Examining the Sexual Disparity in STAR WARS

Sexual Disparity in the Original Trilogy

It starts in opening scenes of the original Star Wars with a braless Carrie Fisher. Why was she braless? George Lucas told her there was no underwear in space. True Story. Considering Fisher was only nineteen years old at the time? That’s pretty creepy, George. Fisher didn’t seem to mind, though, as she’d later don the famous (infamous?) gold bikini featured above. Suddenly, with Return the Jedi, everyone’s favorite princess became a pin-up.

Princess Leia sans undergarments in ‘Star Wars.’ (Image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Lucas widened the original trilogy’s sexual disparity even further in RotJ. First he did so by adding Oola, Jabba’s next-to-naked Twi’lek dancer. (And yes, Oola actress Femi Taylor suffered a wardrobe malfunction that made it into the film’s final cut. If you want to see it, you can google it.)

Do we have to even describe Oola’s oozing sexuality? (Image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

George wasn’t done there. To the contrary, he even added another barely clothed Twi’lek dancer, Lyn Me, in the Special Edition of the film.

Twi’Lek dancer Lyn Me in the ‘Return of the Jedi’ Special Edition. (Image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Sure, there was plenty to make men gawk, but the original trilogy was decidedly lacking in offerings for the ladies. Unless you count Malakili, Jabba’s Rancor Keeper. (Editor’s Note: We don’t.)

Malakili, the shirtless Rancor Keeper. Sexy? Me thinks… not so much. (Image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

The closest thing you get to something sexual for female fans is a tuft of Harrison Ford’s chest hair, some flirting and sexual innuendo between the suave smuggler and Leia, and the enigmatic but fully clothed Lando Calrissian.

Han Solo flashing a little chest hair in ‘Star Wars’. (Image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

The prequels weren’t much better…

Pages: 1 2 3 4