Do Han and Leia Creep You Out?

Over the past week on jedi_news, I found a link to a meta on Papa George's strange comments on developing Indiana Jones's relationship with a very underage Marion and what that implied for Han and Leia. The responses to the post discussed Han and Leia's first kiss and how it kind of creeped out a number of respondees. They pointed out Han's aggression and how he uses his height to practically back Leia into a corner. The scene does have that "if she says 'no,' she really means yes" vibe to it that to a generation inducted with all kinds of good touching/bad touching instruction is an anathema.

For me, it was and still is one of my favorite scenes in the saga.

Now I will say that when people knock Anakin and Padmé for their age difference, I point out that Han is at least 10 years Leia's senior...if that's okay, then there's nothing wrong with Padmé being a few years older than Anakin. When people complain that Anakin is a creepy psycho stalker, I always point out that Anakin actually respects Padmé's boundaries while Han at times doesn't respect Leia's. Granted, Han turned out better than Anakin did, but pre-Dark Side, Anakin was actually very respectful of Padmé. Han gets away with all of that plus his infamous, "I know" response to Leia's declaration of love because to many fans, he's cool. "Wow, what a pimp," thinks many a fanboy. Anakin's an emotional, vulnerable wreck in contrast to his tremendous power, his actions more like a nice guy trying to grope his way around a girl for the first time than a stud who knows all of the slick lines.

All of that said, the kissing scene doesn't bother me. I view it in the context of the fact something has been happening between Han and Leia for a while, and both of them are frustrated with themselves and each other because of all of the barriers they won't break down. That's why they argue all of the time. Han decides to take the initiative the only way he knows how, physically. (Anakin does so physically, then emotionally. Interestingly enough, the emotional soul-baring speech is the act that really freaks out Padmé, not the kissing or rolling around on the grass.) That's the kind of guy he is. It takes carbonite, another movie, and a blaster hot wound to get him to open up otherwise. I think if Leia truly didn't want anything to do with him, he would have known it and he would have left her alone. Failing that, Han would have been singing soprano the rest of the saga.

Granted, TESB was made during a politically-incorrect age and the romance was inspired by those old screwball comedies where the man is usually the one who breaks down the leading lady's resistance. It's not rape. Han didn't put roofies in Leia's drink and if you notice, Leia puts up no resistance at all. She didn't mean anything she was telling Han. Like it or not, people don't always act in accordance with what's taught in a Women's Studies class or college behavior codes.

Around the the time TESB came out, America's fangirls were all over another ship: the hugely popular Luke (Tony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) from the soap opera General Hospital. When Luke and Laura had their fairy tale wedding in 1981, it broke daytime t.v. records and millions of women chucked school or work to stay home and watch it. The rich ones could tape it on their VCR ;). You know what was really messed up about Luke and Laura? They fell in love after Luke raped her a couple of years beforehand! And this was acceptable for years! Supposedly GH addressed this lurid topic several years later but still...creepy and sooooo wrong.

Kinda like Luke and Leia's incest kiss ;).