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i have a theory that one of the reasons people dislike the star wars sequels is because the levels of characters catering to the female gaze vs catering to the male gaze are completely reversed from the original trilogy (a thread)
not saying this is a conscious reason people don’t like them! instead, it’s so different from what we’re used to seeing, that it makes the sequels stand out.
episodes 3, 6, and 8 are (in my opinion) the best examples of the shifts through the series that i’ll be describing
episodes 3, 6, and 8 are (in my opinion) the best examples of the shifts through the series that i’ll be describing
i feel like i could write a whole paper on this but if you look at the female lead characters in every trilogy, you’ll notice varied degrees of sexualization, declining as we get closer to the sequels (slave leia 
mid-battle crop top padme rey chillin in regular clothes)
mid-battle crop top padme rey chillin in regular clothes)
look at the male leads in each trilogy, and you’ll see both sexualization and focus on traits women find attractive increases as the sequels get closer (han solo being a handsome bad boy shirtless and emotionally vulnerable anakin shirtless kylo, closeups of his eyes/hands)
shirtless and emotionally vulnerable anakin shirtless kylo, closeups of his eyes/hands)
you could also use characters like lando, poe, and obi wan as representations of how different traits manifest under the female gaze (being suave, passionate, and nurturing, respectively).
this could be used as a gauge for how women’s standards for men shift as time goes on. being a bad boy never really goes out of style, but an emphasis on certain physical and emotional features come into play as the movies, and societal views, progress.
the female gaze isn’t as blatant as the male gaze, so when it shows up it isn’t so in your face. it’s there, though, and i think that’s why so many women get told things like “you only watch star wars because the men are hot”.
not saying it’s okay or isn’t okay, or if it was purposeful or not, but the roles of who’s being sexualized in the sequels are completely reversed from that of the original trilogy. it’s unfamiliar to star wars, but also pop culture in general.
just some food for thought!! i’m sure it’s applicable to other parts of the star wars universe, and other parts of pop culture in general. it’s neat to see how media changes when more women get involved in making something, whether it’s consciously done or not.
i’m absolutely gonna write a paper on this bc i have a lot to say apparently LOL. i wrote a similar one using video games as an example instead if anyone would be interested in hearing about that
