Around when did the idea that you can’t have an attractive woman in artwork or entertainment come about? Is the “male gaze” nonsense something fairly new? I remember seeing the “your just mad because you can’t jack off to it” not too long ago on gaming forums if someone pointed out that they seem to make women to look like men.
Yet I’ve heard plenty of women gushing over the Witcher because of Cavill or women who loved Mamoa in GOT and Aquaman. But if I say I’m going to see this movie because the lead actress is hot I’m sexist. Also, it’s interesting how stuff like romance novels have men with rippling muscles but women have to look “realistic”
The Church using sexuality to manipulate, control, and politic is nothing new. Non-church politicians simply picked up the same things.
I remember this narrative in the 80's - that it's "unfair" that women have to look good and put on makeup. Did that go away? No. What changed? Now men are judged based on how they look about as much as women.
If you look for it you'll notice the effect of what they're doing is always the opposite of what they say. They say "you can't have attractive women" but the result is that their shows only allow attract men. It's women's sexual strategy in action.