Did you find Leela attractive with two eyes?

[on:]

In "The Cyber House Rules", did you find Leela attractive after her phaser-eye surgery, or did you agree with Fry that she looked better as a cyclops? And if Adalai hadn't shown his true colors, would she have retained her more Human-like appearance?

[Reply #1 on:]

She looked okay, but... kinda unnatural.

Which is really odd when you think of it.

[Reply #2 on:]

It probably doesn't help that her eyelashes seem to be long enough to curl up and over her bangs.

[Reply #3 on:]

Personally I preferred the look she got in that reflection in Amazon Women in the Mood. Round eyes seem to work better than these "pretty" ones.

[Reply #4 on:]

Yes, even though one of them was prosthetic.

I think she would have stayed that way if her doctor-friend hadn't been a jerk. It was really great to see how happy the surgery made her feel. Personally, it doesn't matter to me if she has one eye, or two, she'll always be beautiful!         

[Reply #5 on:]

 

Originally posted by Archonix:
Personally I preferred the look she got in that reflection in Amazon Women in the Mood. Round eyes seem to work better than these "pretty" ones.

I always thought that was a cute visual gag.

I also agree that, if we had seen Leela as a "normal" human from the first episode on, she'd be very attactive with two eyes, but since we're used to her as a cyclops, seeing her with two eyes just seems...weird. 

[Reply #6 on:]

Additionally, perhaps the reason she looks odd with two eyes is that her bangs had to be altered/trimmed just to sell the fact that she did have two eyes.

[Reply #7 on:]

Incidentially, funny Leela line:

"I'm stll trying to get a handle of this blinking thing...I did it! I did it! I blunk!"

[Reply #8 on:]

Ugh,  she looks like a fish...

I like the AWitM cap though.

[Reply #9 on:]

To be honest I think it's the nose. Leela's nose is short and low-down because of her huge ruddy great eyeball and they didn't change it when they changed her eyes, which means it's ended up as a bit of a funny shape. The one in the water reflection looks more natural.

[Reply #10 on:]

 

Originally posted by Archonix:
To be honest I think it's the nose. Leela's nose is short and low-down because of her huge ruddy great eyeball and they didn't change it when they changed her eyes, which means it's ended up as a bit of a funny shape. The one in the water reflection looks more natural.

Uh.. yeah. What he said. 

[Reply #11 on:]

See the different between the red and the blue?

[Reply #12 on:]

 

I also agree that, if we had seen Leela as a "normal" human from the first episode on, she'd be very attactive with two eyes, but since we're used to her as a cyclops, seeing her with two eyes just seems...weird.

Agreed.

It seemed wrong, somehow.  For the longest time I wasn't even able to really watch that episode - I averted my gaze because it just looked beyond weird.  Plus I was just as irritated at her as Fry was.  "What's so great about being normal?" indeed.

[Reply #13 on:]

 

Originally posted by NastyInThePasty:
I also agree that, if we had seen Leela as a "normal" human from the first episode on, she'd be very attactive with two eyes, but since we're used to her as a cyclops, seeing her with two eyes just seems...weird.   

That pretty much sums everything up for me right there.

Fry: "You're better than normal you're abnormal!"

[Reply #14 on:]

Plus, Leela was an inspiration to the other "irregular" children at the Orphanarium for attaining such success at life despite her "deformity". I could totally understand her initial elation at finally being able to blend in with a crowd, but anyone who truly knew her for any period of time would quickly look past her eye and see what a warm, appealing, and beautiful woman she was. Even Fry was briefly weirded out when they first met in "Space Pilot 3000" ("What's with that eye?" ), yet by the show's second episode, it became a non-issue with him. Of course, seeing as how the Planet Express doctor turned out to be a giant crab, Leela being short one eye seems minor, somehow.   

[Reply #15 on:]

 

Personally, it doesn't matter to me if she has one eye, or two, she'll always be beautiful!          

"And it doesn't matter to me how many eyes a guy has...as long as it's less than six."

[Reply #16 on:]

I wonder why they went with round eyes in the reflection-gag, but used ovals in 'The Cyber House Rules'?  Something about Leela's new look in TCHR has always been really unsettling for me.  I think Archonix is right; it's the nose.  It just doesnt work with the oval eyes.  Leela's water-reflection face is attractive though, as is Archonix's drawing.  Is it possible that the animators intentionally gave two-eye Leela an unattractive face so that the audience would be glad to have her go back to being a cyclops?

[Reply #17 on:]

I think it's that Matt Groening insisted on Leela's somewhat...bulbous, low-set nose just to get it out of the way of her very large single eye, so when she was given two smaller eyes, not altering the nose to bring it up and connect it to her eye in side profile shots (like Fry) just made her entire face seem "off".









I think this shot is really cute, though. 

[Reply #18 on:]

I think this one proves the point, too, because her nose has suddenly changed shape to squint up betwen her eyes a bit. She looks a lot nicer. 

[Reply #19 on:]

 

Originally posted by Archonix:


I think this one proves the point, too, because her nose has suddenly changed shape to squint up betwen her eyes a bit. She looks a lot nicer.   

Indeed. That's probably the nicest of her closeups in that episode.

[Reply #20 on:]

"Bah!  I think she looked fine before."

Her having two eyes takes away her uniqueness.  She almost becomes a generic in-the-crowd-behind-the-main-characters type of person.

[Reply #21 on:]

That cap looks very nice. I never noticed the nose problem, but that seems to be why she looks so... Weird... With two eyes. I maintain my statement that she looks like a fish in the cap in the fist post.

[Reply #22 on:]

I prefer Leela with one eye.  I thought the two eyes made her look dubious.  Leela was meant to have one eye, anyway. 

[Reply #23 on:]

 

Originally posted by NastyInThePasty:
I think this shot is really cute, though.   

Note that you can't see the nose.

[Reply #24 on:]

 

Originally posted by Sedna:
Her having two eyes takes away her uniqueness.  She almost becomes a generic in-the-crowd-behind-the-main-characters type of person.

Which is precisely why Leela elected for the surgery, little realizing that the "imperfection" of her cyclopian nature is what makes her special and unique. For a real-life example, look at actress Eva Mendes, who has a very conspicuous mole on her face. That's technically a "flaw", but one that, oddly, accentuates the rest of her beauty. If she had that removed, she'd be "perfect", I suppose, but I'm so used to her having a mole, that she'd look strange without it.

[Reply #25 on:]

She'd look ugly. Like Kylie Minogue. 

[Reply #26 on:]

Leela looked much better with one eye but that's probabyl because we're used to it. I agree that with a little alteration of the nose they could have pulled it off better than they did.

I hate when people try to get rid of their uniquness to fit in. That's what really bugs me about TCHR but aleast she realizes that she's better off being herself then trying to fit in.

[Reply #27 on:]

Now here's an interesting question...what would Amy look like with one eye?

[Reply #28 on:]

Someone who is not me have fun drawing that.

[Reply #29 on:]

I'll have a stab go at it.

Presuming, of course, that by "one eye," NastyInThePasty meant, "as a cyclops."
Strange how quickly one gets used to the idea...   

[EDIT:]
Presuming the other meaning of "one eye," that is, Amy started with two and (for some reason) lost one:

The poor dear. I hope it wasn't a result of her clumsiness.
Hopefully "Eye Robot" can clone her a replacement in a jiffy.

[Reply #30 on:]

Not bad! Of course, Leela's cyclops eye was softened somewhat by her bangs hanging down and slightly obscuring it (which is probably why she styles it that way).

[Reply #31 on:]

As for "pirate" Amy...well, she's certainly clumsy enough to put out an eye. 

[Reply #32 on:]

I need to dsay this: Is it just me or does Leela look ditzy with 2 eyes?

I can see amy putting out and eye but with one eye she look s weird. Maybe if here hair was like it was at the beginning of BBS with some of it obsuribng the eye it would look better.

[Reply #33 on:]

I don't think Leela looks 'ditzy' with the TCHR eyes; but I agree with the feeling that she looked better with the AITM eyes.

As for Amy with one eye...she looks good. Actually, she looks really good. 

[Reply #34 on:]

 

Originally posted by NastyInThePasty:
Not bad! Of course, Leela's cyclops eye was softened somewhat by her bangs hanging down and slightly obscuring it (which is probably why she styles it that way).

Hmm - I say's - Hmm...

Does anybody know where I might find a 'grab of Amy with long hair from BBS?
Yes, I have the DVD, but no means of image cap.
 

[Reply #35 on:]

[Reply #36 on:]

 

Which is precisely why Leela elected for the surgery, little realizing that the "imperfection" of her cyclopian nature is what makes her special and unique.

You know, interesting that you say that.  I started a long article-thingy comparison between Leela in 3x09 and Gaia Moore in Fearless.  Basically, Gaia Moore is literally unable to feel fear, which is the entire basis for the series.  It's why her terrorist-like uncle tries to crack her DNA code and why her mother was killed.  So when given the chance to be "fixed," she jumps on it, thinking everything will be perfect.

Here's part of what I wrote:
 

You have a character who is used to defining herself solely by an obvious imperfection - an imperfection which, to her, causes some perpetual degree of negativity.  When given the chance to fix this, she mistakenly assumes her life will immediately be "normal" and just like every other stereotypical girl's [woman's].  Never mind that her personality has developed differently than the "norm", in part because of the trait and in part because of the environment that trait brings.  She fails to see - at least for a time - that the trait does define the character, but in a positive way.

I gave up writing more because I quickly realized that beyond that one episode, they're not that similar.  Plus, I doubt how true to the characters it ended up being.

[Reply #37 on:]

Firstly in answer to the principle question: I prefer Leela with one eye.

As to the question of whether the 'eye' is what makes her special and unique, we have a conundrum.
Undoubtedly it is part and parcel of Leelas character as a whole and it has clearly shaped her personality, in that (i) she's been taunted about it since early life, and (ii) she's never been entirely comfortable with it, and as such it's presence causes leela to display defensive behaviours and have limited self esteem.
At the same time these character traits could be attributable to other entirely non eye related matters, never the less we associate the whole package, cyclops with vulnerabilities and fiesty temperament, as part and parcel of the one person. In other words we accept Leela for who she is even though she has a lot of trouble with this herself.

[Reply #38 on:]

Thank you for the image, Xanfor.
Sadly, it did not help me in the way I had hoped, but that certainly isn't your fault.
Thank you for posting it.

Why Amy with longer hair?

Taking a page (or bang) From Leela's fashion notebook:

[Reply #39 on:]

For some reason Amy's hairstyle doesn't seem condusive to a bang like that.

PS: I never notice how long Amy's hair was in the beginning of BBS because it's only shown for a second. In any event it is long.