"a bit po-faced about what is basically a harmless manifestation"
In your opinion Mike - stereotyping of the sexes has become more and more a no-no in modern society.
Drifting a bit, we were watching an interesting television programme last night entitled, 7 Women, on how women were literally airbrushed out of Irish history - it ended with the historic photograph of Pearse surrendering the GPO to an English officer in 1916, followed by the original shot still showing the feet of the nurse standing next to him which was later airbrushed out for later consumption.
As Peggy Seeger used to sing; "Penelope isn't waiting anymore"
The romantic misconception of fairy folklore has, as you say, always been there, but it became the accepted image of the fairy in Victorian times.
I suggest you take a look at Maureen Duffy's 'The Erotic World of Faery" - a highly readable study of the subject, from Arthurian legend, through Shakespeare, Milton, the Victorian wet-dream aspect of fairy lore, through to the present day (1974) with dips into Finian's Rainbow and Bambi.
I have little doubt she would have included Barbie and Ken had they been issues at the time.
Just flicking through it, her note to the 19th century depiction of Titania as "an excuse for refined pornography in 1867
It really isn't being "po-faced" - I find these subjects both interesting and entertaining ans well as educational.
Nor is it a matter of personal taste - still find it a bit of a turn-on, even at my age!
Jim Carroll