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Licence To Queer covers queer aspects of Bond books, video games and more. Search here for your favourite titles and characters or find content related to particular queer identities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, etc).
Queer re-view: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
The better part of three decades has passed since Austin Powers first appeared on our screens, the amount of time which Austin and his nemesis, Dr. Evil, were frozen. Has time been kind? Is Powers still groovy? Does he swing or leave us unmoved? Is he the free-spirited antithesis of Bond (as a prolific 007 director claimed) or is he actually just a bit too well behaved?
James Bond is not always the best role model for staying mentally healthy. When faced with battles in his own brain, he’s far likelier to slip into avoidance behaviours (martinis, girls, guns) than deal with them head on. Even so, within the pages of the original Fleming’s books, we find that Bond’s creator was ahead of his time: he was not only interested in the treatment of mental difficulties, but also armed 007 with a coping technique recommended by professionals today.