This is a topic that has sat at the back of my noggin for a while but seeing The Force.Net announce another Slave Girl Bikini group pic at Comic Con (on Thursday), with a link to a website that's all about said costume, sort of got me going today.

Over on the site there are pictures and interviews with girls who have taken upon themselves to wear one of the least-forgiving costumes ever in film history. I saw an item on a whole bunch of Slave Leia sketch cards made for last year's Star Wars Heritage card set, which not only brought back memories of how the Star Wars Galaxy card sets from the 1990s seemed to feature an awful lot of Slave Leia, but also made me wonder how a couple of them ever got approved. Whatever happened to official, canon-SW keeping it cool for the younglings?

A few days ago, TFN posted an item about a radio show (internet-based?) that wants to discuss whether said costume is enpowering or sexist. Well, it's a complicated issue from my standpoint and I'm somewhat conflicted about the whole thing.

On the one hand, can anybody blame guys for liking that outfit? I remember when ROTJ came out, the 7th and 8th grade boys at my school weren't so much talking about the action or battles, but about seeing Leia in nearly the altogether. Those happy memories have remained through adulthood (providing a subplot in a very famous episode of "Friends") and have fired up the hormones of many a young lad discovering the SW saga since then. (By the way, Padmé's torn "Tighty Whities" costume from AOTC seems to be well on its way to becoming the PT's slave girl bikini, based on what I've read by the gents and based on the loads of artwork out there). I understand why it was used in that scene; does it really bother me they were also milking Carrie's ability to fill out said outfit too? Eh, not really. Leia still gets to put the choke hold on ol' Jabba in the end anyway.

On the other hand, I'm a little annoyed at how it's becoming the only way SW fandom likes to remember her. There's nothing wrong with finding Leia sexy but where's the tough-talkin' five-foot scourge of the Empire? Where's the smart Rebel leader? The compassionate sister and friend? The Chosen Onette, for Petey's sake? I'm still sitting here waiting for a freakin' Bespin Leia 12" doll but whenever the licensees get around to our favorite princess, what do they go for first? You betcha, Slave Leia. Gentle Giant has its surprisingly sexed-up Slave Leia statue, and what does Kotobukiya serve up as their first Leia? The ol' bikini! I don't care if it's included after they do another Leia or two, but really, it's ridiculous when you can count on one hand the number of Hoth Leias that have been produced in the past 7 years. Only ANH Leia gets immortalized almost as frequently as the Slave Leias do. And that's a distinct second place.

I know what you will all say...sex sells. Yes, I know. I know most of the people producing this stuff are selling to men/boys (or at least they think so).

But they forget that millions of girls and women admire Leia not because of her figure but because she kicks butt. It's unfair to reduce a great character to a bimbo simply because it's an easier sell to fanboys.

With that said, I'd like to announce a Comic Con Shirtless Anakin group picture at MissPadme's place near the convention center ...