Extremely Funny SF Gay Men’s Chos Vio Unleash Torrent of Right-Wg Threats, Vrl

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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
• NETFLIX’S UNUPLED: GAY SEX, THE CYDARREN STAR’S NEW SERI HARKENS BACK TO A CLASSIC, WH A NEW SP. BY RICHARD LAWSONJULY 27, 2022SARAH SHATZ/NETFLIXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVELAST YEAR’S AND JT LIKE THAT SHIFTED THE GAZE OF THE WATERSHED SERI SEX AND THE CY EVER SO SLIGHTLY. THE ORIGAL GANG WAS OLR; ONE WAS MISSG; AND SOME NEW IENDS HAD ARRIVED TO PLITE THE PARTY. WHILE SEX AND THE CY CREATOR DARREN STAR WASN’T VOLVED WH AND JT LIKE THAT, HE PERHAPS WANTED TO DO SOME RIFFG OF HIS OWN, AS EVINCED BY THE NEW NETFLIX SERI UNUPLED (JULY 29). IT’S A SHOW THAT NCERNS THE SAME FASCATNS AS STAR’S LANDMARK SERI—NEW YORK CY, ROMANCE, REER—ONLY OM A GAY PERSPECTIVE.EXPLICLY, DIRECTLY GAY, THAT IS. SATC AND AND JT LIKE THAT, WHILE MOSTLY ABOUT STRAIGHT WOMEN, ARE VERY MUCH FILTERED THROUGH A GAY LENS, THOUGH THE GAY CHARACTERS—CHIEFLY, NEBBISHY STANFORD AND HARPG ANTHONY—ARE OFTEN MERE PLOT FUNCTNARI. NOT SO ON UNUPLED, WHICH PUTS A GAY MAN, FORTY-SOMETHG MICHAEL (NEIL PATRICK HARRIS), ONT AND CENTER. STAR, WH -CREATOR JEFEY RICHMAN, BORROWS SATC’S EPISODIC DATG FORMAT AND ROLLS UP WH THE AGG ANXIETY OF AND JT LIKE THAT, ALL THE GASSY MIDDLE-YEARS JOK ABOUT THE SWIFT ENCROACHMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND NEW SEXUAL, SOCIAL, AND POLIL NORMS. BUT UNUPLED DO SO LIGHTLY, WH A FLICK OF THE WRIST AND A SLOSH OF CHAMPAGNE. UNUPLED IS TOPIL S REFERENC, BUT A FLTERED, RNY WAY, MUCH LIKE STAR’S OTHER NETFLIX SERI, EY PARIS. THOSE SEEKG A MORN VERSN OF NEW YORK CY SELF WILL BE UNSATISFIED. THIS IS STILL A TELEVISN MANHATTAN THAT TURNS S NOSE UP AT BROOKLYN, THAT IS ALLERGIC TO THE SUBWAY, THAT HOLDS DOWNTOWN AS A PLACE FOR HIP RTRANTS AND GALLERI BUT NOT SUABLE FOR SOPHISTITED LIVG. MICHAEL IS A HIGH-END REAL TATE AGENT, SO THE SHOW SPENDS A LOT OF TIME TALKG ABOUT PROPERTY AND NEIGHBORHOODS A WAY THAT IS HERMETILLY REMOVED OM THE REALI OF TODAY. (FOR ALL BUT A PREC, TERRIBLE FEW NEW YORKERS, ANYWAY.) THERE IS, Y, A PERVERSE PLEASURE TO UNUPLED’S BLHE DULGENCE, THE GUILTY THRILL OF SPENDG TIME A WORLD WHICH MONEY IS BOTH NO OBJECT AND THE ONLY OBJECT. THIS DO PROVE GRATG AS THE SERI WEARS ON, THOUGH. WHERE UNUPLED SEEKS NOVATN IS S ROMANTIC ENTANGLEMENTS, DLY SOCLOGIL AND, OFTENTIM, SEXUALLY ANK. JT BEFORE A SURPRISE 50TH BIRTHDAY FOR MICHAEL’S PARTNER OF 17 YEARS, COL (TUC WATKS), THE BIRTHDAY BOY TELLS MICHAEL THAT HE’S LEAVG THE RELATNSHIP. THIS SENDS MICHAEL TO A TAILSP—AND ONTO APPS LIKE GRDR, WHERE HE NONTS A GAY DATG WORLD VASTLY DIFFERENT OM THE ONE HE KNEW BEFORE HE SETTLED FOR HIS LONG DOMTIC SPELL WH COL. THEIRS WASN’T AN OPEN RELATNSHIP, WHICH PUTS MICHAEL AT A DISTANCE OM A LOT OF GAY MEN A OR SO HIS JUNR. THE ADVENT OF PREP HAS HELPED CREATE A SEXUAL LANDSPE UTTERLY FOREIGN TO MICHAEL, THOUGH HE IS AT LEAST FAIAR WH MANY ENDURG HANGUPS OF HIS PARTICULAR I: THE TENSNS OF TOP AND BOTTOM, BEAR AND TWK, DADDY AND, WELL, NOT DADDY. WHILE THE DISURSE UNUPLED IS WELL TROD ALREADY, IS AT LEAST SOMETHG DIFFERENT TO SEE THOSE NVERSATNS PLAY OUT A ROM TV SERI ABOUT MIDDLE-AGE.  AS MICHAEL MEETS A HOST OF MEN ON HIS JOURNEY TOWARD HEALG (PRETTY MUCH A NEW GUY PER EPISO, LIKE THE OLD SATC DAYS!), HIS SIKICK IENDS UNRGO THEIR OWN MISADVENTUR. HIMBO WEATHERMAN BILLY (EMERSON BROOKS) SPENDS HIS TIME BED-HOPPG AND DATG DOWN ON THE AGE SLE. THE SHOW TEAS HIM FOR THAT, BUT MOSTLY AVOIDS OUTRIGHT SHAMG; HIS CHOIC ARE AMED MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT SAMANTHA JON’S WERE. MAYBE BILLY IS PHG TE LOVE AWAY WH ALL HIS EMOTNLS NOODLG, BUT ALSO, WHO R? STANLEY (BROOKS ASHMANSKAS) IS, AS HIS NAME WOULD SUGGT, MORE OF A SQUARE, A LONELY ART ALER WHO’S EVER SELF-PRETG ABOUT HIS AGE, HIS LOOKS, HIS FAILED ATTEMPTS AT FDG A MATE. AGA, THOUGH, UNUPLED IS REFUL WH S RITURE. OR MAYBE ’S JT ASHMANSKAS, WHO LENDS THOUGHTFUL SHADG TO EVEN THE GROANIT, MOST PATHETIC OF L.HARRIS, FOR HIS PART, IS BT WHEN THGS GET A LTLE SER: WHEN MICHAEL AND COL BICKER THE FALLOUT OF THEIR BREAKUP, OR WHEN MICHAEL HAS SOME SAD EPIPHANY ABOUT THE SUDN SHAPE OF HIS LIFE. HIS BROAR EDY IS STIFF—HARRIS IS NOT THE LIGHTT OF PRENC, SO HE HAS TROUBLE WH THE SHOW’S ZANIER, GOOFIER MATERIAL. ESPECIALLY NTRAST TO TISHA CAMPBELL, WHO PLAYS MICHAEL’S BS PARTNER, SUZANNE. CAMPBELL IS A DYNAMIC PERFORMER OWED A B MORE THAN SHE GETS HERE, THOUGH THE SHOW DO EVENTUALLY GIVE HER A SHRED OF A STANDALONE PLOT. SHE ALSO HAS A FEW JNTY SCEN WH MARCIA GAY HARN, WHO PLAYS (ON OLD-PRO TOPILOT) A SNOBBY ZILLNAIRE DIVORCéE LOOKG TO REPAIR HER LIFE JT AS MICHAEL IS. FOR ALL OF S CLUNK AND CREAK, UNUPLED IS AN AGREEABLE WATCH. IT’S DARG ENOUGH A FEW PLAC TO FEEL WORTHY OF S ERA, WHILE PROVIDG THE EASY, BRA-ANG, TRAPPED--AMBER ENJOYMENT THAT HAS BEE A HALLMARK OF STAR’S WORK. (IT SHOULD BE SAID, THOUGH, THAT SEX AND THE CY WAS, AT S PEAK, ACTUALLY QUE STIMULATG.) IN THE STTERED MOMENTS WHEN UNUPLED’S SLAPDASH TOPILY AND HOARY STEREOTYP GIVE WAY TO A JAG OF GENUELY SHARP WRG, THE SERI SWELLS TO F S PEDIGREE. THE SHOW ISN’T SEX AND THE CY, BUT NOTHG WILL EVER BE.WE’D PROBABLY DO WELL TO TAKE HEED OF UNUPLED’S MSAGE, THEN. TO STOP ALL OUR ELS PG FOR AN OLD LOVE WE N NEVER GET BACK. AND TO ENGAGE SOME HALFHEARTED FLIRTATN WH SOMETHG NEW AND—MAYBE, JT MAYBE—GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYAND JT LIKE THAT… WONRS: WAS BIG A BIG MISTAKE?BY CHRIS MURPHYRICHARD LAWSON
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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

In a sea of nned cktails, Gay Water wants to stand out. In other words, where Bud Light has buckled unr prsure as bigotry grows agast the LGBTQ+ muny, Gay Water’s creator Spencer Hodson wants his new boozy brand to be the anthis of that.

NETFLIX’S UNUPLED: GAY SEX, THE CYDARREN STAR’S NEW SERI HARKENS BACK TO A CLASSIC, WH A NEW SP. BY RICHARD LAWSONJULY 27, 2022SARAH SHATZ/NETFLIXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVELAST YEAR’S AND JT LIKE THAT SHIFTED THE GAZE OF THE WATERSHED SERI SEX AND THE CY EVER SO SLIGHTLY. THE ORIGAL GANG WAS OLR; ONE WAS MISSG; AND SOME NEW IENDS HAD ARRIVED TO PLITE THE PARTY. WHILE SEX AND THE CY CREATOR DARREN STAR WASN’T VOLVED WH AND JT LIKE THAT, HE PERHAPS WANTED TO DO SOME RIFFG OF HIS OWN, AS EVINCED BY THE NEW NETFLIX SERI UNUPLED (JULY 29). IT’S A SHOW THAT NCERNS THE SAME FASCATNS AS STAR’S LANDMARK SERI—NEW YORK CY, ROMANCE, REER—ONLY OM A GAY PERSPECTIVE.EXPLICLY, DIRECTLY GAY, THAT IS. SATC AND AND JT LIKE THAT, WHILE MOSTLY ABOUT STRAIGHT WOMEN, ARE VERY MUCH FILTERED THROUGH A GAY LENS, THOUGH THE GAY CHARACTERS—CHIEFLY, NEBBISHY STANFORD AND HARPG ANTHONY—ARE OFTEN MERE PLOT FUNCTNARI. NOT SO ON UNUPLED, WHICH PUTS A GAY MAN, FORTY-SOMETHG MICHAEL (NEIL PATRICK HARRIS), ONT AND CENTER. STAR, WH -CREATOR JEFEY RICHMAN, BORROWS SATC’S EPISODIC DATG FORMAT AND ROLLS UP WH THE AGG ANXIETY OF AND JT LIKE THAT, ALL THE GASSY MIDDLE-YEARS JOK ABOUT THE SWIFT ENCROACHMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND NEW SEXUAL, SOCIAL, AND POLIL NORMS. BUT UNUPLED DO SO LIGHTLY, WH A FLICK OF THE WRIST AND A SLOSH OF CHAMPAGNE. UNUPLED IS TOPIL S REFERENC, BUT A FLTERED, RNY WAY, MUCH LIKE STAR’S OTHER NETFLIX SERI, EY PARIS. THOSE SEEKG A MORN VERSN OF NEW YORK CY SELF WILL BE UNSATISFIED. THIS IS STILL A TELEVISN MANHATTAN THAT TURNS S NOSE UP AT BROOKLYN, THAT IS ALLERGIC TO THE SUBWAY, THAT HOLDS DOWNTOWN AS A PLACE FOR HIP RTRANTS AND GALLERI BUT NOT SUABLE FOR SOPHISTITED LIVG. MICHAEL IS A HIGH-END REAL TATE AGENT, SO THE SHOW SPENDS A LOT OF TIME TALKG ABOUT PROPERTY AND NEIGHBORHOODS A WAY THAT IS HERMETILLY REMOVED OM THE REALI OF TODAY. (FOR ALL BUT A PREC, TERRIBLE FEW NEW YORKERS, ANYWAY.) THERE IS, Y, A PERVERSE PLEASURE TO UNUPLED’S BLHE DULGENCE, THE GUILTY THRILL OF SPENDG TIME A WORLD WHICH MONEY IS BOTH NO OBJECT AND THE ONLY OBJECT. THIS DO PROVE GRATG AS THE SERI WEARS ON, THOUGH. WHERE UNUPLED SEEKS NOVATN IS S ROMANTIC ENTANGLEMENTS, DLY SOCLOGIL AND, OFTENTIM, SEXUALLY ANK. JT BEFORE A SURPRISE 50TH BIRTHDAY FOR MICHAEL’S PARTNER OF 17 YEARS, COL (TUC WATKS), THE BIRTHDAY BOY TELLS MICHAEL THAT HE’S LEAVG THE RELATNSHIP. THIS SENDS MICHAEL TO A TAILSP—AND ONTO APPS LIKE GRDR, WHERE HE NONTS A GAY DATG WORLD VASTLY DIFFERENT OM THE ONE HE KNEW BEFORE HE SETTLED FOR HIS LONG DOMTIC SPELL WH COL. THEIRS WASN’T AN OPEN RELATNSHIP, WHICH PUTS MICHAEL AT A DISTANCE OM A LOT OF GAY MEN A OR SO HIS JUNR. THE ADVENT OF PREP HAS HELPED CREATE A SEXUAL LANDSPE UTTERLY FOREIGN TO MICHAEL, THOUGH HE IS AT LEAST FAIAR WH MANY ENDURG HANGUPS OF HIS PARTICULAR I: THE TENSNS OF TOP AND BOTTOM, BEAR AND TWK, DADDY AND, WELL, NOT DADDY. WHILE THE DISURSE UNUPLED IS WELL TROD ALREADY, IS AT LEAST SOMETHG DIFFERENT TO SEE THOSE NVERSATNS PLAY OUT A ROM TV SERI ABOUT MIDDLE-AGE.  AS MICHAEL MEETS A HOST OF MEN ON HIS JOURNEY TOWARD HEALG (PRETTY MUCH A NEW GUY PER EPISO, LIKE THE OLD SATC DAYS!), HIS SIKICK IENDS UNRGO THEIR OWN MISADVENTUR. HIMBO WEATHERMAN BILLY (EMERSON BROOKS) SPENDS HIS TIME BED-HOPPG AND DATG DOWN ON THE AGE SLE. THE SHOW TEAS HIM FOR THAT, BUT MOSTLY AVOIDS OUTRIGHT SHAMG; HIS CHOIC ARE AMED MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT SAMANTHA JON’S WERE. MAYBE BILLY IS PHG TE LOVE AWAY WH ALL HIS EMOTNLS NOODLG, BUT ALSO, WHO R? STANLEY (BROOKS ASHMANSKAS) IS, AS HIS NAME WOULD SUGGT, MORE OF A SQUARE, A LONELY ART ALER WHO’S EVER SELF-PRETG ABOUT HIS AGE, HIS LOOKS, HIS FAILED ATTEMPTS AT FDG A MATE. AGA, THOUGH, UNUPLED IS REFUL WH S RITURE. OR MAYBE ’S JT ASHMANSKAS, WHO LENDS THOUGHTFUL SHADG TO EVEN THE GROANIT, MOST PATHETIC OF L.HARRIS, FOR HIS PART, IS BT WHEN THGS GET A LTLE SER: WHEN MICHAEL AND COL BICKER THE FALLOUT OF THEIR BREAKUP, OR WHEN MICHAEL HAS SOME SAD EPIPHANY ABOUT THE SUDN SHAPE OF HIS LIFE. HIS BROAR EDY IS STIFF—HARRIS IS NOT THE LIGHTT OF PRENC, SO HE HAS TROUBLE WH THE SHOW’S ZANIER, GOOFIER MATERIAL. ESPECIALLY NTRAST TO TISHA CAMPBELL, WHO PLAYS MICHAEL’S BS PARTNER, SUZANNE. CAMPBELL IS A DYNAMIC PERFORMER OWED A B MORE THAN SHE GETS HERE, THOUGH THE SHOW DO EVENTUALLY GIVE HER A SHRED OF A STANDALONE PLOT. SHE ALSO HAS A FEW JNTY SCEN WH MARCIA GAY HARN, WHO PLAYS (ON OLD-PRO TOPILOT) A SNOBBY ZILLNAIRE DIVORCéE LOOKG TO REPAIR HER LIFE JT AS MICHAEL IS. FOR ALL OF S CLUNK AND CREAK, UNUPLED IS AN AGREEABLE WATCH. IT’S DARG ENOUGH A FEW PLAC TO FEEL WORTHY OF S ERA, WHILE PROVIDG THE EASY, BRA-ANG, TRAPPED--AMBER ENJOYMENT THAT HAS BEE A HALLMARK OF STAR’S WORK. (IT SHOULD BE SAID, THOUGH, THAT SEX AND THE CY WAS, AT S PEAK, ACTUALLY QUE STIMULATG.) IN THE STTERED MOMENTS WHEN UNUPLED’S SLAPDASH TOPILY AND HOARY STEREOTYP GIVE WAY TO A JAG OF GENUELY SHARP WRG, THE SERI SWELLS TO F S PEDIGREE. THE SHOW ISN’T SEX AND THE CY, BUT NOTHG WILL EVER BE.WE’D PROBABLY DO WELL TO TAKE HEED OF UNUPLED’S MSAGE, THEN. TO STOP ALL OUR ELS PG FOR AN OLD LOVE WE N NEVER GET BACK. AND TO ENGAGE SOME HALFHEARTED FLIRTATN WH SOMETHG NEW AND—MAYBE, JT MAYBE—GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYAND JT LIKE THAT… WONRS: WAS BIG A BIG MISTAKE?BY CHRIS MURPHYRICHARD LAWSON

“The key issue that Bud Light tapped to was the fact that they didn’t unrstand their re dience and know enough about them,” Hodson, a gay man, told CNN about the ntroversy that began when the Anhser-Bch beer brand sent fluencer Dylan Mulvaney a n of beer. Gay Water, however, is out and proud. The nned cktail is named after a lloquialism given to the popular mixed drk (vodka and soda) orred at bars by the gay muny.

“Puttg a product wh the word gay the tle is reprentatn self,” which he hop reclaims the word om the negativy ’s sometim associated wh. He thought of creatg Gay Water about a year ago while on a vatn wh his iend that had got a job wh the beverage dtry.

The two chatted about the limed amount of gay people wh , and wh Hodson burnt out om his tradnal day job tech, started the nned cktail. Hodson built up a strong social media followg on TikTok and Instagram durg Covid-19 and is g some of the money om that (as well as om iends and fay) to help fund Gay Water. “Gay is an umbrella term and the ia behd the brand is to be as clive as possible, which means we want alli, we want straight people to be part of this muny we’re buildg.”.

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For now, Gay Water is sold largely onle (wh a few retailers) and four sugar-ee flavors — watermelon, lime, peach and grapeu — at lnch. Gay Water might not have the ep pockets pared to s petors, like Whe Claw, but “even at small sle, pani of many siz are havg succs makg spir-based seltzers and premixed cktails,” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company and edor of the alhol beverage newsletter, Sightl+, told CNN.

“There’s lots of space the spir-based seltzer tegory which Gay Water n play, pecially if the brand n offer a cultural or emotnal nnectn that will feel more excg than the prospect of another peapple-flavored vodka seltzer om natnal or ternatnal rporatns,” Roth said. Of urse, other drks e the word “gay,” too, cludg Gay Beer and So Gay Rosé, Hodson noted, which are also tryg to reach the queer muny and offer them an alternative the straight-domated space. He’s Barbie’s gay bt iend.

10 GREAT GAY FILMS OM EAST AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA

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.

GAY SEX IS BANNED - SO GHANAIANS DANCE AGAST HOMOPHOBIA

” But Barbie do, and for Ken, that’s are plenty of reasons why the film wouldn’t outrightly state that Ken is homosexual.

EXTREMELY FUNNY SF GAY MEN’S CHOS VIO UNLEASH TORRENT OF RIGHT-WG THREATS, VRL

), and of urse, and earrg the “gay ear”. ) 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 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. 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.