James Bond movies perpetuate negative stereotypes about people who are disfigured | Opinion

My son and I have seen every James Bond movie. They have been a shared interest since his childhood and they have brought the two of us much joy over the years. We are excited that No Time to Die, the most recent film, has finally been released, and while he is now away at college, we hope to see it together sometime soon.

I admit my fandom begrudgingly. I know that the films are often criticized for Bond’s treatment of women and the glorification of violence. Seeing some of the scenes from the earliest movies makes me cringe today. However, what troubles me the most is the franchise’s continued portrayal of its villains as being visibly disfigured, including Rami Malek’s villainous portrayal of Lyutsifer Safin, whose face is scarred, in No Time to Die.

For the past 25 years, I have worked with plastic surgeons and other medical professionals to understand the psychological aspects of physical appearance. This includes working with children born with conditions that impact their appearance as well as children, adolescents, and adults whose appearance was impacted by injury or illness. From them, I have learned countless lessons about the triumphs and tragedies of the human condition.

As a culture, we have a beauty bias. My colleagues and I have produced research findings that are consistent with a large body of research published over the past 50 years: Those who are more attractive are judged more favorably and also receive preferential treatment in a wide range of social interactions across the life span when compared with less attractive persons.

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While an argument can be made that this bias is the result of the relentless bombardment of images of physical beauty we see each and every day in the mass media, there also is evidence that these reactions are hardwired into our brains. Thus, all of us are challenged to identify and overcome these biases in real time.

Unfortunately, for those living with facial disfigurement, there also is a bias. This one is negative. The evidence tells us we make more negative assumptions about the personality characteristics and behaviors of those who look different.

James Bond movies are not unique for featuring disfigured villains. Last year, Anne Hathaway apologized after backlash for her portrayal of an evil character with three elongated fingers on each hand and toeless feet in the film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book The Witches. And many classic films depict the hero’s foil with physical impairments. For example, Scar from The Lion King has a prominent scar above and below his left eye, foreshadowing his evil intent with his first appearance in the film.

You probably have seen this depicted more than you realize.

It may be tempting to dismiss this bias as we walk into the theater, telling ourselves that these portrayals are for entertainment purposes, and thus don’t impact our day-to-day thoughts and behaviors. Unfortunately, the research again suggests otherwise — media exposure can profoundly impact how we feel about our own appearance and the appearance of others.

Children and adults who are disfigured report stigmatization, bias, and outright discrimination in a range of social and professional experiences. Yet there is no evidence to suggest that a physical difference is associated with a likelihood of violent behavior, let alone delusions of world domination, as often seen in the Bond villains. I hope that the millions of Bond fans around the world keep this in mind as they flock to theaters in the weeks ahead.

I hope the film producers use the next Bond as an opportunity to move away from the “villain is disfigured” caricature.

Living with a physical difference that is visible to others is challenging for many. We need to eliminate stereotypical media portrayals that depict these individuals as “less than” and find ways to promote their inclusion in the full human experience.

David Sarwer, Ph.D., is the associate dean for research and professor of social and behavioral sciences at the College of Public Health at Temple University. For the last 25 years, he has studied the psychological aspects of physical appearance and body image. He has consulting relationships with Ethicon and NovoNordisk, companies that offer products to treat obesity.