EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY (1988)…whoa, Nellie! 1988?! Has it really been over 20 years? Ouch.
I watched this film just one time, right after it first hit home video. As a result, my memory is as fuzzy as the fur on the aliens in that flick. At the time, I felt obligated to see it as an SF fan, more so than from any real interest. I recall it as a roller coaster of sexy, campy fun, and to the film’s credit, it didn’t aspire to anything more. (What do you expect from something based on a Julie Brown song—80s high-concept or a New Wave MACBETH?)
For the uninitiated, the basic plot doesn't exactly aspire to rival Lars von Trier: “A spaceship with three furry aliens lands in a California girl's swimming pool, so she makes friends with them.”
Yep, that pretty much covers it.
Now when it comes to films like EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY, you either go along for the ride or just fuhgetaboutit. There’s almost nothing to poke fun at because the film pokes fun at itself. It’s almost pointless to criticize such lowbrow fare—no matter how titillating the neon pop of late 80s fashion, but regardless, I did have one beef with EGAE:
The aliens, Mac (Jeff Goldblum), Wiploc (Jim Carrey), and Zeebo (Daman Wayans) were only deemed attractive after stylist Candy (Julie Brown) removed their fur. It bothered me when I first watched the film, and a story I’ve been reading reminded me of it again.
But I must detour for a moment to gush over Jeff Goldblum. He was hot, hot HOT in this film. Volcanically hot. The man is an Adonis. The shallow side of me cheered in full pom-pom mode at the unveiling of his luscious bod. Let’s feast our eyes for a moment:
Okay, that was lovely, but now back to our show. At the risk of reading too much into EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY, it seems as though the homogenization & humanization of the three aliens symbolizes our deep-seated fear of the alien “other.” The film is a comedy yet it openly (but not deeply) explored that issue. The film tells us that bonding with a humanoid alien is kosher as long as they look exactly like us. For all we know, they had pink-colored blood or three hearts, but what mattered most was their outward appearance.
(As an aside, I heard that the Fox studio suits asked James Cameron to tone down the aliens in AVATAR in order to make them appear more human. Needless to say, Cameron won that particular battle. Thank goodness.)
On a related note, earlier this year I read Ann Somerville’s e-novella ON WINGS, RISING and I’m currently reading REACHING HIGHER. Both m/m stories are sensitive explorations of falling in love with an alien although I hesitate to even describe the characters with such a loaded term since the Angels are actually a race of telepathic winged humanoids. And yes, they have fur. Back, Candy, back!
Unlike the goofy, 4th grader rendering of otherworldly beings in EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY, Ms. Somerville takes the idea of interspecies love dead seriously. The portrayal is quite tender, and her detailed prose celebrates the Angels’ fierce beauty as well as their otherness. They become as seductive for the reader as they are to the human characters. Given the realism in these stories, it’d be horrifying to think about stripping these characters of their fur or molding them to some narcissistic version of ourselves.
EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY and the work of Ann Somerville represent two vastly different ways science fiction romance can depict interspecies love. Both show it can be done convincingly, albeit along wildly divergent paths.
What the film and Ms. Somerville’s stories also address is the issue of what constitutes attractiveness in a mate for the characters. I can wax poetic about Mac’s handsomeness but at the same time, I must question the assumption that his furred appearance is less beautiful than his non-furred state. Yet the “Earth Girls” found them attractive without fur so I have to accept that. It’s not a big stretch since the movie taps into my cultural expectations.
On the other hand, in a story such as ON WINGS, RISING, the author challenged me to put aside my sense of ideal beauty and suspend my disbelief regarding what the hero/hero thinks is ideal. Because it’s his romance, after all.
Joyfully yours,
Heather
15 comments:
This movie brings back soo many lame memories, dear oh dear you've done it again Heather! First Yanni and Dan, and now this.
I know it's fantasy, not Sci-Fi, but I can't help thinking of the wide-spread adult female disappointment when Disney's version of Beauty and the Beast came out. The overwhelming female consensus was that he was better as a beast. (The guys I knew were generally wise enough to stay out of this discussion. {SMILE}) I even noticed two novels based on that tale in the next two or three years that involved the beast NOT losing all his fur. {SMILE}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
I too only saw this movie once, but it has stayed with me for many years for one very simple reason. Every time my husband has a blonde moment (he is of the fair haired variety) I sing to him 'B-L-O, Oh, I dunno, cause I'm a blonde', which is from the soundtrack of the movie.
How many movies can claim such permanence?
Y'all stop drooling over my Jeff Goldblum. He's mine, I tell ya! Mine!
I totally forgot that Jim Carrey was in this film, but who could forget Jeff Goldblum? Mmmhmmm. I'd watch it again just for the eye-candy bits. Heather, what about "Flash Gordon?" I've had a hankering to indulge in some awesomely-bad-yet-strangely-wonderful sci-fi lately.
Say Jeff Goldblum and all I can picture is The Fly.
On the topic of aliens, sometimes the author has no choice. In the first draft of Close Encounters, the Buri were a furred race. I loved them that way. But to sell the story, I was forced to use a depilatory on them. To me, they lost a lot in the translation, and in my head, they will always have that fur.
Jeff Goldblum. *sigh* Loved him in Jurassic Park I & II. And love him in Criminal Intent.
I haven't read any of Ms. Sommerville's stories. I think I will now. Sounds very interesting and an intriguing (and brave) angle.
Only for you, Natalie!
The overwhelming female consensus was that he was better as a beast.
Yes, me too! Glad to hear about those books, Anne--do you know the titles? I lurv Beauty and the Beast stories, and I would be interested in checking those new ones out.
How many movies can claim such permanence?
Precious few, I'm sure, lol!
*shoves Agent Z aside* Keep your damn dirty paws offa my man Jeff!
Rebecca, now I want to watch Flash Gordon again just so I can blog about it, hehehehe...! Thanks for visiting!
Katherine, say it isn’t so! What a shame. I would have really enjoyed that aspect. I can *totally* see how it would fit your story. Dang. But I recognize I’m probably in the minority. Authors have to make a living, after all.
@Nathalie Even though Goldblum tends to act much the same way in most of his roles, he still has such a commanding presence. Please do check out ON WINGS, RISING. I think you’ll enjoy it.
I'm certain of The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey. It's definitely a B&B retelling, tho she's made some changes to Beauty (Rose). The beast never does lose all his fur here. {Smile}
I think... {wander off to check shelves, come back} Yes, Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley is a little closer to the original, but also ends with a still-furry beast. {SMILE}
If you can track it down, the short story "Ugly and the Beast" by Barbara G. Walker fits in, too. I found it in a one-author collection, Feminist Fairy Tales. {Smile}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
Thanks, Anne!
You're most welcome, Heather. {SMILE}
I try to remember that this reaction to the Beast might just be the circles I travel in, but I've found a few new circles since that book, and the women in each tend to agree. {SMILE, wink}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
At least the Angels are vaguely human shaped. I suspect even your liberal tastes would balk at giant cat sex :) But if they don't, try 'I was an alien cat toy' here:
http://logophilos.net/?page_id=56
At least it won't cost a thing to abuse your sensibilities ;)
Thanks for the kind words, Heather!
I'm B-L-Ooooh I don't know. lol. mmm Goldblum is scrummy in this and it's a brilliant feelgood movie. Grab wine, popcorn and your girlfriends for an evening f utter pointlessness and joy.
Jeff Goldblum was fargin hot! I've got this little crush on him ever since that movie. I think it was the way he moved. And his eyelashes. I saw him on Colbert where Colbert insisted he was dead, because people were twittering that he was dead, so he gave his own eulogy and made a point of emphasizing how great a lover he was in life, and I got all tingly.
As for sameness, I think there's a point where biology kicks in here in our drive to find prime genetic material to procreate.
You can take the intellectual approach with SF and make the claim that no body shape or form should matter in love because love transcends such things, and that is a valid argument.
However, in lust, some things are written in stone. There are birds who will reject a mate because his feathers are a shade too light, or don't reflect ultraviolet light correctly. Talk about superficial, but that is nature, selection of the fittest.
And what is the fittest? We are biologically programmed to be attracted to symmetry, and indicators of genetic health and fitness, healthy hair, healthy skin, bright eyes, straight teeth.
Tentacles don't usually come into the picture.
So if you're talking about matters of lust, there has to be a bridge of attractiveness, I suppose. Take Galaxy Quest. The Frank and Lelari (I think that was her name) romance. He was attracted to her in her "human" shape. But the really funny moment comes after they have this established attraction and we find he's willing to accept her not so human shape. Though Guy emphasizes how wrong that is.
It's still funny, and heartwarming at the same time.
I think part of our desire to explore love that bears no human shape, is our desire to accept all the people here of different shapes and colors. We say it's superficial when someone rejects someone because of how they "look" but I'm still not seeing too many camps chastising all of us for not feeling lust for llamas. Llamas are people too, right?
No, they're not, they're llamas.
So there is a line. I think writers have some flexibility in where they draw that line, but at some point, different shapes will equal kinky.
And while I agree Beast was more attractive as a beast, it is only because he had biologic signals to indicate greater age, strength and maturity. Human beast somehow jumped back to an adolescent. If he had looked older and retained the voice, I don't think there'd be as many arguments that he should have stayed fuzzy.
But maybe I'm out on a limb.
I was not attracted to a neon blue Jeff Goldblum with ewok lips.
Ann, my pleasure!
Jess, I don't think you're out on a limb at all, especially given who the general audience is for romances.
Tentacles don't usually come into the picture.
Right. They're pretty popular in Japanese erotica, though (WARNING: Graphic images in this wikipedia entry). Not that my taste is influenced by that or anything...! Eh, did I say that out loud?
different shapes will equal kinky
Authors could also have it both ways, a la Aguirre's character Vel. If you've read WANDERLUST, you'll know what I mean.
While I certainly don't expect to read about hot alien llama heroes (although dang, now you have me curious...! ;-)), I think there are ways inter-species romances can be portrayed that make them about the romance and not the kink factors. I realize the audience for these is much smaller, but they do exist.
I always thought it was cool in ALIEN NATION when it was revealed that for Newcomers, the back was an erotic zone. It was an adjustment for Sikes, as I recall. I appreciate that the writers gave the issue some thought. Not bad for network television.
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