UPDATE – February 18, 2015. Even Pierce Brosnan thinks Idris Elba could be the next actor to play James Bond. During an interview with RadioTimes about an art special, talk inevitably turned to 007.
When asked directly if he thought Elba would make a good Bond, Brosnan was succinct. “Yeah, he would actually.” He then added, “Colin Salmon also.”
Salmon played Charles Robinson, MI6 Chief of Staff, opposite of Brosnan in “The World is Not Enough,” “Tomorrow Never Dies,” and “Die Another Day.” If Sony wanted to explore the option that 007 is a code name, Salmon would be an ideal candidate.
When James Bond dismisses the idea that James Bond must always be white, who are you to argue?
Here”s the original article:
Rush Limbaugh is a Good Old Boy™*. It is known. He has carved out quite the niche for himself over the years by appealing to like-minded people who long for the halcyon “Mad Men” days of America.
But this guy…this guy.
On December 23, Rush Limbaugh decided it was time to take on the injustice that is Sony floating the idea of Idris Elba as James Bond. If you”re so inclined, you can listen to the whole thing over here on Media Matters. Limbaugh declared that of course Elba can”t be 007 because “James Bond is a total concept put together by Ian Fleming. He was white and Scottish, period. That is who James Bond is.”
Despite then acknowledging that Bond is a fictional character, Limbaugh wrapped himself in the armor of admitting “I know it”s racist to even point this out” and plowed headlong into a feat of flawed logic so gigantic, you can see it from space.
The talk show host doubled down with, “Fifty years of white Bond because Bond is white. Always Scottish. Always drank vodka.”
One: James Bond wasn”t written as being half-Scottish until Fleming”s 1964 novel “You Only Live Twice,” which was two years after Sean Connery”s accent had become synonymous with the name Bond. Up until then, he was just of generic English decent.
Two: What kind of heathen drinks straight vodka? Bond”s signature drink was revealed in “Casino Royale” as Gordon”s gin, Kina Lillet wine, and vodka. Shaken, not stirred…and add a lemon twist. But Bond wasn”t exactly a picky drinker. He”s consumed everything from wine to whiskey, bourbon to claret.
Three: Shut up.
Then things take a turn for the bizarre. Channeling Jigsaw, Limbaugh says “Let”s play a game,” before ruminating that Jay-Z”s favorite drink must be Cristal. This is all in lead-up to the following. Brace yourselves.
“How about in the movie about the Obamas, George Clooney plays Obama and Kate Hudson plays Michelle? How would that be? […] Kelsey Grammar as Nelson Mandela. […] Who will we get to play Al Sharpton? Rod Reiner. Colonel Colin Powell? How about George C. Scott? I know he”s dead, but what does that matter […] Condoleezza Rice? Scarlett Johansson. […] Michael Sam? How about Hugh Grant?”
Once finished, Limbaugh tries super hard to inoculate himself against criticism by admitting all his suggestions are real people and James Bond isn”t. Sadly, it”s not very effective.
Look here, racist old white dude. You can”t say Idris Elba doesn't get to be a fictional character because it”s not fair unless white people get to erase black people from history by playing them in movie biopics. That is the logic of a crazy person. I refer you all ONCE MORE to this amazing visual aid on why casting minorities as traditionally white fictional characters is a good thing, but the reverse is not.
Also, #IdrisElbaCanDoWhateverTheEffHeWants.
*racist/sexist