CommanderBond.net

Academic Conference To Study James Bond

French academics have organized a three-day conference in Paris to study and discuss the cultural relevance of James Bond.

Attendees at the conference, organized by the French National Library, the universities of Nanterre and Versailles and the European Center for Audiovisual Writing, will discuss the fictional secret agent's influence on the British identity, capitalism, geopolitics, gastronomy and sexuality, The Times of London reported Monday.

"Despite a few studies, largely Anglo-Saxon, James Bond literature does not seem to have received the scientific attention that it merits," said a statement from the Center for Cultural History of Contemporary Societies at Versailles University.

"Bond is a cultural phenomenon and it is well worthwhile asking ourselves how this character has managed to cross so many political time zones and remain with us to this day," said Vincent Chenille, a researcher at the center.

Alain Brassart, from France's University of Lille, said he will explain at the conference, scheduled for later this month, how "the archaic virility of Bond, a personality at once reactionary and rebellious, courteous and misogynist, was able to seduce audiences in the 1960s and today."

http://commanderbond.net/components/quickn...&item=38216 - Playfuls

A bunch of po-faced academics discussing Bond. I can't think of anything worse. Why does everything have to be analysed? Why can't it just be enjoyed for what it is?

Now on the CBn main page...

French Academic Conference To Study James Bond

Hope to show that the spy is a legitimate subject for research

Actually, I am glad to see something like this. This raises the old life imitating art or art imitating life questions.

I'm sure not all the participants are boring academic types, probably quite a few of them are rabid fans as well.

4A

Comme je parle francais...oops...wrong language. As I speak French and teach it, I actually welcome the news. I'm not sure what is meant by "po-faced" academics but to give Ian Fleming's works and the character of James Bond more attention could not certainly be a bad thing.

Literature is what you make of it. When I was in Lyon, I watched as people in a class I was taking (advanced French) bragging on how they were reading the "classics" such as Hugo, Dumas, Flaubert, etc. When it was my turn, I held up my book and said, "I'm reading Batman Begins" but it was in French.

I guess for me, to see people enjoying Bond in whatever way they choose, whether it be mutiple showings on Casino Royale (yeah that was me) or reading the books, or conducting a study, will certainly keep 007 alive for the next 30 years?

lafemme

Try some Leslie Charteris in French. See Lady Templar for details.

Cheers,

4A

There are not only academics.
I'm an academic and only a huge fan and I was asked to do a speech for this Three days James Bond Academic Conference.
I will appear tuesday 16th at 11:35 speaking about the successors of Ian Fleming. How did did the literary character developped through Kingsley Amis, John Pearson, John Gardner and Raymond Benson works?
Hope there will be other french fans to come and see me there!!

This post has been edited by Cesari: 5 January 2007 - 13:15

Hey, very cool, Cesari.

I would love to read your report on the event!

That is excellent!

Please pen an article for CBn at the conclusion of the conference.

What academic field are you in?

Cheers,

4A

Sorry! I am not an academic!
I wanted to write "I am NOT an academic and only a huge fan" and forget the "not".

Okay, well let us know how the conference turns out. By the way some academics are quite adventurous - like Indiana Jones, or in real life like Robert Ballard.

Cheers,

4A

Well spoken mademoiselle lafemmefantome. Your presence is requested at the thread about how many times one has seen CR. I'll hold your torch.





Good on you Cesari .... you can post a massive dissertation on your return then ....

Oui c'est vrai, je dois dire.

Lady Templar will perhaps go, non?