Dennis had not taken into account Erickson's comments about merchandising. Goodman further argued that capturing the young female audience would increase ratings, so the networks were more likely trying to pander to young girls than trying to defuse gay rumors. To back this up is the fact that Smurfette was the most frequently merchandised of the Smurfs. Fictional biography Comics Smurfette was magically created from clay by the Smurfs' enemy, Gargamel, so that she would use her charms to cause jealousy and competition among the Smurfs. He leaves her in the forest and Hefty Smurf takes her to the Smurf village, where she is given her own house. Smurfette tries to woo the Smurfs, but they are unresponsive to her attempts. Papa Smurf takes pity on her and takes her to his laboratory, where they lock themselves in while he performed "plastic smurfery" on her in which her hair is made blonde, her eyelashes have been lengthened, and her nose has been shortened. Every Smurf of the village (even Grouchy Smurf) falls in love with her, but Smurfette is still unsure as to whether she is a "real" Smurf. Papa Smurf advises her that she will know what to do when the situation calls for it and will prove herself. Unknowingly, Papa Smurf's actions caused Gargamel's plan to work after all, since the Smurfs were constantly competing for Smurfette's attention and the village was in chaos. Finally, the breaking point was reached when she caused the smitten Poet Smurf to open the sluice hatch of the village's reservoir dam, which promptly jammed and thus caused the village to be flooded. From an off-hand comment by Smurfette, the Smurfs then realized that she was Gargamel's creation, and put her on trial for her unwitting allegiance. Although acquitted, Smurfette realized the trouble her continued presence was causing and decided to leave the Smurf village. The Smurfs got their revenge on Gargamel by using the same process that he had used to create Smurfette, but in this case they built a human-sized, wart-covered, ugly old hag who spoke in Smurf language and chased the horrified sorcerer all over the forest. Smurfette returned occasionally to the village, though she found that her presence still aroused conflict. When the Smurfs argued about which one should marry her, she herself announced that she would take Grouchy Smurf, who had customarily stated "I hate marriage", thus making