Leia in the gold bikini

[imdb_acc]

This costume is such a big part of pop culture. 

Yes, she hasn't aged well. I agree with that. But c'mon everybody ages!  The outfit itself is pretty iconic in pop culture as it is really unique.
But what makes Leia really stand out is her personality. Despite her clothing, she literally choked Jabba to death with her chain. This was by far the most violent death in a star wars movie. Then she is shown on the sail barge fighting and aims the turret gun too. 
I was ten when I watched A New Hope and I was blown away by the first scene itself. Vader scared the hell outta me and I thought Leia had some guts being all smug in the first scene. Not to mention resisting torture.. And taking that blaster from Han, shooting the door, then at the stormtroopers and saying 'into the garbage shute flyboy'. Leia was always a toughie. 
She was mellow in Empire strikes back but after Han is frozen and is ready to let Lando die said a lot...not to mention fighting back at those stormtroopers.
Then came Return of the Jedi. I think that one of the main reasons for the bikini's popularity is that people were caught off-guard/were taken by surprise when they saw her in that. I'm just gonna say this once and that is - she was really hot in that. Later she chokes Jabba to death, escapes, and kicks ass on the sail barge. All the while being half naked. 
Various people say the outfit objectifies women but it's the exact opposite with Leia's case. The thing is that the outfit is made to make her look submissive but she ends up doing the exact opposite. Also, instead of backing down, Leia takes control of the situation, kills Jabba and escapes. Then she continues kicking major ass on the sail barge. This personality made her hotter IMO. Clothes or no clothes, she retains her personality and pushes forward toward her objective despite the horrible situation.
The scene, the outfit, and seeing the character we know like this makes her iconic. And IMO, that itself warrants a separate thread.

Several topics of discussion on the issue -
Your reaction when you first saw her in that.
Do you think it objectifies women in general?
After tons of fangirls donning the outfit at comic con, etc, do you think the outfit has become cliched/overrated?
We all knew Leia was quite a tough character after resisting torture in ANH, watching her planet get destroyed and then Han being frozen. Did the fact that she kills Jabba by choking him and then fighting on the barge despite being half naked make her seem even more tough or do you think this was already established by the first two movies?


@mods/admins - Again, I'm not spamming. I know that the topic is a bit 'out there' but I put a lot of thought into it over the last one hour and I want to have constructive arguments on the issue, not just talk about how hot she was. Please give me a chance. 

[Aaron MkII]

*shrug* What is there to say? Her actions transcend any statement the outfit implies. She went in, got captured and was a full participant in the rescue. She held her own.

[aussiemuscle308]

Do you think it objectifies women in general?

i believe that was Jabba's intent. Given he's a vile, disgusting worm, it's not out of character for him.

Carrie sure looked good. it's a bit of a contradiction to the taped-down-breasts of ANH.

[Darksider]

And as my 12th grade English teacher told me, "that was the last time carrie fisher ever looked good in a movie. She wore a nun's habit in Jay and Silent bob strike back and it still wasn't enough clothing."

[Spoonist]

And as my 12th grade English teacher told me, "that was the last time carrie fisher ever looked good in a movie. She wore a nun's habit in Jay and Silent bob strike back and it still wasn't enough clothing."

ROTJ - 1983

1985


1987
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1454345472/tt0092546

I'd say she was hot all through the 80s and somewhat into the early 90s