David and Antony rev up their engines, listen to her howlin' roar and play with the boys, lavishing praise on the Top Gun sequel they didn't know they wanted. They discuss their relationships with the 1986 original, homoerotic subtexts, their opinions on Tom Cruise and the rest of the cast, the music (Gaga!) and try to work out why it just works so well from start to finish. Also, they share what it was like to experience it in 4DX; right into the Danger Zone indeed!

Moore's Bond is the most 'Camp' but what does that really mean?

Anya's not the only woman on the scene. She's got tough competition from none other than the Queen!

A hairy Russian 007, a fishy megalomaniac and and a queerly horrifying man mountain with metal teeth.

The book's General Gogol equivalent is a far less lovely character than the film's. And there goes Moneypenny being over-efficient as usual.

For me, The Spy Who Loved Me marks the point where Bond edges closest to the ‘harder’, even hypermasculine end of the spectrum, potentially making it harder for some queer viewers to identify with him. It can sometimes feel like overkill, especially when it comes to his sexual conquests, as if Bond is trying too hard to prove something, perhaps even putting on an brave show of it. This performative aspect though provides a way in for those of us who spent portions of our lives trying hard to conceal parts of ourselves. Furthermore, several stylistic choices - as we shall see - encourage us to not take Bond’s hypermasculinity seriously.

In a bit of a departure from Bond, Sam and David discuss why the joyful Netflix smash hit Heartstopper is a milestone in queer culture and why EVERYONE needs to watch it.

Although Bond comes up a few times in the discussion, it mostly draws on many of the ideas Sam and David have explored in relation to Bond, especially in terms of representation. They discuss why it resonated with them so much, why they wish it had been around when they were growing up, the criticism it has (unfairly) received from a minority of older gay men, the thoughts of a bisexual viewer and, ultimately, why it will have a life-changing impact on so many.

Daniel Craig turned heads when he turned up to the No Time To Die premiere wearing a shocking-pink jacket. A statement piece in more ways than one, it was widely hailed as a break with Bond tradition. But the more we look, the more we find that this is hardly Bond’s first time wearing the most ‘feminine’ of shades.

“It might sound strange for an asexual person to be a Bond fan, given that sexual attraction is such a big part of the character’s world…” Fenna Geelhoed sets asexual representation in her sights and targets the best and worst examples from the Bond series.  This is a video accompanying an article on www.licencetoqueer.com  

Direct link here: https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/what-do-you-do-asexual-coding-in-the-james-bond-universe.

In the dark days of my early twenties, I fell out of love with Bond and poor Batman had to shoulder the responsibility of being my queer role model. Now that I’m nearly 40, staring down like a brooding gargoyle at my impending birthday, I’m wondering where the Batman and Bond influences end and the real me begins?

This is the podcast version of my article published on 19th March 2022: https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/batman-and-bond-the-queer-heroes-we-deserve 

If you enjoyed my ramblings about Batman, you may be interested in my piece for Gayly Dreadful about my love for Batman Returns: https://www.gaylydreadful.com/blog/pride-2020-sickos-never-scare-me