CFP: The Women of James Bond 2013

Posted by on Mar 31, 2013 in Critic's Area | 0 comments

Bond Girls

Bond Girls

From Popular Culture & American Culture Associations

Title: The Women of James Bond Critical Perspectives on Feminism and
Femininity in the Bond Franchise

Editor:
Lisa Funnell, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma,
lfunnell@ou.edu

The release of *Skyfall *in 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the James
Bond film franchise. The 23rd film in the series, *Skyfall *earned over one
billion dollars (USD) in the worldwide box-office and won two Academy
Awards (*Best Sound Editing* and *Best Song*). Amidst such popular and
critical acclaim, many have questioned the representation of women in the
film, viewing *Skyfall* in relation to the Bond film franchise at large.
From the representation of an aging and disempowered M, to the limited role
of the Bond Girl, to the characterization of Miss Moneypenny as a defunct
field agent, *Skyfall* arguably develops the legacy of James Bond at the
expense of women in the film. While the character of James Bond has
historically been defined by his relationship with women (and particularly
through heterosexual romantic conquest) and the franchise has long been
accused of being sexist (among other things), the treatment of women in *
Skyfall* recalls the media-driven backlash against feminist gains in the

disempowering of female villains and the domestication of the Bond Girl.
Since the prequel *Casino Royale *(2006) and its sequels *Quantum of Solace
*(2008) and *Skyfall *(2012) constitute a rebooting of the franchise, it
leads many scholars, like myself, to question if there is a place for women
in the new world of James Bond and, if so, what role will these women play
in the future of series?

This book seeks to answer these questions by examining the role that women
have historically played in the Bond franchise, which greatly contributed
to the international success of its films. This collection constitutes the
first book-length academic study of the women of James Bond that moves
beyond the discussion of a single character type (such as the Bond Girl) or
group of films (such as the Connery era). This anthology will redress this
critical oversight by providing a comprehensive examination of feminism and
femininity in the Bond franchise. It not only focuses on the representation
of women on screen (via casting, characterization, and aspects of stardom),
but also includes a consideration of the role women have played in
producing and marketing the franchise, female fandom and spectatorship,
female scholarship on the franchise, and the widespread influence of the
Bond series on the representation of female characters in other (non-Bond)
films. This collection will offer a timely and retrospective look at the
franchise, in light of the 50 year anniversary of the series, and provide
new scholarly perspectives on the subject.

Proposals are welcomed on the following topics:

i) Female Representation

movie posters)

ii) Women Producing/Marketing Bond

iii) Female Fandom and Spectatorship

iv) Female Scholarship on Bond

v) Influence of the Bond Films on Women in Other Films

Banks*)

Please send a 500-word abstract (with bibliography and filmography) and an
author bio as email attachments by May 15, 2013 to Lisa Funnell
lfunnell@ou.edu


Lisa Funnell, Ph.D.
Women’s and Gender Studies Program
University of Oklahoma

*Transnational Asian Identities in Pan-Pacific Cinemas: The Reel Asian
Exchange*

<www.routledge.com/9780415893541>

Lisa Funnell
<lisa.m.funnell@gmail.com>

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