Why Eye Candy Is Degrading

"I am NOT a prize to be won!" Princess Jasmine from Aladdin (1992)

This quote from Jasmine basically sums up how I feel every time a female character with a strong personality shows up. We are living in a revolutionary era of entertainment where woman are given prominent roles in movies, TV shows and video games and are made to be well rounded, likable, relatable and a true role model. Unfortunately, this wasn't always the case and every now and then we get the occasional female character (with some male exceptions) that are only relegated to just stand there and look pretty. In Layman's terms: they're simply eye candy.

Now this was an inherent problem that dates back long before the concept of filmmaking came into fruition. Women were often placed on display as prizes by prominent leaders and who's primary function was to give birth and nurse babies. A prominent female leader such as Cleopatra and Mary, Queen of Scotts were the exception, but not the rule. It wasn't until as recent as over 100 years ago when the feminist movement gained prominence and women start demanding equal treatment.

Back on the topic of women in entertainment, one of the most notorious tropes that perfectly exemplifies the eye candy mentality is the "damsel in distress." Typically the hero has to save the damsel from a dastardly villain and is rewarded with a kiss or in some cases a hand in marriage. Now, this trope itself isn't bad (obviously a story needs stakes to be engaging) but the fact that many damsels in distress are deviod of personality is itself a problem. Take for example Ann Darrow from the original 1933 film King Kong. Everybody remembers the mighty gorilla, but nobody talks about Ann Darrow, who was the epitome of eye candy. She mostly just stands their and looks pretty, occasional screams in terror while everyone else actually moves the plot along. Disney themselves are guilty of this as Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty is often regarded as the weakest Disney Princess interms of personality and character development. While she's is pretty, Mary Costa gives a good performance as her original voice (both speaking and singing), she isn't made to be any more interesting to the audience as she is to Prince Phillip. She is ultimately bedridden at the end of the second Act and almost immediately after Prince Phillip breaks her curse with true love's kiss, they're hitched and dancing in the throne room.

Eye candy is not exclusively linked to the damsel and distress trope, however, as sometime it's a trope in and of itself. Remember Nazz from Ed, Edd, n Eddy? She's a perfect example of this trope and is easily the most boring character in a show full of wacky characters. Episodes like Boys Will Be Eds best exemplify how one-dimensional Nazz is as a character as all the boys (sans Jimmy) fall for her yet her unique personality is just be pretty while standing up for Jimmy. The show never develops her as an interesting character beyond just the stereotypical pretty girl with some hints of a personality, but not enough for me to care.

The problem with making female characters nothing more than eye candy is it makes the girls and women who are watching the show or movie feel under appreciated. It also makes me as a man who supports equal treatment for women feel embarrassed. If all Timmy Turner sees in Trixie Tang is just a pretty face, than I have no reason to care about his attempts to woo her. If Drake Parker doesn't actually care for half the girls he dates, why should I? If you're goimg to make a female character for the male protagonist to fall for, you need to do more than just slap on a pretty face to what might as well be a piece of cardboard. I no longer think it's funny that Susan Storm is forced to strip naked in 2005's Fantastic Four; I think it's degrading and undermines her as a character. I don't just want to save Princess Peach in a Mario game, I want to spend time with her so that when she is kidnapped by Bowser (again) I have more incentive to rescue her.

Fortunately many creators have learned from these passed shortcomings and female characters today are better than ever. Occasionally there is that one show, movie or video game that falls into the eye candy trap but those are now the exception, not the rule. The Disney Princess lineup has gotten significantly more diverse in terms of personality and  character development, female characters in TV shows are far more interesting and engaging then they were in the past and being able to play as female characters in video games has become a stable thanks in part to Metroid. This truly is a grand time for female characters, who have come a long way from being just a prize to be won.