It's every nerd boy's dream: getting together with the hot girl who sees beyond your appearance and likes you for you. It's that small (or not so small) yearning for acceptance, for someone to care for who we are, not what we look like. Society places such importance on the physical that we often develop hangups regarding our bodies, which will always lead us to think we're not good enough. For that reason it's heartwarming to see a work of art that shows the fat, funny looking guy get together with the girl one would think way out of his league. Today's couple is no exception: Peach and Mario from the Super Mario franchise.
Let's talk Mario. He's fat, and that's not up to debate. I wouldn't say he's obese, but he definitely has a few extra pounds on him. He's also short, much shorter than his younger brother, Luigi. He has a large nose, a mustache that covers his entire upper lip, and to top it all off, he's a plumber. For those of you not in the know, that means that his job has him constantly getting wet, going to people's houses to fix their water pipes, etc. If he's making money, it sure isn't a lot.
And Peach? I've spoken of her in two different blogs, the latest being this one: http://vidgameanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/05/revisiting-princess-peach.html. But to make a long story short, Peach is seen as a vapid, useless damsel in distress, but she's actually just a capable woman who is simply outclassed by her kidnapper. When NOT kidnapped, Peach has proven herself a very capable leader AS WELL as a total sweetheart.
If you've been following any pop culture works, you'd notice that every time the dorky guy gets the hot girl there's always that teeny tiny "hint" that he doesn't deserve her and he just got SUPER lucky. Peter Griffin from Family Guy is a mentally challenged jerk. Homer Simpson is also a jerkish buffoon. Leonard from Big Bang Theory is a stereotypical Hollywood nerd with self esteem issues. And yet somehow these three guys all got the hot girl and (spoilers for BBT) married her. But always, ALWAYS, the three shows go out of their way to subtly (or not so subtly) establish that these men are, in one way or another, not good enough for their wives.
But why? Because that's Hollywood for you, where you are judged on appearance above all things. If you have the voice of an angel but weigh 300 pounds, you will be told to lose 190 pounds by every magazine, every celebrity blogger, every gossip show on the planet. It's the sad state of affairs in entertainment, where your looks are literally the most important thing to the industry.
What does this have to do with Mario and Peach? This couple breaks the mold completely, challenging the Hollywood Status Quo of "Ugly Guy has a Hot Girl who too Good for Him." Mario is, essentially, the complete opposite of what Hollywood leading men are: he's short, he's chubby, he's blue chollar, and he's probably got some years on him. Peach, on the other hand, is textbook Hollywood leading lady: tall, blonde, blue eyed, and all around gorgeous. And these two are in love.
Mario is shorter than Peach, even with a Power Mushroom. Does Peach care? Hell no! Peach sees beyond the physical, beyond the mustache and the pot belly! She sees the kind of man that Mario is! And what kind of man is Mario? Oh, the kind of guy who'd travel eight different worlds, storm eight different castles, and face off entire armies just for his girl!
"Ah! But this is a Male Fantasy!" Would shriek certain feminist critics. "Mario is portly and rotund, but Peach is a textbook example of impossible beauty standards imposed by society!" Which is half true. Looking at Peach again, one could very well see that she is, in fact, an example of typical Hollywood style beauty. The problem, then, is the double message being sent to male and female gamers: a man's worth is in his actions, but a woman's worth is in her looks.
However, we are seeing one hell of a conundrum here. Is it OK or not to show an unattractive guy have a loving relationship with a stunner of a woman? And when doing so, are we sending girls the message that they can settle for the short ugly guy, and if so, why can't we tell guys they can also get with the short, ugly girl? If personality is what matters, why focus so much on looks?
Therein we see the unfortunate double-edged sword of how love is portrayed in media. Suppose, then, that Peach were a frazzle-haired, bespectacled girl instead; would Mario still love her? I'd like to say yes. Peach is one of those legitimately nice girls you often dream about: she's kind, she's caring, she's not afraid to crack a joke, and she's always up for an adventure or two. She doesn't say no to a rowsing game of baseball or tennis, or a few rounds of go-karting, or even a few tabletop games! Hell, she even knows how to bake! Peach is the kind of girl every straight guy dreams of marrying one day.
Ah, but here we reach another conundrum. Suppose Peach was designed to be shorter and fatter; what kind of message would we be sending gamers everywhere? That fat people belong with fat people? That ugly people belong with ugly people? Here's a better question, though: why are we so concerned with looks?
Thing about Mario and Peach is that they love each other, period. She loves him because he is a courageous man who's willing to put himself in the line of fire for his loved ones, and he loves her because she's a sweet ray of sunshine who brings smiles to all around her. It's the love that matters, nothing else. It's not about looks, it's about what kind of people these two are.
We need to focus on what kind of people we are, not on what we look like. True beauty comes from the inside. Yeah it sounds corny and trite, but it's the truth. In truth, nobody is really "out of our league." Mario and Peach have it all figured out, shouldn't we follow their example?
Let's talk Mario. He's fat, and that's not up to debate. I wouldn't say he's obese, but he definitely has a few extra pounds on him. He's also short, much shorter than his younger brother, Luigi. He has a large nose, a mustache that covers his entire upper lip, and to top it all off, he's a plumber. For those of you not in the know, that means that his job has him constantly getting wet, going to people's houses to fix their water pipes, etc. If he's making money, it sure isn't a lot.
And Peach? I've spoken of her in two different blogs, the latest being this one: http://vidgameanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/05/revisiting-princess-peach.html. But to make a long story short, Peach is seen as a vapid, useless damsel in distress, but she's actually just a capable woman who is simply outclassed by her kidnapper. When NOT kidnapped, Peach has proven herself a very capable leader AS WELL as a total sweetheart.
If you've been following any pop culture works, you'd notice that every time the dorky guy gets the hot girl there's always that teeny tiny "hint" that he doesn't deserve her and he just got SUPER lucky. Peter Griffin from Family Guy is a mentally challenged jerk. Homer Simpson is also a jerkish buffoon. Leonard from Big Bang Theory is a stereotypical Hollywood nerd with self esteem issues. And yet somehow these three guys all got the hot girl and (spoilers for BBT) married her. But always, ALWAYS, the three shows go out of their way to subtly (or not so subtly) establish that these men are, in one way or another, not good enough for their wives.
But why? Because that's Hollywood for you, where you are judged on appearance above all things. If you have the voice of an angel but weigh 300 pounds, you will be told to lose 190 pounds by every magazine, every celebrity blogger, every gossip show on the planet. It's the sad state of affairs in entertainment, where your looks are literally the most important thing to the industry.
What does this have to do with Mario and Peach? This couple breaks the mold completely, challenging the Hollywood Status Quo of "Ugly Guy has a Hot Girl who too Good for Him." Mario is, essentially, the complete opposite of what Hollywood leading men are: he's short, he's chubby, he's blue chollar, and he's probably got some years on him. Peach, on the other hand, is textbook Hollywood leading lady: tall, blonde, blue eyed, and all around gorgeous. And these two are in love.
Mario is shorter than Peach, even with a Power Mushroom. Does Peach care? Hell no! Peach sees beyond the physical, beyond the mustache and the pot belly! She sees the kind of man that Mario is! And what kind of man is Mario? Oh, the kind of guy who'd travel eight different worlds, storm eight different castles, and face off entire armies just for his girl!
"Ah! But this is a Male Fantasy!" Would shriek certain feminist critics. "Mario is portly and rotund, but Peach is a textbook example of impossible beauty standards imposed by society!" Which is half true. Looking at Peach again, one could very well see that she is, in fact, an example of typical Hollywood style beauty. The problem, then, is the double message being sent to male and female gamers: a man's worth is in his actions, but a woman's worth is in her looks.
However, we are seeing one hell of a conundrum here. Is it OK or not to show an unattractive guy have a loving relationship with a stunner of a woman? And when doing so, are we sending girls the message that they can settle for the short ugly guy, and if so, why can't we tell guys they can also get with the short, ugly girl? If personality is what matters, why focus so much on looks?
Therein we see the unfortunate double-edged sword of how love is portrayed in media. Suppose, then, that Peach were a frazzle-haired, bespectacled girl instead; would Mario still love her? I'd like to say yes. Peach is one of those legitimately nice girls you often dream about: she's kind, she's caring, she's not afraid to crack a joke, and she's always up for an adventure or two. She doesn't say no to a rowsing game of baseball or tennis, or a few rounds of go-karting, or even a few tabletop games! Hell, she even knows how to bake! Peach is the kind of girl every straight guy dreams of marrying one day.
Ah, but here we reach another conundrum. Suppose Peach was designed to be shorter and fatter; what kind of message would we be sending gamers everywhere? That fat people belong with fat people? That ugly people belong with ugly people? Here's a better question, though: why are we so concerned with looks?
Thing about Mario and Peach is that they love each other, period. She loves him because he is a courageous man who's willing to put himself in the line of fire for his loved ones, and he loves her because she's a sweet ray of sunshine who brings smiles to all around her. It's the love that matters, nothing else. It's not about looks, it's about what kind of people these two are.
We need to focus on what kind of people we are, not on what we look like. True beauty comes from the inside. Yeah it sounds corny and trite, but it's the truth. In truth, nobody is really "out of our league." Mario and Peach have it all figured out, shouldn't we follow their example?
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