Is Slave Leia degrading?

[DanielAppleton15]

First of all, I was 6 when I first watched Return of the Jedi. I definitely didn’t think anything about Slave Leia then.

As I got older and hit puberty though I found her more attractive in that outfit, and I still do to this day. It definitely has turned me on a lot as well.

But do people think that the whole Slave Leia sequence was sexual objectification?

For me, it wasn’t primarily. Sure Jabba is very much portrayed as a pervert and it’s pretty unpleasant to see him acting in the way he does with her. So it is in that regard. But she is the one who gets revenge and kills Jabba as well in that outfit. She was also a very strong and independent female character and we saw that reflected here.

But what does everybody else think?

Yeah definitely

No not at all

[Bee-Hatch]

We're talking star wars. So let's be blunt it's a story.

But in the context of this universe we come back to a place on the brink at the end of Empire. Han is frozen, Luke is one of the remaining free folk of the rebellion but off getting to be a jedi. And the only one doing anything practical is Leia. The only girl in the group is passing herself off as a bounty hunter and attempting a rescue. And she's unlucky. She gets captured and has to comply with super slug and sex pest Jabba. It's not the usual stuff we see her in, so obviously not her choice as a character. Once she's rescued she doesn't keep it on.

So in terms of the story yes she's being objectified, but that's by someone we are led to see as something of a pervert. It's a low point for her, but not unsalvagable.

Back in the real world if a woman is playing the part of a sex worker or stripper, she's put in clothes to objectify. It's a part. But if the same woman then plays a soldier she will be in uniform. It's part of taking on the persona. In much the same way as if you give Harrison Ford a beat up leather jacket, bull whip and satchel, he's suddenly an archaeologist, not an interstellar smuggler.

[Bee-Hatch]

Also consider its one of the great cos play outfits many women choose.

[Catlover1999]

I can imagine feminists starting a Twitter hashtag to get that scene removed. It’s not degrading like you said it shows her standing up to a perverted slave owner. And there’s nothing wrong with finding her attractive in that outfit loads of women would wear something like that for their husbands or boyfriends and want to be dominated by them. Feminists ignore that part.

[Catlover1999]

*would ignore

[Inbox]

@Catlover1999 All hail Catlover1999!

[BreakingSound]

Not objectification.

Reasoning: Leia as a character, throughout the series, is portrayed as competent, capable, and powerful in her own right. In this particular scene, she's being treated as an object by another character, but she is never relegated to the status of "object" for the viewer. She's a fully formed character with her own goals and plans for achieving them. She's given absolute loads of agency. Is part of her character's agency removed when she's forced by another character to parade about in a sexy outfit? Of course it is, but it's regained in force as she kills that character off and takes down the pleasure cruiser with it's own cannons.

And literally no other character in the film apart from Jabba and his little rat muppet treat her the slightest bit different now that she's half naked. There are no comments. No leers. No jokes. She's a badass to be respected no matter what she's wearing, and they all know it.

[JackSmy]

@BreakingSound Excellent post, and explanation of your reasoning! She is an excellent leader, role model and not at all a sexual 'object' in the moves. Maybe some scenes show her in a softer, more caring, compassionate role, but not objectified, except in those few scenes, and those were part of the plot, of pretending to be defeated, and enslaved, but still in control, and with a plan!

[btbc92]

Yes, she was used as a sexual slave. I knew that even when I first saw it as a child. It was sexua objectification to degrade her worth as a princess and a rebel.

Was it can service to get men and young boys to lust? Absolutely if that is your goal. I felt really bad for her. No woman in her right kind wants to be that. It wasn't about her being strong and independent. But that she was forced to be her own knight because was either that, or lose her life and the galaxy remains on control of the dark side forever. There were times as a little girl without doing it on purpose imagining what it would be like go be in her position. Powerless, uncertain, always at war with fighting for your life or give it up to try to save the man you really love. Han solo practically died becuase of what happened. If it wasn't for her sacrifice he could have been blasted to oblivion. He was only frozen in stone.

[laurieluvsit]

Some people are prudes and don't like today's pop culture. For them this is unacceptable as is 98% of everything else they see in public and in television and movies. They just watch it anyway and complain.

No, this has been trending since the 60's and is here to stay. It's nothing that isn't seen daily in western culture.

In eastern culture females must dress like this or be beaten, some near death, or beheaded.

For people who prefer this, there are countries you can move to, if you like beating women, or if you are female, and don't mind having your clit chopped off.

[fauchelevent]

I mean, it is degrading because it was intended to be degrading. Leia is a very proud and independent woman and this outfit is very, very different to anything she has worn before. Being dragged around on a lead and dressed in barely anything for the entertainment of others is 100% a method of degrading her and breaking her strong spirit. The fact that it is degrading is one of the reasons it's so great when she gets revenge - she has been slighted and she rises up and uses the chain she's been forced into to kill her attacker, there's a sense of justice there that simply wouldn't be as strong if she hadn't been degraded first.

[DiscomfortZone]

Sex sells, always has, and not only for "male perverts" as feminazis would have you believe. Trust me, and actress who's worked so hard to have such a body doesn't feel degraded showing it, on the contrary. As for sexual objectification - well duh, it's just as you've said, that's Jubba, he's the equivalent of an old fat greasy creep, he objectifies everyone (ahem, freezing a man in carbon to keep as a trophy). So no, I'm afraid that concept isn't the least offensive, degrading or even disrespectful towards women (especially considering Leia's chokes the life out of him and gets her sweet revenge, again just like you've said!)

[Telekinetic-Potato]

The whole point was that she was being objectified. Thats what they were saving her from.

They made her a slave so that there would be something at stake for the hero lmao

They made that scene so you could understand the big slug looking thing was the villan

[Artesian]

Yes. That was the entire reason Jabba did what Jabba did. Jabba is supposed to be a bad ass mofo. He wasn't keeping her on a leash because he was trying to be respectful. I hate that Disney is trying to Disney-fy Star Wars.

I always thought Leia at the end of A New Hope was a lot better looking than slave Leia though.

[Trolloween]

Isn't the while point that yes it is? She's being kept as a sex slave to a giant slug man, it's not meant to be a campaign poster for feminism. I think that comes later when she kills him. Overall I don't see any reason to complain, it's a film about space wizards and big foot I don't think it's meant to be taken remotely seriously

[litty]

That is the point of the outfit. Slaves are not supposed to have rights and do whatever their masters say. You were attracted to her because she's not wearing underwear and her boobs are squished like a victoria secret model. Let's be honest here, you have a BDSM kink.

[Floki-raven]

It was the hole point of that scene. You actually can't make jabba more villanous with that age rating. The book to the movie actually included jabba overing Leia to Boba fett for rape (boba declined and expressed his hatred for jabba and the hope that the Empire while stop him After the Civil war)

[AllThatSweetJazz]

As a portrayal, it is in the sense that she’s a slave and being made to wear the outfit is part of that. It should be objectifying.

But fundamentally, the outfit itself is not objectifying. It is sexualizing, which is different and perfectly fine.

[Kiran_Yagami]

Of course she's degrading. SHE'S A FUCKING SLAVE. She's supposed to be degraded. That was the entire point. She was treated like that so you would hate Jabba the Hut.

As far as women who wear the outfit, the only degrading part is anyone who thinks they get to tell women what they can or can't wear. Being told you're not allowed to wear something is what's degrading.

[Anonymous]

No. I think enslaving human beings because of their skin color, then finally after murdering the enslaved, tearing them apart from their families and treating them like animals just to give them freedom with little to no resources and telling them to fend for themselves while the white race had a head start and continues to not acknowledge their privilege by gaslighting younger generations of black slaves by saying smug comments like “we aren’t our ancestors.” And “move on” is degrading.

[thomual]

Jabba was a Giant slug, not a white man 🤣

[Opinion Owner]

I know. Just saying I don’t give a shit about it

[BBFDancer]

Did you know people were selling slaves way before the America was even a thought. Muslism sell whites to teh African. African sell each others after a battle.

[Definitely]

I think it's a story. A story you can enjoy if you want, or you can choose not to watch it if it bothers you. Nothing more, nothing less. It's not real life to worry about it.

[ksmiller]

I always left the room when my dad and brothers watched that scene. Even when I was young I saw it as sexual objectification. It used to make me uncomfortable, now it makes me mad.

[ThisIsMyOpinion]

Why? She was loved by everyone as a character. No one saw her as weak. She ven kills the monster that was enslaving her with her own hands.

[ksmiller]

Of course, and that is all fine and dandy. But it doesn't take away the inuendos that Jaba makes and portrays. I can see how it wouldn't bother most people. But as someone who has been sexually harassed from a young age that scene and the way Jaba acts always brought up the fear of someone treating me the way Leia is treated.

[ksmiller]

Of course, my feelings towards that scene doesn't mean I would change or remove it, as it has already been seen and portrayed for years.

[ThisIsMyOpinion]

I am sorry to hear that. I get why that scene upsets you. I also have a couple of scenes in movies that are hard to watch due to my past. Nothing nearly as serious like what you went through.
Still I admire that you say it shouldn't be removed from the movies just because of you. Many people don't show that level of discernment.

[Inbox]

@ThisIsMyOpinion Agreed.

[FýrdracaDócincel]

I think in order for it to be degrading, Leia would first need to be hot.

If someone can explain to me how a woman who always looked twice her actual age got such a horny following, I will be extremely grateful and irritated at the same time.

[Belgie]

She kills Jabba the Hut single-handed and saves herself.

So what if she looks hot when she's doing it?

[KeziL]

I think it's meant to be? And that's fine. It's literally the story, she's a slave dressed in a degrading outfit but wins. Am I missing something?

[RolandCuthbert]

Why does it matter what everyone else thinks? What did she think of the outfit? Shouldn't that matter most?

[OfDeath]

She's the damsel in distress. A key motivator for character development.
I don't think it's degrading. This is art.
I'm sure there are feminists who disagree with me and I agree to disagree with them.