Although I expect product placements in the recent films of the James Bond series, I don’t ever want to see him driving a Ford again, even if it’s a prototype hand-constructed by Germans in labcoats. That prominent blue oval logo on the grille disturbed me, appearing so soon after the opening scenes of Casino Royale. I thought it a sign that, for the rest of the film, Daniel Craig would sport ill-fitting Gap casuals and demand his Cosmos shaken, not stirred1. Thankfully he soon switches to a boner-popping 1965 Aston Martin, the purr of which made me forget the Ford until now.
If I may speak for men as a whole, we watch and enjoy Bond films because 007 is more handsome, athletic, suave and tamper-resistant than we are. He’s what we’re not. Because it is within my means to drive a Ford, I do not wish to see James Bond driving a Ford, any more than James Bond would expect me to wear an Omega wristwatch and shag a 27-year-old (Eva Green) so stunning that she actually stops time at several points. Or that may have been just me pausing the DVD to sneak a closer look at her sleek luxury styling.
1 In general, the number of elements in a drink is inversely proportional to its manliness. Whiskey, neat or directly from the bottle = nothing more manly. Whiskey on the rocks = solidly manly. Whiskey sour = slightly sub-manly. Any drink with 3+ ingredients or fruit garnish = womanly. [back]