[Editorial] So Not Female

Guest author: LadyFett

First published: 2003

I’ve been asked, as a Fett fan who is also a female, to respond to the essay position taken at femalebobafett.com. I had not even known this site existed until recently — although I vaguely recall some people raising the question at some point years ago (must have blocked it from my memory).

First of all, Boba Fett is just SO not female. I should think it would be blatantly obvious to anyone. But to be fair I will answer the points taken by that site one by one. “Pro” and “Con” are the positions of femalebobafett.com:

1. Pro: There is Precedent for Women in Drag.

Yes, Leia wears a bounty hunter disguise. And Lando wears a guard disguise, and in ANH both Han and Luke wear Stormtrooper disguises. What’s your point? The fact that it’s referred to as “drag” is in itself a sexist comment. So for Leia to be disguised she had to choose a woman’s disguise? Women there were pretty scantily clad – not the best disguises around. The fact that you take Boushh for a man without question (which he was) and not Fett is a double standard.

2. Pro: Fett Walks Like a Woman.

All I can say is you must be blind. He’s got a hot ass.

3. Pro: Precedent for Character Not Defined by Actor.

Darth Vader/James Earl Jones/David Prowse = all male.

Peter Mayhew/Chewie = all male.

Boba Fett/Jeremy Bulloch = all male.

Can you show me another example where a male actor was used for a female character in the Star Wars universe? Even if you could, Episode II will prove it when a male is used to play an unmasked Fett.

4. Con: Fett Flirts With Women.

He certainly does :) And I don’t think it could easily be explained away as a lesbian thing. As stated, it’s not coherent with Lucas’ family-oriented filmmaking. And I don’t think Fett would necessarily have to keep up appearances this way. I always saw him as aloof and businesslike; the fact that he moves in for a closer look at the dancers and flirts with them afterwards just made it all the more clear that he’s a male. And was possibly added by Lucas for just that reason: to affirm that he is, indeed, male.

Additionally, in the Expanded Universe novel Tales of the Bounty Hunters, Leia is brought to Fett for the night as a gift from Jabba. He wouldn’t do that if Fett wasn’t known to be male. The story also gives Fett’s history as a Journeyman Protector (note: not Journeywoman Protector or Journeyperson Protector).

5. Con: Fett wears a codpiece.

I don’t really find this a valid argument either way. It’s simply part of the armor.

6. Con: Fett’s face has been seen.

“They probably didn’t even consider finking on Fett. Who would want to get on her bad side? And aren’t they now both dead from that Mandalorian Armor explosion?”

Dengar and Neelah were not writing the story – the author was. Face it, he’s a male. And the fact that they’re dead has no bearing on what they saw when they were alive.

7. Con: Lucas calls Boba Fett a “he.”

“Maybe he was just setting the stage for a surprise revelation. You know how he likes to mess with his audience.”

Now you’re just grasping at straws. Storyboard pictures from Episode II have been released that are supposedly of a young Boba Fett and his father Jango. While we have another few months until the actual film can at last give you definitive proof of Fett’s masculinity, I think this one’s pretty hard to refute. Lucas is decidedly making him male. Now of course he could have gotten a sex-change operation…but somehow I doubt it.

My point is that the argument of Fett being a woman is one that can’t see the forest through the trees. Have you ever heard of Occum’s Razor? All things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one. Fett’s a man. Deal with it.

Now this is not to say there are no strong female characters in the Star Wars universe, so that we must establish one in Boba Fett. Aurra Sing and several other female bounty hunters will be featured in Episode II. In the EU, Mara Jade is an incredibly strong, decisively un-stereotypical female. And Jaina is also strong, and in a typically male role, as a pilot. Leia is far from weak, and while she had to be rescued in Episode IV (mostly because it is a modern fairy tale of sorts, but that’s another essay) she is one of the strongest characters in the SW universe and also rescues the guys. There are even female Jedi on the Jedi Council.

Moral of the story:

Episode II is about to prove this issue once and for all.

You’ll get to latch on to new female role models, and I’ll get to go on enjoying Fett’s cute butt.