Why “James Bond” Is Attractive to Women
When talking about a character from the literary works I have studied from the course, I often mention James Bond from Casino Royale. I am quite interested in this character because he can be considered as a bad boy with a patriarchal mindset and toxic masculinity. However, he is still attractive to many women. After reading some research, I found the reason why a man like James Bond can makes women fall in love.
Firstly, let me tell you a little bit about James Bond. He is a fictional British Secret Service agent also known by the code number 007. He is created in 1953 by Ian Fleming and appears in many novels and short-story collections. However, this article will focus on Casino Royale, which is the novel that I have studied in this course, and it is the first appearance of Bond.
From the novel, you can see that he views women as recreation. They only serve as sexual partners and have little value to him. Bond does not prefer anything considered feminine. Also, he does not want to work with women because he thinks they can make things difficult. Women’s place should be at homes, not in offices. His belief is solidified when Vesper Lynd, the important character in Casino Royale, is sent to be his assistant, but she seems to bring more troubles to him. However, his underestimation almost makes him fall into the trap of the Soviets.
In my opinion, he is a really bad boy who women should beware of. We can conclude that Bond seems to have a patriarchal mindset and toxic masculinity. Anyway, the negative personality traits of James Bond that I want to focus on in this article and are the key to why many women fall in love with him is the dark triad.
The Dark Triad comprises the personality traits of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. They are called “dark” because of their malevolent qualities.
Narcissism is an excessive sense of self-love and self-admiration. This is someone who sees themselves as better than other people. They like to compete with others, and they love to win. Narcissists are ambitious, and that can make them attractive. We can see this personality in Bond, for example, when he wants to beat Le Chiffre in the casino. Besides, because of his ambition, he gets the distinction of a Double O, the highest rank to which an agent can rise.
Machiavellianism is a trait that depends on interpersonal manipulation. The people who are machiavellian know how to persuade others, and they tell people what they want to hear to get their own potential benefits. We know well that this skill is necessary for Bond because he is a spy, and he must conceal his secret. So, it is difficult for him to reveal the truth.
Psychopathy is a lack of concern about the feelings of others. Sometimes, it is antisocial and erratic behavior. We can see this trait obviously in Bond at the end of the novel when he finds Vesper Lynd a double agent. He curses her as if he has never loved her before. Although Lynd commits suicide to save his life, he does not care.
Previous research reveals that fewer women possess the Dark Triad personality traits than men. Men with Dark Triad traits demonstrate more sexual success when compared to other people. However, most studies have used self-report data. The participants who are men with dark triad traits have been describing themselves as having more sexual prowess. That is the one-sided view. So, the researchers wonder whether women would find these men more attractive.
A study led by Gregory Louis Carter of the University of Durham answers this question. The researchers show 128 female undergraduates with the two types of males, which are Dark Triads and controls. The result of the study reveals that women found the Dark Triad personality more attractive than the control. This is in keeping with previous studies that men with dark traits told that they had a high chance to get sexual success.
The researchers explain that sexual selection might be at work. When it comes to reproduction, women will seek men with “male quality, and “bad boys” are an excellent choice because he has confidence, stubbornness, and risk-taking tendencies.
In brief, James Bond is attractive to women because he is the man with dark triad personality traits of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellism. These are the trap that can make several women fall into. There is the term “Bond Girls” to refer to those who are love interests or female companions of James Bond. However, I wonder whether Bond is an excellent choice for a long term relationship or not. Of course, I think few women want bad boys to be their husbands.
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