Veovisjohn created this remix highlighting the less-attractive libertine image of the James Bond brand of masculinity. By isolating (and occasionally repeating) the images of glorified aggression, objectification and, as the artist puts it, “womanizing”, the remix creates a rarely acknowledged but more accurate portrayal of Bond’s misogynistic masculinity.
The original upload of The Real James Bond was removed from YouTube in 2010 due to an unwarranted copyright infringement claim made by MGM. The James Bond franchise is MGM’s primary asset which they’ve often relied upon to make up for lost earnings at the box office. The media corporation’s sweeping YouTube removals of the franchise were seen as an attempt to regain financial control of the corporation after years of mounting debt ($500 million) and resulting bankruptcy. Unfortunately this is yet another example of a legal Fair Use video remix removed from a discursive space for corporate profit.
One of the major issues facing YouTube remix removals is that the comment threads, and discussions with in them, are lost. Many of the commenters responding to the original remix upload seemed to see very little wrong with the 007 brand of masculinity. Sadly in fact, the highest rated (and of the recent comments) illustrated that a larger number of viewers did not see this remix as a critique but as a celebration of James Bond’s treatment of women.
On this blog we’ve talked openly about intent and what makes a remix critical of it’s source material, and therefor, political. Here, the tongue and cheek introduction along with the additive text, in my mind, clearly illustrates that this piece intends to expose the misogyny behind the James Bond character and question an image of masculinity rather than reinforcing or glorifying it.
Check out the Political Remix Video YouTube Channel to see more Removed Remixes where we will be defending Fair Use Political Remix Videos from further claims of “infringement” by copyright holders.