In Defense of Bo Derek

Why the sex symbol’s films are far from a feminist’s worst nightmare

If you know who Bo Derek is, I’d bet I know what she looks like in your head: sun-bronzed, on a beach, possibly sporting some now very questionable blonde cornrows.

Even if you haven’t actually seen the Blake Edwards film 10, the above image of Derek as that lithe, 1970s brand of bombshell is probably still faintly familiar, having traveled to you via the pop culture osmosis of Tumblr, awards ceremony montages, and BuzzFeed listicles. The movie 10 was the seventh highest grossing film of 1979, making Derek’s fresh face and beach bod iconic. Thus, she officially became a sex symbol — the most baggage-laden job in America.

It’s funny, because even though Derek’s sexiness as sun-kissed Jenny Haley is central to 10 — bewitching protagonist George (Dudley Moore) in seconds — Jenny ultimately shatters George’s idealized image of her by turning out to be a fully realized person with her own very non-fantasy-compatible identity. The film mostly spotlights Derek’s beauty so it can kick you right in the expectations when Jenny turns out to be far from the girl of George’s manic-pixie…