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- KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT
- THE BT MOVI TO WATCH THE SUMMERDOG DAYSTHE DAILY BEAST’S BIGGT ENTERTAMENT OBSSIV CHOOSE THEIR FAVORE MOVI TO WATCH THE SUMMER.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED JUL. 26, 2023 9:51AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:32AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THOMAS LEVSON/THE DAILY BEAST/TOUCHSTONE/STUD GHIBLI/UNIVERSAL/ORN/WARNER BROS/SONYTHIS IS A PREVIEW OF OUR POP CULTURE NEWSLETTER THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, WRTEN BY EDOR KEV FALLON. TO RECEIVE THE FULL NEWSLETTER YOUR BOX EACH WEEK, SIGN UP FOR HERE.THIS WEEK:I’M ON VATN! (OH! AH! I READ A BOOK!) MY TEEMED, BELOVED LLEAGU HELPED ME ANSWER A PROMPT: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORE MOVIE TO WATCH DURG THE SUMMER? HOPEFULLY YOU’LL GET SOME GOOD SPIRATN OM THEIR RPONS. AFTER ALL, ’S HOT AS HELL. WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO BE OUTSI?ARMAGEDDONTHE ONLY RRECT ANSWERS TO THIS ARE EHER MAMMA MIA! OR MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGA. UNFORTUNATELY, CHOOSG ONE IS AK TO PICKG A FAVORE CHILD. (I ASSUME. THIS IS MY SUPER-GAY VERSN OF PARENTHOOD.) INSTEAD, I’LL CHOOSE THE TLE TIED TO ONE OF MY FAVORE SUMMER MOVIE-WATCHG MEMORI. WHEN I WAS A KID, MY WHOLE FAY—NTS, UNCL, S, GRANDMA—SHARED A BEACH HOE FOR A WEEK. OUR BIG MOVIE NIGHT WAS RENTG ARMAGEDDON. AT THE MOST TENSE POT OF THE MOVIE, WHEN THE TEAM WAS ABOUT TO DRILL TO THE ASTEROID, A RAVAN OF FOUR ARY-GRA HELIPTERS BUZZED PAST OUR WDOWS, JT FEET OM THE SAND. ABOUT 20 FALLON RELATIV SHRIEKED SO LOUDLY, ’S A MIRACLE THOSE WDOWS DIDN’T SHATTER. WE STILL DON’T KNOW WHY THOSE HELIPTERS WERE THERE THAT DAY, OTHER THAN TO MAKE THK WE WERE UNR ATTACK WHILE WATCHG ARMAGEDDON—A HILAR MEMORY SO CHERISHED THAT I REWATCH THE FILM AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. — KEV FALLON TOUCHSTONE/GETTY IMAG CLIFFORDBRIGHT, SUNSHY SUMMER IS THE IAL TIME FOR A LIGHTHEARTED EDY, AND NONE BRGS ME GREATER JOY—OR ELICS MORE LGHS—THAN CLIFFORD, DIRECTOR PL FLAHERTY’S 1994 BOX-OFFICE DUD WHICH THE PEERLS MART SHORT PLAYS A SCHEMG, MANIAL 10-YEAR-OLD BOY AND CHARL GROD EMBODI THE SELFISH, KID-HATG ARCHECT UNCLE WHO WDS UP AGREEG TO RE FOR HIM ORR TO IMPRS HIS FIANCé (MARY STEENBURGEN). SHORT’S JUVENILE-VIL PERFORMANCE IS A ONE-OF-A-KD TOUR--FORCE, HIGHLIGHTED BY MORE WEIRDO FAC—ALL BUG-EYED GLAR, V S, AND MENTED EXPRSNS—THAN SHOULD BE LEGAL. GROD’S SMUG, GROUCHY DISDA IS THE PERFECT FOIL FOR SHORT’S ADOLCENT MISCHIEVONS, AND THEIR RAPPORT IS A THG OF ABSURDLY HOSTILE BETY. LOVERS OF DOSRS, TABAS-SPIKED DRKS, AMEMENT PARKS, CHOLATE, HAIRPIEC (“I SAID WAS THE BTT-LOOKG WIG I EVER SAW!”) AND RTO RIDICULONS WON’T BE ABLE TO RIST MAKG AN ANNUAL VIEWG TRADN. — NICK SCHAGERSPIRED AWAYI ULD HAVE GONE WH ANY STUD GHIBLI FILM, AS EACH ONE IS PERFECT FOR EVERY SEASON, EVERY DAY, ALL THE TIME, ALWAYS. BUT I SAW SPIRED AWAY (FOR THE LNTH TIME) RECENTLY, SO I’LL PICK THAT. I SAW AS PART OF STUD GHIBLI FT, AN ANNUAL SUMMER TRADN AT NEW YORK’S IFC CENTER; THE EXCELLENT REPERTORY THEATER SCREENS A NUMBER OF THE ANIMATN HOE’S FT WORKS OM MAY TO AUGT, WHICH IS A TREAT FOR ANY CEPHILE. LIKE MANY GHIBLI MOVI, SPIRED AWAY IS ONE OF THE GREATT FILMS EVER MA, AND S VISCERAL WISTFULNS PLAYS A LARGE PART S SUCCS. MUCH AS SUMMERTIME IS FOR CHILDREN (LIKE OUR PROTAGONIST, 10-YEAR-OLD CHIHIRO), SPIRED AWAY TAK PLACE A LIMAL SPACE. EVERY CH OF THE MOVIE PRENTS FANTASTIL POSSIBILI, AS CHIHIRO EXPLOR A LAWLS NEW WORLD WHERE HER PARENTS ARE PIGS AND HER BT IEND IS A PERSONIFIED RIVER. TAKE A BREAK OM THE PUNISHG HEAT TO REWATCH THE FILM, THEN GO BACK OUTSI AND APPRECIATE THE BETY THAT IS OUR NATURAL WORLD—AS SPIRED AWAY REMDS TO ALWAYS DO. — ALLEGRA FRANKANY AND ALL MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY MOVIJT LIKE FALL AND WTER BELONG TO NORA EPHRON, I’LL ADM THAT MY SUMMERS HAVE LONG BEEN PROPERTY OF THE OLSEN TWS. IT STARTED WHEN I WAS A KID STUCK AT HOME BETWEEN SUMMER MPS, STG ON IENDS’ UCH AND DRKG THEIR JUICE BOX WHILE WE JOED OUR FAVORE PALS, MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY, SUCH POSH STATNS AS PARIS, ROME, LONDON, AND SYDNEY. HOW ULD WE FET THE TIME THEY TERRORIZED A FRENCH CHEF WH MCDONALD’S, OR THE TIME THEY WOUND UP WNS PROTECTN (?!), OR THE TIME THEY ACCINTALLY STOLE A BOAT BEE OF A UPLE CUTE BOYS? (LIKE SO MANY OF , RORY GILMORE APPARENTLY LEARNED OM THE OLSENS.) WH THEIR MANY MONTAG AND FULL EMBRACE OF LATE-’90S, EARLY-GHTS FASHN (TY SUNGLASS! CAPRIS! BLEACHED HIGHLIGHTS!), THE MOVI WERE AN UNNIABLE STAPLE. NOWADAYS, THEY’RE A BREEZY TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE THAT UALLY ENDS ME LLG AN OLD IEND. — LRA BRADLEY PL ONEAS A MAJOR ROMANTIC EDY FAN, I’VE ALWAYS ASSIGNED DIFFERENT ROM-S TO DIFFERENT SEASONS MY HEAD. CLASSICS LIKE WHEN HARRY MET SALLY AND YOU’VE GOT MAIL LIVE THE TUMN MONTHS, WHEREAS BRIDGET JON’S DIARY AND THE HOLIDAY ARE FOR SIPPG HOT A UNR A FUZZY WTER BLANKET. IN JT THE PAST FOUR YEARS SCE WAS RELEASED, PL ONE HAS QUICKLY BEE MY FAVORE SUMMERTIME ROM-. LONGTIME PALS BEN (JACK QUAID, THE ROM- NEPO BABY OF MEG RYAN) AND ALICE (MAYA ERSKE) AGREE TO BEE EACH OTHER’S GO-TO WEDDG DATE FOR THE SUMMER WHILE ALL OF THEIR IENDS GET MARRIED. THOUGH THGS ARE MEANT TO STAY PLATONIC, THEY N’T RIST THE LOVEY-DOVEY VIB AT EACH DIFFERENT WEDDG. PL ONE IS AS PREDICTABLE AS EVERY OTHER ROM-, BUT WHAT MAK STAND OUT IS HOW LIGHT AND BREEZY IS. A IENDS-TO-LOVERS STORY SET TO BEACHSI PARTI AND REAL ESTATE SONGS— DON’T GET AS SUMMER-Y AS THIS. — FLETCHER PETERSJAWSTHERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHG FEEL-GOOD ABOUT THIS FILM, AND THAT IS WHY I LOVE TO WATCH EVERY SUMMER. IF I N’T WATCH EVERY SUMMER, I AT LEAST THK ABOUT EVERY SUMMER—UALLY AROUND THE FOURTH OF JULY. IT’S A CLASSIC, AND ’S WHY SO MANY OF YOUR PARENTS (PENDG ON YOUR GENERATN) STILL FEAR THE BEACH AROUND THAT TIME OF YEAR. NOTHG SETS YOUR SPE TGLG LIKE JOHN WILLIAMS’ TERRIFYG AND BRILLIANT SRE. Y, THE PRACTIL EFFECTS ON THIS MOVIE MAY LOOK DATED NOW, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, WHAT STEVEN SPIELBERG DID WH THIS MOVIE WAS NO EASY FEAT. HE MA, AS I SAID BEFORE, AN ENTIRE GENERATN SRED OF THE OCEAN WH JT A TWO-HOUR FILM AND A MECHANIL SHARK. ALSO THE TALE OF A SMALL TOWN ERNMENT NOT CLOSG A BEACH AFTER SEVERAL SHARK ATTACKS BEE THEY DON’T WANT TO LOSE TOURIST MONEY DURG THEIR BY SEASON IS A CLASSIC LSON PALISM. ONE THAT KEEPS REPEATG SELF, TOO! ADD SOME EXCELLENT PERFORMANC OM ROY SCHEIR, RICHARD DREYFS, AND ROBERT SHAW (THAT SPEECH!) AND ’S THE PERFECT SUMMER FILM. JT MAYBE WA 30 MUT AFTER WATCHG TO GO THE WATER. — SHANNON O’CONNOR UNIVERSAL/GETTY IMAG STEP BROTHERSIF A MOVIE IS FABULO ENOUGH, THERE’S NOTHG SEASONALLY RTRICTIVE ABOUT : YOU N SLG THAT BAD BOY UP ON YOUR APPLE TV ANY CLIMATE AND ENJOY YOURSELF THOROUGHLY. BUT STEP BROTHERS, THE TALE OF TWO DIPSH 40-SOMETHG FAILUR-TO-LNCH (WILL FERRELL AND JOHN C. REILLY) WHO MOOCH OFF THEIR WASP-Y DOCTOR PARENTS AND JOSTLE FOR DOMANCE UNTIL THEY REALIZE THEY’RE SOUL MAT, IS BOTH ONE OF THE GREATT EDI OF THE 21ST CENTURY AND UNAVOIDABLY SUMMER-D. LET’S BE REAL: SUMMER IS NOT FOR EP THKG, OR FOR VELOPG YOUR SOPHISTITED CEMATIC PALETTE, OR FOR SUFFERG THROUGH AN ITALIAN NEOREALISM SERI AT IFC. (NO OFFENSE BICYCLE THIEV! I STILL LOVE YOU.) SUMMER IS FOR TAKG HALF AN EDIBLE WH YOUR GIRLIENDS AS FLOWER-AGRANT AIR WHIRLS THROUGH THE OPEN WDOW AND CHOKG WH LGHTER, FOR THE THOANDTH TIME, AT KATHRYN HAHN PISSG A URAL. – HELEN HOLMTHE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELG PANTSWHEN I THK OF SUMMER MEDIA, I STANTLY THK OF CHICK FLICKS, OFTEN FEMALE-DRIVEN BEACH READS ADAPTED TO MOVI THAT ARE CRILLY PANNED BUT TREASURED BY YOUNG, FEMALE VIEWERS. BY FAR, THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND ENJOYABLE ONE TO WATCH THIS TIME OF YEAR IS THE SISTERHOOD OF TRAVELG PANTS, WHICH ACTUALLY EARNED CENT REVIEWS. THE 2005 MOVIE, STARRG BLAKE LIVELY, AMERI FERRERA, AMBER TAMBLYN, AND ALEXIS BLEL, FOLLOWS A GROUP OF TEENAGE BT IENDS AS THEY EMBARK ON SEPARATE JOURNEYS DURG THE SUMMER, BUT STAY NNECTED THROUGH A PAIR OF JEANS THAT MAGILLY F ALL OF THEM. IN VAR, FAIAR ENVIRONMENTS, WE WATCH THEM EXPERIENCE HEARTBREAKG (AND HEART-OPENG) LSONS ABOUT BOYS, IENDSHIP, GRIEF, SEX, FAY, AND ULTIMATELY THEMSELV. EACH OF THE GIRLS HAVE EQUALLY PELLG ARCS, MAKG FOR A REHGLY BALANCED ENSEMBLE FILM. BUT LENA’S (BLEL) IS PECIALLY FUN TO WATCH, AS SHE VISS HER FAY STUNNG GREECE AND FALLS LOVE WH A HOT FISHERMAN. IT’S A SURPRISGLY SIGHTFUL PICTN OF WHAT 'S LIKE BEG A GIRL ON THE PRECIPICE OF ADULTHOOD. MOST IMPORTANTLY, REMDS YOU OF THE VALUE OF GIRLIENDS (AND GOOD SUMMER GETAWAY). — KYNDALL CUNNGHAM REAR WDOWTHE SUMMER IS A STRANGE SNA NEW YORK, BOTH TERMS OF WEATHER (CLAMMY HEAT, THUNRSTORMS, SOMETIM PERFECT, ENDLS DAYS) AND MOODS, WHEN THE THEATER OF CY LIFE IS EXTRA-LOUD AND ON DISPLAY. THE TENSE NYC HEATWAVE ALED HCHCK’S PEERLS REAR WDOW (1954) IS, LIKE THE NEW YORK SUMMER, A CHARACTER S OWN RIGHT, ALONGSI JAM STEWART’S PHOTOGRAPHER RECUPERATG AND WATCHG HIS NEIGHBORS AND THEIR SILENT, MOVG LIV (CLUDG THE LADY WHO HAS AN IMAGARY LOVER), AND POSSIBLY A KILLER ACROSS THE URTYARD. AN ASTUTE ANIMATN OF URBAN LIVG, REAR WDOW STILL CUTS CLOSE SKETCHG ISOLATN, NNECTN, AND DISNNECTN. IT IS ALSO A NAILBER OF A THRILLER. IT TURNS ALL TO PEEPG TOMS LOOKG VERTLY THROUGH WDOWS, AS STEWART’S CHARACTER DO; WE AND THE MERA ARE HIS EY AND CURSY AS THE SWELTERG WEATHER, AND TENSN, REF TO RELEASE S GRIP ON THIS NFED MUNY. AND, IF THE MOVIE’S RASTORM DON’T OL YOU DOWN, GRACE KELLY PROVIS A REHG BREEZE ONE OF EDH HEAD’S MOST GEOLY REALIZED MOVIE WARDROB. — TIM TEEMANCALL ME BY YOUR NAMEWHILE I DON’T NECSARILY THK OF SUMMER AS AN “I’VE GOT TO WATCH THIS, OR JT SIMPLY WON’T BE SUMMER,” SEASON (THAT SPERATN IS RERVED FOR THE LR MONTHS), CALL ME BY YOUR NAME IS MY SOLE SENTIAL SUMMER FILM. NOT ONLY ARE THE SWELTERG TEMPERATUR REFLECTED THE FILM’S LH ITALIAN UNTRYSI, BUT THE IALISTIC NAIVETE OF THE SEASON FDS S WAY THERE, TOO. EVERY SUMMER, I TELL MYSELF THAT WILL BE A LIFE-CHANGG THREE MONTHS, AND ALMOST NEVER IS. BUT WATCHG CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, I’M REMD OF THAT YOUTHFUL EXCEMENT, WHICH TEMPERS MORE AS I GET OLR. LU GUADAGNO’S TALE OF ILL-FATED, MANIPULATIVE LOVE IS BOTH RELATABLE AND MELANCHOLIC, AND ENVELOPS YOU THE SAME WAY THAT THE HUMIDY DO WHEN YOU’RE UGHT A SUMMER THUNRSTORM; ’S SUFFOTG, AND STRANGELY BETIFUL. BT OF ALL, THE FILM ENDS THE WTER, AFTER TIMOTHéE CHALAMET’S EL HAS SHAKEN OFF THE SPELL OF THE SEASON, LOOKG BACK TO REALIZE WHAT A MS SOMEONE ELSE MA OF HIM. MAYBE ’S A TAD MOROSE, BUT ’S AN THENTIC LOOK AT HOW WE CHANGE JT AS OFTEN AS THE SEASONS. —COLEMAN SPIL SONY PICTUR CLASSIC MORE FROM THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDIT’S BARBIE WEEK! IT WOULD BE A S AGAST EVERY VALUE THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED WAS FOUND ON IF WE DIDN’T HAVE WALL-TO-WALL VERAGE OF THIS MOVIE. READ MORE.WE WENT TO THE SET OF THE FUNNIT SHOW ON TV TO FIGURE OUT WHY ’S SO DAMN FUNNY. READ MORE.IF YOU WATCHED RUPL’S DRAG RACE, YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT PEPPERMT IS A STAR. THIS NEW SHOW PROV . READ MORE.WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK:BARBIE: WE DON’T LOVE THAT THE BARBIE MOVIE IS OUR ENTIRE PERSONALY RIGHT NOW. BUT WE WON’T APOLOGIZE FOR . (NOW THEATERS)OPPENHEIMER: AN EXPLOSIVE MOVIE. (GET ?) (NOW THEATERS)REAL HOEWIV OF NEW YORK CY: THANK GOD AND ANDY COHEN, THIS REBOOT IS SO GOOD. (NOW ON BRAVO)WHAT TO SKIP THIS WEEK:ZOEY 102: THIS IS A BRNEY HOEHOLD. (THURSDAY ON PARAMOUNT+)KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. KEV FALLON
KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT
He’s Barbie’s gay bt iend. The film won’t say , but a post-creds punchle about Ken’s handwrg, plete wh hearts and stars surroundg his name, tells what we need to heavily implied nature of Ken’s gayns Toy Story 3 harkens back to Hollywood’s tradnal gay bt iend-type characters. In the Hays Co era, explic referenc to homosexualy weren’t allowed, so characters like Van Buren (Frankl Pangborn) 1937’s Easy Livg, Kip (David Wayne) 1949’s Adam’s Rib, or Addison (Gee Sanrs) 1950’s All About Eve stead were imbued wh effemate characteristics, offerg a glimpse outsi of heteronormativy whout explicly beg of the characters were the same—some were tty, others sweet.
But each of the gay bt iends was trsilly fed by their relatnships wh their straight iends. Des later, 2010, the gay bt iend was all the rage; Teen Vogue even went so far as to proclaim the GBF as the summer’s mt-have accsory.
But unlike the first half of the 20th century, today’s cema, the GBF is allowed to be openly gay. In movi like Mean Girls (2004), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Easy A (2010), No Strgs Attached (2011), and Isn’t It Romantic (2019), gay iends exist entirely the orb of their female iends.
THE BT MOVI TO WATCH THE SUMMERDOG DAYSTHE DAILY BEAST’S BIGGT ENTERTAMENT OBSSIV CHOOSE THEIR FAVORE MOVI TO WATCH THE SUMMER.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED JUL. 26, 2023 9:51AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:32AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THOMAS LEVSON/THE DAILY BEAST/TOUCHSTONE/STUD GHIBLI/UNIVERSAL/ORN/WARNER BROS/SONYTHIS IS A PREVIEW OF OUR POP CULTURE NEWSLETTER THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, WRTEN BY EDOR KEV FALLON. TO RECEIVE THE FULL NEWSLETTER YOUR BOX EACH WEEK, SIGN UP FOR HERE.THIS WEEK:I’M ON VATN! (OH! AH! I READ A BOOK!) MY TEEMED, BELOVED LLEAGU HELPED ME ANSWER A PROMPT: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORE MOVIE TO WATCH DURG THE SUMMER? HOPEFULLY YOU’LL GET SOME GOOD SPIRATN OM THEIR RPONS. AFTER ALL, ’S HOT AS HELL. WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO BE OUTSI?ARMAGEDDONTHE ONLY RRECT ANSWERS TO THIS ARE EHER MAMMA MIA! OR MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGA. UNFORTUNATELY, CHOOSG ONE IS AK TO PICKG A FAVORE CHILD. (I ASSUME. THIS IS MY SUPER-GAY VERSN OF PARENTHOOD.) INSTEAD, I’LL CHOOSE THE TLE TIED TO ONE OF MY FAVORE SUMMER MOVIE-WATCHG MEMORI. WHEN I WAS A KID, MY WHOLE FAY—NTS, UNCL, S, GRANDMA—SHARED A BEACH HOE FOR A WEEK. OUR BIG MOVIE NIGHT WAS RENTG ARMAGEDDON. AT THE MOST TENSE POT OF THE MOVIE, WHEN THE TEAM WAS ABOUT TO DRILL TO THE ASTEROID, A RAVAN OF FOUR ARY-GRA HELIPTERS BUZZED PAST OUR WDOWS, JT FEET OM THE SAND. ABOUT 20 FALLON RELATIV SHRIEKED SO LOUDLY, ’S A MIRACLE THOSE WDOWS DIDN’T SHATTER. WE STILL DON’T KNOW WHY THOSE HELIPTERS WERE THERE THAT DAY, OTHER THAN TO MAKE THK WE WERE UNR ATTACK WHILE WATCHG ARMAGEDDON—A HILAR MEMORY SO CHERISHED THAT I REWATCH THE FILM AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. — KEV FALLON TOUCHSTONE/GETTY IMAG CLIFFORDBRIGHT, SUNSHY SUMMER IS THE IAL TIME FOR A LIGHTHEARTED EDY, AND NONE BRGS ME GREATER JOY—OR ELICS MORE LGHS—THAN CLIFFORD, DIRECTOR PL FLAHERTY’S 1994 BOX-OFFICE DUD WHICH THE PEERLS MART SHORT PLAYS A SCHEMG, MANIAL 10-YEAR-OLD BOY AND CHARL GROD EMBODI THE SELFISH, KID-HATG ARCHECT UNCLE WHO WDS UP AGREEG TO RE FOR HIM ORR TO IMPRS HIS FIANCé (MARY STEENBURGEN). SHORT’S JUVENILE-VIL PERFORMANCE IS A ONE-OF-A-KD TOUR--FORCE, HIGHLIGHTED BY MORE WEIRDO FAC—ALL BUG-EYED GLAR, V S, AND MENTED EXPRSNS—THAN SHOULD BE LEGAL. GROD’S SMUG, GROUCHY DISDA IS THE PERFECT FOIL FOR SHORT’S ADOLCENT MISCHIEVONS, AND THEIR RAPPORT IS A THG OF ABSURDLY HOSTILE BETY. LOVERS OF DOSRS, TABAS-SPIKED DRKS, AMEMENT PARKS, CHOLATE, HAIRPIEC (“I SAID WAS THE BTT-LOOKG WIG I EVER SAW!”) AND RTO RIDICULONS WON’T BE ABLE TO RIST MAKG AN ANNUAL VIEWG TRADN. — NICK SCHAGERSPIRED AWAYI ULD HAVE GONE WH ANY STUD GHIBLI FILM, AS EACH ONE IS PERFECT FOR EVERY SEASON, EVERY DAY, ALL THE TIME, ALWAYS. BUT I SAW SPIRED AWAY (FOR THE LNTH TIME) RECENTLY, SO I’LL PICK THAT. I SAW AS PART OF STUD GHIBLI FT, AN ANNUAL SUMMER TRADN AT NEW YORK’S IFC CENTER; THE EXCELLENT REPERTORY THEATER SCREENS A NUMBER OF THE ANIMATN HOE’S FT WORKS OM MAY TO AUGT, WHICH IS A TREAT FOR ANY CEPHILE. LIKE MANY GHIBLI MOVI, SPIRED AWAY IS ONE OF THE GREATT FILMS EVER MA, AND S VISCERAL WISTFULNS PLAYS A LARGE PART S SUCCS. MUCH AS SUMMERTIME IS FOR CHILDREN (LIKE OUR PROTAGONIST, 10-YEAR-OLD CHIHIRO), SPIRED AWAY TAK PLACE A LIMAL SPACE. EVERY CH OF THE MOVIE PRENTS FANTASTIL POSSIBILI, AS CHIHIRO EXPLOR A LAWLS NEW WORLD WHERE HER PARENTS ARE PIGS AND HER BT IEND IS A PERSONIFIED RIVER. TAKE A BREAK OM THE PUNISHG HEAT TO REWATCH THE FILM, THEN GO BACK OUTSI AND APPRECIATE THE BETY THAT IS OUR NATURAL WORLD—AS SPIRED AWAY REMDS TO ALWAYS DO. — ALLEGRA FRANKANY AND ALL MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY MOVIJT LIKE FALL AND WTER BELONG TO NORA EPHRON, I’LL ADM THAT MY SUMMERS HAVE LONG BEEN PROPERTY OF THE OLSEN TWS. IT STARTED WHEN I WAS A KID STUCK AT HOME BETWEEN SUMMER MPS, STG ON IENDS’ UCH AND DRKG THEIR JUICE BOX WHILE WE JOED OUR FAVORE PALS, MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY, SUCH POSH STATNS AS PARIS, ROME, LONDON, AND SYDNEY. HOW ULD WE FET THE TIME THEY TERRORIZED A FRENCH CHEF WH MCDONALD’S, OR THE TIME THEY WOUND UP WNS PROTECTN (?!), OR THE TIME THEY ACCINTALLY STOLE A BOAT BEE OF A UPLE CUTE BOYS? (LIKE SO MANY OF , RORY GILMORE APPARENTLY LEARNED OM THE OLSENS.) WH THEIR MANY MONTAG AND FULL EMBRACE OF LATE-’90S, EARLY-GHTS FASHN (TY SUNGLASS! CAPRIS! BLEACHED HIGHLIGHTS!), THE MOVI WERE AN UNNIABLE STAPLE. NOWADAYS, THEY’RE A BREEZY TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE THAT UALLY ENDS ME LLG AN OLD IEND. — LRA BRADLEY PL ONEAS A MAJOR ROMANTIC EDY FAN, I’VE ALWAYS ASSIGNED DIFFERENT ROM-S TO DIFFERENT SEASONS MY HEAD. CLASSICS LIKE WHEN HARRY MET SALLY AND YOU’VE GOT MAIL LIVE THE TUMN MONTHS, WHEREAS BRIDGET JON’S DIARY AND THE HOLIDAY ARE FOR SIPPG HOT A UNR A FUZZY WTER BLANKET. IN JT THE PAST FOUR YEARS SCE WAS RELEASED, PL ONE HAS QUICKLY BEE MY FAVORE SUMMERTIME ROM-. LONGTIME PALS BEN (JACK QUAID, THE ROM- NEPO BABY OF MEG RYAN) AND ALICE (MAYA ERSKE) AGREE TO BEE EACH OTHER’S GO-TO WEDDG DATE FOR THE SUMMER WHILE ALL OF THEIR IENDS GET MARRIED. THOUGH THGS ARE MEANT TO STAY PLATONIC, THEY N’T RIST THE LOVEY-DOVEY VIB AT EACH DIFFERENT WEDDG. PL ONE IS AS PREDICTABLE AS EVERY OTHER ROM-, BUT WHAT MAK STAND OUT IS HOW LIGHT AND BREEZY IS. A IENDS-TO-LOVERS STORY SET TO BEACHSI PARTI AND REAL ESTATE SONGS— DON’T GET AS SUMMER-Y AS THIS. — FLETCHER PETERSJAWSTHERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHG FEEL-GOOD ABOUT THIS FILM, AND THAT IS WHY I LOVE TO WATCH EVERY SUMMER. IF I N’T WATCH EVERY SUMMER, I AT LEAST THK ABOUT EVERY SUMMER—UALLY AROUND THE FOURTH OF JULY. IT’S A CLASSIC, AND ’S WHY SO MANY OF YOUR PARENTS (PENDG ON YOUR GENERATN) STILL FEAR THE BEACH AROUND THAT TIME OF YEAR. NOTHG SETS YOUR SPE TGLG LIKE JOHN WILLIAMS’ TERRIFYG AND BRILLIANT SRE. Y, THE PRACTIL EFFECTS ON THIS MOVIE MAY LOOK DATED NOW, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, WHAT STEVEN SPIELBERG DID WH THIS MOVIE WAS NO EASY FEAT. HE MA, AS I SAID BEFORE, AN ENTIRE GENERATN SRED OF THE OCEAN WH JT A TWO-HOUR FILM AND A MECHANIL SHARK. ALSO THE TALE OF A SMALL TOWN ERNMENT NOT CLOSG A BEACH AFTER SEVERAL SHARK ATTACKS BEE THEY DON’T WANT TO LOSE TOURIST MONEY DURG THEIR BY SEASON IS A CLASSIC LSON PALISM. ONE THAT KEEPS REPEATG SELF, TOO! ADD SOME EXCELLENT PERFORMANC OM ROY SCHEIR, RICHARD DREYFS, AND ROBERT SHAW (THAT SPEECH!) AND ’S THE PERFECT SUMMER FILM. JT MAYBE WA 30 MUT AFTER WATCHG TO GO THE WATER. — SHANNON O’CONNOR UNIVERSAL/GETTY IMAG STEP BROTHERSIF A MOVIE IS FABULO ENOUGH, THERE’S NOTHG SEASONALLY RTRICTIVE ABOUT : YOU N SLG THAT BAD BOY UP ON YOUR APPLE TV ANY CLIMATE AND ENJOY YOURSELF THOROUGHLY. BUT STEP BROTHERS, THE TALE OF TWO DIPSH 40-SOMETHG FAILUR-TO-LNCH (WILL FERRELL AND JOHN C. REILLY) WHO MOOCH OFF THEIR WASP-Y DOCTOR PARENTS AND JOSTLE FOR DOMANCE UNTIL THEY REALIZE THEY’RE SOUL MAT, IS BOTH ONE OF THE GREATT EDI OF THE 21ST CENTURY AND UNAVOIDABLY SUMMER-D. LET’S BE REAL: SUMMER IS NOT FOR EP THKG, OR FOR VELOPG YOUR SOPHISTITED CEMATIC PALETTE, OR FOR SUFFERG THROUGH AN ITALIAN NEOREALISM SERI AT IFC. (NO OFFENSE BICYCLE THIEV! I STILL LOVE YOU.) SUMMER IS FOR TAKG HALF AN EDIBLE WH YOUR GIRLIENDS AS FLOWER-AGRANT AIR WHIRLS THROUGH THE OPEN WDOW AND CHOKG WH LGHTER, FOR THE THOANDTH TIME, AT KATHRYN HAHN PISSG A URAL. – HELEN HOLMTHE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELG PANTSWHEN I THK OF SUMMER MEDIA, I STANTLY THK OF CHICK FLICKS, OFTEN FEMALE-DRIVEN BEACH READS ADAPTED TO MOVI THAT ARE CRILLY PANNED BUT TREASURED BY YOUNG, FEMALE VIEWERS. BY FAR, THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND ENJOYABLE ONE TO WATCH THIS TIME OF YEAR IS THE SISTERHOOD OF TRAVELG PANTS, WHICH ACTUALLY EARNED CENT REVIEWS. THE 2005 MOVIE, STARRG BLAKE LIVELY, AMERI FERRERA, AMBER TAMBLYN, AND ALEXIS BLEL, FOLLOWS A GROUP OF TEENAGE BT IENDS AS THEY EMBARK ON SEPARATE JOURNEYS DURG THE SUMMER, BUT STAY NNECTED THROUGH A PAIR OF JEANS THAT MAGILLY F ALL OF THEM. IN VAR, FAIAR ENVIRONMENTS, WE WATCH THEM EXPERIENCE HEARTBREAKG (AND HEART-OPENG) LSONS ABOUT BOYS, IENDSHIP, GRIEF, SEX, FAY, AND ULTIMATELY THEMSELV. EACH OF THE GIRLS HAVE EQUALLY PELLG ARCS, MAKG FOR A REHGLY BALANCED ENSEMBLE FILM. BUT LENA’S (BLEL) IS PECIALLY FUN TO WATCH, AS SHE VISS HER FAY STUNNG GREECE AND FALLS LOVE WH A HOT FISHERMAN. IT’S A SURPRISGLY SIGHTFUL PICTN OF WHAT 'S LIKE BEG A GIRL ON THE PRECIPICE OF ADULTHOOD. MOST IMPORTANTLY, REMDS YOU OF THE VALUE OF GIRLIENDS (AND GOOD SUMMER GETAWAY). — KYNDALL CUNNGHAM REAR WDOWTHE SUMMER IS A STRANGE SNA NEW YORK, BOTH TERMS OF WEATHER (CLAMMY HEAT, THUNRSTORMS, SOMETIM PERFECT, ENDLS DAYS) AND MOODS, WHEN THE THEATER OF CY LIFE IS EXTRA-LOUD AND ON DISPLAY. THE TENSE NYC HEATWAVE ALED HCHCK’S PEERLS REAR WDOW (1954) IS, LIKE THE NEW YORK SUMMER, A CHARACTER S OWN RIGHT, ALONGSI JAM STEWART’S PHOTOGRAPHER RECUPERATG AND WATCHG HIS NEIGHBORS AND THEIR SILENT, MOVG LIV (CLUDG THE LADY WHO HAS AN IMAGARY LOVER), AND POSSIBLY A KILLER ACROSS THE URTYARD. AN ASTUTE ANIMATN OF URBAN LIVG, REAR WDOW STILL CUTS CLOSE SKETCHG ISOLATN, NNECTN, AND DISNNECTN. IT IS ALSO A NAILBER OF A THRILLER. IT TURNS ALL TO PEEPG TOMS LOOKG VERTLY THROUGH WDOWS, AS STEWART’S CHARACTER DO; WE AND THE MERA ARE HIS EY AND CURSY AS THE SWELTERG WEATHER, AND TENSN, REF TO RELEASE S GRIP ON THIS NFED MUNY. AND, IF THE MOVIE’S RASTORM DON’T OL YOU DOWN, GRACE KELLY PROVIS A REHG BREEZE ONE OF EDH HEAD’S MOST GEOLY REALIZED MOVIE WARDROB. — TIM TEEMANCALL ME BY YOUR NAMEWHILE I DON’T NECSARILY THK OF SUMMER AS AN “I’VE GOT TO WATCH THIS, OR JT SIMPLY WON’T BE SUMMER,” SEASON (THAT SPERATN IS RERVED FOR THE LR MONTHS), CALL ME BY YOUR NAME IS MY SOLE SENTIAL SUMMER FILM. NOT ONLY ARE THE SWELTERG TEMPERATUR REFLECTED THE FILM’S LH ITALIAN UNTRYSI, BUT THE IALISTIC NAIVETE OF THE SEASON FDS S WAY THERE, TOO. EVERY SUMMER, I TELL MYSELF THAT WILL BE A LIFE-CHANGG THREE MONTHS, AND ALMOST NEVER IS. BUT WATCHG CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, I’M REMD OF THAT YOUTHFUL EXCEMENT, WHICH TEMPERS MORE AS I GET OLR. LU GUADAGNO’S TALE OF ILL-FATED, MANIPULATIVE LOVE IS BOTH RELATABLE AND MELANCHOLIC, AND ENVELOPS YOU THE SAME WAY THAT THE HUMIDY DO WHEN YOU’RE UGHT A SUMMER THUNRSTORM; ’S SUFFOTG, AND STRANGELY BETIFUL. BT OF ALL, THE FILM ENDS THE WTER, AFTER TIMOTHéE CHALAMET’S EL HAS SHAKEN OFF THE SPELL OF THE SEASON, LOOKG BACK TO REALIZE WHAT A MS SOMEONE ELSE MA OF HIM. MAYBE ’S A TAD MOROSE, BUT ’S AN THENTIC LOOK AT HOW WE CHANGE JT AS OFTEN AS THE SEASONS. —COLEMAN SPIL SONY PICTUR CLASSIC MORE FROM THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDIT’S BARBIE WEEK! IT WOULD BE A S AGAST EVERY VALUE THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED WAS FOUND ON IF WE DIDN’T HAVE WALL-TO-WALL VERAGE OF THIS MOVIE. READ MORE.WE WENT TO THE SET OF THE FUNNIT SHOW ON TV TO FIGURE OUT WHY ’S SO DAMN FUNNY. READ MORE.IF YOU WATCHED RUPL’S DRAG RACE, YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT PEPPERMT IS A STAR. THIS NEW SHOW PROV . READ MORE.WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK:BARBIE: WE DON’T LOVE THAT THE BARBIE MOVIE IS OUR ENTIRE PERSONALY RIGHT NOW. BUT WE WON’T APOLOGIZE FOR . (NOW THEATERS)OPPENHEIMER: AN EXPLOSIVE MOVIE. (GET ?) (NOW THEATERS)REAL HOEWIV OF NEW YORK CY: THANK GOD AND ANDY COHEN, THIS REBOOT IS SO GOOD. (NOW ON BRAVO)WHAT TO SKIP THIS WEEK:ZOEY 102: THIS IS A BRNEY HOEHOLD. (THURSDAY ON PARAMOUNT+)KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. KEV FALLON
” But Barbie do, and for Ken, that’s are plenty of reasons why the film wouldn’t outrightly state that Ken is homosexual.