The Drive-Bis: Volume 3

By Jennie Roberson

December 02, 2022

Share

Donate

Photo credit: Pexels/Elina Sazonova

Welcome, readers old and new! I hope everyone is feeling fed, rested, and hydrated. I say that not only out of love, but because I believe that it’s best to face this series as well-prepared as possible. Why is that? Because while I love to focus on the most joyful bi representation out there, it’s important to be as physically prepared to go over the ick as well as the yay.

For those who are not familiar with the Drive-Bis series, here is a quick link to our working definition. Also please note that, while I am criticizing these films for their bi representation, it doesn’t mean I dismiss the films entirely as garbage. On the contrary — a lot of these pieces of media I adore! But that’s also part of why the cultural whiplash of the mentioning of fluidity also makes for some painful scenes to watch. Finally, please note that my talking about these works will contain SPOILERS for the content of such films.

Got it? Great. Let’s dive in.

1) Wonder Woman, 2017

I’m not gonna lie: Some of these entries into the Drive-Bis series are painful. First up is our first dalliance with Diana ― which, coincidentally, was the subject of my very first article for this website five years ago. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth re-examining again with a critical lens.

When I first came across this scene, I was delighted and loved the allusion to Diana’s queer past. But now that I watch this scene again, it’s more about her innocence and academic conclusions than really alluding to any previous sexual encounters. Especially since it’s never really mentioned again either here or in the sequel. This feels disappointing since Wonder Woman was created by a man in an affirming, bi throuple. Even later creators confirmed this part of Diana’s identity. I know that there are international releases to think about, but if the writers were able to keep Wonder Woman’s ties to bondage with her lasso of truth, surely something more could have been done than a passing joke about the pleasures of the flesh.

2) Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool, 2017

Gloria and Pete sitting side by side at a table. Pete has his arms around her while they look at someone out of frame.
Image/Sony Pictures Classics

While this may be a more recent arthouse entry, I bring it up because we have a scene where both main love interests explain to each other that they've had same-sex relationships in the past as a form of emotional intimacy to each other. But it comes at such an odd point and feels... well, I wouldn’t say unnecessary, but kind of out of the blue. Because there are enough things going on with the rest of the plot that it's (say it with me now) never mentioned again. 

I do get that it is sticking to the verisimilitude of the memoirist and that Peter Turner later on realized he was gay and not bi, but still. Reader, it irked me.

3) Skyfall, 2012

Say what now? James Bond was bi?! Well, that’s what they wanna hint at in this iteration from Sam Mendes. Here we get an infamous scene where Silva (Javier Bardem as the Bond villain du jour) makes a pass at our favorite British spy.

Silva: (touching Bond’s thighs) Oh, you’re trying to remember your training now. What’s the regulation to cover this? Well, first time for everything.

Bond: What makes you think this is my first time?

Now, I know that Bond has a hairy situation to get out of here, and the world to save yet again. However, this does open up a fascinating avenue THAT WE NEVER GET TO EXPLORING AGAIN. I know Bond is a male fantasy, and we’ve seen him bed so many Bond girls that he likely has a punch card at the sexual health clinic (no slut shaming, folks ― you know he’s taking care of himself for the queen and country). But I really wish this would have been more of a cheeky aside. Someone like Q asking a follow-up question somewhere while he has a bug in his ear as he infiltrates another situation. I’m just so deeply curious about it, and it would have opened up a whole new section to the Bond persona we know and watch fervently. But nope, it ends there. What a wasted opportunity writ large: Bye-bye, Bi Bond.

(Fun fact: Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool was produced by Eon Productions, which is known for producing the Bond franchise. It is only the second non-Bond film that the production has produced since 1963! I had no idea about this connection until I started researching this article, so the pairing of these two films was entirely coincidental.)

Well, there you have it, folks ― this roundup of sexually fluid whiplashes. I wish I could say it was fun, but that would be a fib. Really it’s a series of disappointments, but they are still important installments in seeing how far we have come ― and how far we still have to go.

Comments

Facebook Comments