Licence to Killjoy: James Bond trigger warning row as academics brand works 'racist and misogynistic'
The trigger warnings apply to more than 50 texts on the University of Portsmouth’s reading lists on its English Literature degree
Academics have been branded “killjoys” after issuing a trigger warning for James Bond films and texts containing examples of “racism, misogyny and xenophobia”.
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Students have been warned Ian Flemming’s iconic series feature “problematic” issues, with experts pointing to instances of “racialism” and the use of “outdated language” in a number of the most loved books and films.
The trigger warnings apply to more than 50 texts on the University of Portsmouth’s reading lists on its English Literature degree.
“Please note: James Bond films and novels are popular to this day but contain many problematic issues such as racism, misogyny and xenophobia.
“We will be discussing the problems with this text in all of our seminars,” the warning states.
The university encourages students “to engage with teaching texts in an informed way” via content notes.
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Critics have branded the move “patronising’ and labelled the academics “killjoys” for “acting like parents”.
Professor Dennis Hayes, director of the Academics For Academic Freedom group, said: “Putting warnings on James Bond is one of the silliest I have heard of.
“The novels are well-written, exciting thrillers, but academic killjoys will only focus on the political issues in which they are interested. I hope tutors in the seminars also celebrate the best in Bond.
“Students are not children and can see for themselves ‘outdated’ attitudes in works they read. Academics should stop acting like patronising parents.”
Defending the warning, Dr Ian Kinane, general editor of the International Journal of James Bond Studies, said they “cater to potential sensitivities” and are right as a “matter of consideration”.
He said: “Trigger warnings serve not to cushion students; rather, they cater to potential sensitivities that might arise as a result of exposure to potentially troubling subject matter – either for the very first time in their lives; or, if we are talking about someone with lived experience of a particular trauma, not for the first time.
“Surely it is simply a matter of consideration – not to mention healthy wellbeing practice – on the part of Portsmouth’s lecturing staff to signal for their students the inclusion within Dr. No of certain outmoded language and themes.”
He said some of the Bond novels set in Jamaica, including Live and Let Die, Dr. No, and The Man with the Golden Gun, have “some of the more egregious instances of racialism within the Bond stories”.
Dr Kinane added: “Recent re-issues of Live and Let Die – perhaps the most complicated if not problematic of his novels when it comes to matters of race and racial identity – have seen the expungement of certain sections of the novel on the grounds of poor taste and outdated language.”