# Can somebody explain this Spy poster to me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365 "2015-08-20T17:50:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/1 "2015-08-20T17:50:55Z")
Here’s the [poster](http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BNjI5OTQ0MDQxM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMzcwNjMyNTE@._V1_SX214_AL_.jpg) I’m talking about. When I saw it I assumed there would be a scene at some point in the movie where Melissa McCarthy was painted gold for some silly reason. But I saw the movie yesterday and that never happened. So now I’m guessing they painted her character gold in the poster for some other reason. Is it supposed to be a reference to another movie? I know there was a woman who was painted gold in Goldfinger but this image doesn’t seem to be evoking that. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/2 "2015-08-20T17:55:00Z")
The link doesn’t work. ETA, I found the picture online with the same exact link, here’s a different link if it doesn’t work for anyone else. [http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/melissa-mccarthy-spy-poster-goldfinger-joke-funny\_\_oPt.jpg](http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/melissa-mccarthy-spy-poster-goldfinger-joke-funny__oPt.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/3 "2015-08-20T17:55:31Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Is it supposed to be a reference to another movie? I know there was a woman who was painted gold in Goldfinger but this image doesn’t seem to be evoking that. That’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. Spy movie + someone painted gold = Goldfinger. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/4 "2015-08-20T18:00:17Z")
Your link doesn’t work for me, but I assume you mean [this](http://perezhilton.com/tag/melissa_mccarthy_spy_gold_poster/#.VdYUO5cvy4k) poster? I’m pretty sure it’s referencing _Goldfinger_. Pretty much anytime you see someone painted gold in an espionage movie, it’s a reference to _Goldfinger_. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/5 "2015-08-20T18:00:39Z")
Oof: ninjaed on both points. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/6 "2015-08-20T18:50:35Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Oof: ninjaed on both points. No, you’re thinking of _You Only Live Twice._ ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/7 "2015-08-20T18:57:26Z")
Yep, definitely referencing _Goldfinger_, and [here’s some support](http://perezhilton.com/2015-03-31-melissa-mccarthy-new-spy-movie-looks-hilarious#.VdYi1xNVhBc) for that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/8 "2015-08-20T19:01:32Z")
If it’s supposed to be a Goldfinger joke then it’s a really weak joke. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/9 "2015-08-20T19:08:50Z")
Eh, it’s an okay joke. I mean, it’s not laugh out loud funny, but it does a good job of communicating what the movie is about in a relatively simple image. Instead of a half-naked supermodel painted gold, it’s Melissa McCarthy dressed like a housewife. At the same time, despite being gold-plated, she’s not dead. To the contrary, she’s adopted a [classic Bond pose](http://www.faajihub.com/files/ed/179896325454ac9ce5e04a7.jpg), using Bond’s signature gun. So, it’s signaling that the film is a Bond parody, and that it’s going to work with some of the tropes in the Bond films around the sexualization of women, their secondary importance as compared to Bond, and their generally disposable nature in the franchise. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/10 "2015-08-20T19:13:40Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Eh, it’s an okay joke. I mean, it’s not laugh out loud funny, but it does a good job of communicating what the movie is about in a relatively simple image. Instead of a half-naked supermodel painted gold, it’s Melissa McCarthy dressed like a housewife. At the same time, despite being gold-plated, she’s not dead. To the contrary, she’s adopted a [classic Bond pose](http://www.faajihub.com/files/ed/179896325454ac9ce5e04a7.jpg), using Bond’s signature gun. So, it’s signaling that the film is a Bond parody, and that it’s going to work with some of the tropes in the Bond films around the sexualization of women, their secondary importance as compared to Bond, and their generally disposable nature in the franchise. Yeah, I have no idea who the actress is or what this movie is, but looking at the poster, I assume it’s some sort of espionage comedy flick. So, given the above, it seems to have communicated its intent well. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/11 "2015-08-20T20:31:17Z")
If this is their idea of a joke, I would say it does a pretty good job of communicating if the movie is going to be funny - or not. You can either be painted gold like in _Goldfinger_ even though you are a frump, or you can pose with the pistol like James Bond even though you are a frump. You can’t do both, or the joke is too unfocussed. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/12 "2015-08-20T22:55:29Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Eh, it’s an okay joke. I mean, it’s not laugh out loud funny, but it does a good job of communicating what the movie is about in a relatively simple image. Instead of a half-naked supermodel painted gold, it’s Melissa McCarthy dressed like a housewife. At the same time, despite being gold-plated, she’s not dead. To the contrary, she’s adopted a [classic Bond pose](http://www.faajihub.com/files/ed/179896325454ac9ce5e04a7.jpg), using Bond’s signature gun. So, it’s signaling that the film is a Bond parody, and that it’s going to work with some of the tropes in the Bond films around the sexualization of women, their secondary importance as compared to Bond, and their generally disposable nature in the franchise. As I’ve said I disagree. Up to a point you’re right. Having somebody who doesn’t fit the action hero mold posing in a stereotypical action hero pose is good parody. Johnny English got it right. But painting Melissa McCarthy’s character gold makes no sense as parody. Like I said, it’s the kind of thing Friedberg and Seltzer would do. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-this-spy-poster-to-me/728365/13 "2015-08-20T23:00:53Z")
The non-gold version is more on point: [http://www.impawards.com/2015/posters/spy\_ver3.jpg](http://www.impawards.com/2015/posters/spy_ver3.jpg)