey Kinney, and Jerry Bannister, The Twentieth-Century World: An International History (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2011), p. 41.
- Ben Macintyre, For Your Eyes Only (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2008), p. 112.
- John Pearson, James Bond: The Authorized Biography (New York: Random House, 2008), p. 56.
- Jeremy Packer, Secret agents: popular icons beyond James Bond (London: Peter Lang, 2009), p. 64.