Stereotyping Scandinavia in popular spy films: the image of the female

Abstract

Stereotyping, though considered ‘politically incorrect’, is viewed by some as a culturally economical choice that helps us save energy by simplifying the process of perceiving the world and its people. Spy films, in turn, are often constructed from certain clichés that some viewers expect, while more sophisticated spectators find them discrediting. Yet intentional use of clichés, including national and cultural stereotypes, may serve the purpose of conscious criticism or cultural irony, as is often the case in spy film parodies or spoofs. Referring to the widespread spy narrative character typology embodied in James Bond films, the article considers the popular stereotype of the Scandinavian woman observed in twenty-first-century espionage films for wide audiences, focusing on the Hamilton and Kingsman series to examine the effects that serious or ironic use of the stereotype has on the representation of female characters.