Velma Is a Lbian: New 'Soby Doo' Film Mak Her Gay Officially - Variety

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• THE GAY HISTORY OF VELMA ‘SOBY-DOO’SAPPHIC SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?FANS HAVE REGNIZED THE INIC “SOBY-DOO” NERD’S QUEERNS FOREVER. IT JT TOOK UNTIL NOW FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO OPENLY EMBRACE —CLUDG THE ANCHISE SELF. ALANI VARGASFREELANCE WRERUPDATED JAN. 15, 2023 2:49AM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 14, 2023 7:08PM EST ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEASTIMAGE A WORLD WHERE YOU’RE A LBIAN. NOW IMAGE YOU’RE THE ONLY LBIAN AT A FAY FUNCTN. AND SPE THE FACT THAT YOU DON’T HI YOUR LBIANISM, PEOPLE KEEP ASKG ABOUT A FUTURE BOYIEND OR FAIL TO REMEMBER WHO YOUR LONG-TERM GIRLIEND IS. FSTRATG, I KNOW. BUT THAT’S KD OF WHAT HAPPENED TO SOBY-DOO’S VELMA DKLEY. EXCEPT STEAD OF A FAY FUNCTN, ’S S OF TV AND MOVI, AND STEAD OF “FETFUL” FAY MEMBERS, VELMA HAD STUD EXECS DISTANCG THEMSELV OM THE FACT THAT SHE’S BEEN PURPOSELY QUEER-D FOR YEARS. SOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?PICTURELUX / THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVE / ALAMY Y, VELMA IS A RTOON CHARACTER, WHOSE ROOTS DATE BACK TO 1969, THE ORIGAL HANNA-BARBERA SOBY-DOO SERI. BUT EVEN THE 1970S WERE NO MATCH FOR HER HERENT SAPPHIC NATURE, LIKE KNOWG WHAT DAPHNE’S MOANS SOUND LIKE. SUBTLE L LIKE THAT, OR THE FACT THAT VELMA NEVER REALLY HAD A LONG-LASTG LOVE TERT, ARE WHAT GOT—AND HAS KEPT—THE LBIAN HEADNONS ROLLG. IF WE N’T GET GAY REPRENTATN, WE’LL CREATE , AND THAT PECIALLY GO FOR LBIANS. BUT VELMA BEG GAY ISN’T JT SOMETHG QUEER PEOPLE’S MDS. IN ADDN TO HER FUNNY MENTS THE 1970S, CREATORS HAVE BEEN TRYG TO PORTRAY VELMA AS OPENLY GAY FOR S. TAKE THE H LIVE-ACTN SOBY-DOO MOVIE, FOR STANCE. RELEASE 2002, STARRED A STACKED ST OF ACTORS, CLUDG SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR AS DAPHNE, FREDDIE PRZE, JR., AS FRED, MATTHEW LILLARD AS SHAGGY, AND LDA CARLLI AS VELMA. JAM GUNN, WHO WROTE THE SCRIPT, HAS BEEN OPEN ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE ORIGALLY WROTE THE MOVIE FOR ADULTS—AND THAT ONE KEY PART OF THE ORIGAL NCEPT CLUD VELMA BEG A LBIAN. WARNER BROS. IN 2020, A FAN ON TWTER URGED GUNN TO MAKE A THIRD SOBY-DOO MOVIE, THIS TIME FEATURG A QUEER VELMA. ACRDG TO INDIEWIRE, THE FILMMAKER TWEETED BACK THAT HE TRIED TO DO THIS ONCE BEFORE. “IN 2001 VELMA WAS EXPLICLY GAY MY IAL SCRIPT,” HE WROTE A NOW-LETED REPLY. “BUT THE STUD JT KEPT WATERG DOWN AND WATERG DOWN, BEG AMBIGUO (THE VERSN SHOT), THEN NOTHG (THE RELEASED VERSN), AND FALLY HAVG A BOYIEND (THE SEQUEL).”DPE STG SETH GREEN AS A LOVE TERT FOR CARLLI’S VELMA, 2004’S SOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED ALSO FEATURED A FATLY HOMOEROTIC ENERGY BETWEEN DAPHNE AND VELMA. IT WAS A TENSN THAT YOUNG SAPPHICS KNOW WELL: MON TEENAGE FEELGS FOR CLOSE FEMALE IENDS BEFORE REALIZG THEY’RE GAY. BUT GOG BACK TO THE FIRST MOVIE, YOU N STILL SPOT POSSIBLE HTS GUNN WAS ABLE TO LEAVE THE SCRIPT (BUT NOT THE FAL CUT) TO VELMA’S QUEERNS. ONE LETED SCENE SHOWS VELMA “DNK” ON SOME NON-ALHOLIC DRKS AT A SPOOKY ISLAND BAR, SGG A RENDN OF “CAN'T TAKE MY EY OFF YOU” BY FRANKIE VALLI. HER MOMENT AS A BARET SGER STARTS WHEN SHE SPOTS DAPHNE G DOWN THE STAIRS. GRANTED, FRED WAS G DOWN AT THE SAME TIME TOO. BUT NSIRG GUNN TEND FOR VELMA TO BE “EXPLICLY GAY,” ’S EASY TO IMAGE THAT “DNK” VELMA WAS HER FEELS ABOUT AN UNREQUED CSH ON DAPHNE BLAKE. THAT WAS OVER 20 YEARS AGO, AND SCE THEN, WE’VE MET ANOTHER, EVEN GAYER ERATN OF VELMA. TONY CERVONE, THE -CREATOR OF THE 2010 RTOON SOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INRPORATED, WROTE A JUNE 2020 POST THAT HIS TEAM WROTE VELMA AS GAY. “WE MA OUR TENTNS AS CLEAR AS WE ULD TEN YEARS AGO,” THE POST READS. SOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INRPORATEDWARNER BROS. IN THIS SERI, VELMA HAS A CLOSE IEND NAMED MARCIE WHOM MANY FANS SHIPPED HER WH, EVEN THOUGH THEY WEREN’T OUTWARDLY TOGETHER ON THE SHOW. “MOST OF OUR FANS GOT ,” CERVONE WROTE. “TO THOSE THAT DIDN’T, I SUGGT YOU LOOK CLOSER. THERE’S NO NEW NEWS HERE.” AND ACRDG TO SCREENSHOTS OM OUT MAGAZE, BEFORE CERVONE TURNED HIS MENTS OFF, HE REPLIED TO A ER CLARIFYG THAT VELMA IS “NOT BI. SHE’S GAY.” THAT’S WHY SHE ULDN’T STA HER ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP WH SHAGGY, WHICH VELMA SAID ALWAYS FELT OFF TO HER THIS SERI. TRICK OR TREAT SOBY DOO!WARNER BROS. THAT WHOLE JOURNEY TOWARD OPEN QUEERNS CULMAT VELMA DKLEY BEG UNDOUBTEDLY GAY OCTOBER 2022’S TRICK OR TREAT SOBY-DOO!, A 75-MUTE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL. WHEN VELMA FIRST LOCKS EY ON CO DIABLO, SHE STUTTERS AND SHUTS DOWN, LEAVG ONLY BLHG CHEEKS AND FOGGED-UP GLASS HER WAKE. VELMA ADMS TO DAPHNE LATER ON THAT SHE’S “CSHG BIG TIME.” THERE’S NO QUEER-DG NEED HERE; THIS FILM, VELMA DKLEY IS A BIG OL’ LBIAN, WHICH IS ONLY SOLIDIFIED BY HER PARALYZG FEAR ABOUT WHAT TO DO WH A NEW CSH. THIS WASN’T SHOCKG TO THE MANY FANS WHO HAD LONG THOUGHT OF VELMA AS A LBIAN, ALTHOUGH WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED AND CELEBRATED. THAT IS PECIALLY TE FOR THE ACTRS WHO HAD THE CHANCE TO EMBODY VELMA RECENT YEARS. A MONTH AFTER THE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL’S RELEASE, LDA CARLLI PRAISED THE CHARACTER VELOPMENT AN ENTERTAMENT WEEKLY TERVIEW. IT WAS “GREAT THAT ’S FALLY OUT THERE,” SHE SAID, NOTG THAT VELMA’S LBIANISM HAD “BEEN HTED AT SO MANY TIM.”LBIAN J HERSELF, SGER/ACTRS HAYLEY KIYOKO, ALSO PRAISED VELMA’S OVERDUE G-OUT MOMENT. IN SEVERAL TWEETS, KIYOKO REMISCED ABOUT HER TIME VOICG VELMA, BACK 2009 AND 2010. “I REMEMBER BOOKG [THE VOICE ROLE OF] VELMA 2008. IT WAS MY FIRST BIG ROLE A MOVIE,” SHE TWEETED OCTOBER, RPONSE TO THE REVEAL THAT VELMA WAS NOW OUT. “I ALSO REMEMBER THKG ‘I WONR IF THEY KNOW THEY HIRED A LBIAN AS VELMA’ HERE WE ARE, 14 YEARS LATER…” KIYOKO ALSO WENT ON TO TWEET THAT “I FEEL ALIVE AND SEEN,” WHEN A FAN ASKED HOW SHE WAS DOG FOLLOWG VELMA’S OPEN LBIANISM. AND THAT, RIGHT THERE, IS PROBABLY THE BT AND MOST SUCCCT SCRIPTN OF WHY VELMA’S QUEERNS BEG NFIRMED IS SUCH A BIG AL. THE TOPIC OF WHY REPRENTATN MATTERS IS A ROUTE NVERSATN AT THIS POT. BUT MARGALIZED MUNI NTUE TO TALK ABOUT , BEE IS SUCH A VALIDATG EXPERIENCE TO SEE YOURSELF ON SCREEN. IT’S SIGNIFINT TO SEE YOUR SEXUALY, SPECIFILLY, PORTRAYED AS NORMAL AND SWEET BEE THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT IS, JT LIKE STRAIGHT CSH ARE ON-SCREEN. VELMA REPRENTED THAT AWKWARD GIRL WHO DON’T F BUT NEVER TRI TOO HARD TO DO SO, EHER. OUTSI OF A FEW BIG EXCEPTNS (LIKE THE LEATHER ORANGE JUMPSU OM MONSTERS UNLEASHED THAT AWAKENED MANY PEOPLE’S SEXUALI), VELMA IS FE LIVG HER “WEIRDNS” OF BEG THE GIRL WH A NASALLY, NERDY VOICE, BIG SWEATER, AND GLASS. SHE NEVER FELT RIGHT DATG MEN, BUT SHE OF URSE CRAVED SOME LEVEL OF MALE VALIDATN; LBIANS OLD AND YOUNG STILL AL WH THAT TOO. BUT UNR ALL, SHE WAS JT A LBIAN WHO WASN’T GIVEN THE FOOTG SHE NEED TO E OUT. WH LBIANS AND QUEER PEOPLE CLGG ONTO VELMA’S QUEER-D CHARACTER FOR S, HER “G OUT” WAS A DREAM E TE FOR HEADNON-ERS EVERYWHERE.BUT VELMA’S SIGNIFINT, LONG-AWAED G OUT ME WH (UNSURPRISG) BACKLASH. THE LRA INGRAHAMS OF THE WORLD BLEW UP ABOUT VELMA’S QUEERNS “DISPTG… BELOVED CHARACTERS,” AS THE HOSTS OF THE YOUNG TURKS PODST PUT WELL A RECENT EPISO. APPARENTLY, THERE’S “NO NOCENCE” LEFT THE WORLD WH THIS NEWT CHECKMARK THE GAY “AGENDA;” WHAT ARE STUDS GOG TO “SEXUALIZE” NEXT? “BUT APPARENTLY, SEX SELLS UNTIL YOU MAKE GAY.” DPE THE OBV AND SAD FACT THAT NSERVATIVE MENTATORS ARE GETTG SEXUAL ORIENTATN NFED WH SEXUAL SIRE, ’S TERTG THAT A FICTNAL PERSON REVEALG THAT THEY’RE LBIAN OR QUEER IS HERENTLY SEXUAL TO THE TRACTORS. AND A LOT OF MEDIA FOR CHILDREN AND FAI HAS CLUD SEXUAL JOK OF THE STRAIGHT VARIETY (LOOKG AT YOU, SHREK AND SPONGEBOB). BUT APPARENTLY, SEX SELLS UNTIL YOU MAKE GAY. VELMAHBOMAX DPE THE PHBACK, HBO MAX’S NEW, ADULT-ORIENTED RTOON VELMA, VELMA’S SAPPHIC JOURNEY LIV ON. WHILE SOME FANS ARE UNRSTANDABLY ANNOYED THAT THIS NEW ERATN OF THE CHARACTER (VOICED BY MDY KALG) HAS A CSH ON FRED (GLENN HOWERTON), THE SERI DO MAKE A POT TO NOTE THAT SHE’S A HIGH SCHOOLER FIGURG OUT HER SEXUALY. OF URSE SHE HAS THE HOTS FOR THE NVENTNALLY ATTRACTIVE JOCK. BUT VELMA ALSO HAS A NEWFOUND CSH ON A LIFELONG FEMALE IEND. (YOU N GUS WHICH ONE.)HAVG VELMA E OUT ANOTHER PART OF THE SOBY-DOO UNIVERSE AND THEN SEEMGLY “ERASG” ANOTHER MIGHT BE DISAPPOTG. BUT THE SERI DO LEAN TO THE CHARACTER’S HISTORY AND QUEERNS, WHILE ALSO GIVG FANS A LTLE SOMETHG ELSE NON THAT THEY'VE WANTED FOR S.WH OR WHOUT THE HATERS, VELMA DKLEY IS A LBIAN. AND JT AS REAL-LIFE LBIANS ARE ED TO, SHE’S GOG TO NTUALLY HAVE HER SEXUALY DIMISHED OR “FOTTEN” BEE THE GREATER SOCIETY N’T POSSIBLY IMAGE A WORLD WHERE MALE VALIDATN AND SIRE AREN’T THE MOST IMPORTANT THGS A WOMAN’S LIFE. BUT AS SURE AS VELMA’S HAB FOR SAYG “JKI” OR NOT BEG ABLE TO SEE WHOUT HER GLASS, SHE’S A LBIAN AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN. ALANI VARGAS
• ‘SOBY-DOO’ FANS GET THE SNACK THEY’VE BEEN WAG FOR: VELMA IS GAY
• VELMA “SOBY-DOO” IS OFFICIALLY GAY AND FANS ARE ECSTATIC
• 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
• SOBY-DOO PRODUCER NFIRMS VELMA IS GAY
• WE HAVE KNOWN SCE 1969 THAT VELMA WAS GAY
• THE NEW HBO ‘SOBY DOO’ WILL REPORTEDLY FEATURE A GAY CHARACTER
• VELMA IS OFFICIALLY A LBIAN NEW ‘SOBY-DOO’ FILM, YEARS AFTER JAM GUNN AND MORE TRIED TO MAKE HER EXPLICLY GAY

THE GAY HISTORY OF VELMA ‘SOBY-DOO’SAPPHIC SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?FANS HAVE REGNIZED THE INIC “SOBY-DOO” NERD’S QUEERNS FOREVER. IT JT TOOK UNTIL NOW FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO OPENLY EMBRACE —CLUDG THE ANCHISE SELF. ALANI VARGASFREELANCE WRERUPDATED JAN. 15, 2023 2:49AM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 14, 2023 7:08PM EST ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEASTIMAGE A WORLD WHERE YOU’RE A LBIAN. NOW IMAGE YOU’RE THE ONLY LBIAN AT A FAY FUNCTN. AND SPE THE FACT THAT YOU DON’T HI YOUR LBIANISM, PEOPLE KEEP ASKG ABOUT A FUTURE BOYIEND OR FAIL TO REMEMBER WHO YOUR LONG-TERM GIRLIEND IS. FSTRATG, I KNOW. BUT THAT’S KD OF WHAT HAPPENED TO SOBY-DOO’S VELMA DKLEY. EXCEPT STEAD OF A FAY FUNCTN, ’S S OF TV AND MOVI, AND STEAD OF “FETFUL” FAY MEMBERS, VELMA HAD STUD EXECS DISTANCG THEMSELV OM THE FACT THAT SHE’S BEEN PURPOSELY QUEER-D FOR YEARS. SOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?PICTURELUX / THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVE / ALAMY Y, VELMA IS A RTOON CHARACTER, WHOSE ROOTS DATE BACK TO 1969, THE ORIGAL HANNA-BARBERA SOBY-DOO SERI. BUT EVEN THE 1970S WERE NO MATCH FOR HER HERENT SAPPHIC NATURE, LIKE KNOWG WHAT DAPHNE’S MOANS SOUND LIKE. SUBTLE L LIKE THAT, OR THE FACT THAT VELMA NEVER REALLY HAD A LONG-LASTG LOVE TERT, ARE WHAT GOT—AND HAS KEPT—THE LBIAN HEADNONS ROLLG. IF WE N’T GET GAY REPRENTATN, WE’LL CREATE , AND THAT PECIALLY GO FOR LBIANS. BUT VELMA BEG GAY ISN’T JT SOMETHG QUEER PEOPLE’S MDS. IN ADDN TO HER FUNNY MENTS THE 1970S, CREATORS HAVE BEEN TRYG TO PORTRAY VELMA AS OPENLY GAY FOR S. TAKE THE H LIVE-ACTN SOBY-DOO MOVIE, FOR STANCE. RELEASE 2002, STARRED A STACKED ST OF ACTORS, CLUDG SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR AS DAPHNE, FREDDIE PRZE, JR., AS FRED, MATTHEW LILLARD AS SHAGGY, AND LDA CARLLI AS VELMA. JAM GUNN, WHO WROTE THE SCRIPT, HAS BEEN OPEN ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE ORIGALLY WROTE THE MOVIE FOR ADULTS—AND THAT ONE KEY PART OF THE ORIGAL NCEPT CLUD VELMA BEG A LBIAN. WARNER BROS. IN 2020, A FAN ON TWTER URGED GUNN TO MAKE A THIRD SOBY-DOO MOVIE, THIS TIME FEATURG A QUEER VELMA. ACRDG TO INDIEWIRE, THE FILMMAKER TWEETED BACK THAT HE TRIED TO DO THIS ONCE BEFORE. “IN 2001 VELMA WAS EXPLICLY GAY MY IAL SCRIPT,” HE WROTE A NOW-LETED REPLY. “BUT THE STUD JT KEPT WATERG DOWN AND WATERG DOWN, BEG AMBIGUO (THE VERSN SHOT), THEN NOTHG (THE RELEASED VERSN), AND FALLY HAVG A BOYIEND (THE SEQUEL).”DPE STG SETH GREEN AS A LOVE TERT FOR CARLLI’S VELMA, 2004’S SOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED ALSO FEATURED A FATLY HOMOEROTIC ENERGY BETWEEN DAPHNE AND VELMA. IT WAS A TENSN THAT YOUNG SAPPHICS KNOW WELL: MON TEENAGE FEELGS FOR CLOSE FEMALE IENDS BEFORE REALIZG THEY’RE GAY. BUT GOG BACK TO THE FIRST MOVIE, YOU N STILL SPOT POSSIBLE HTS GUNN WAS ABLE TO LEAVE THE SCRIPT (BUT NOT THE FAL CUT) TO VELMA’S QUEERNS. ONE LETED SCENE SHOWS VELMA “DNK” ON SOME NON-ALHOLIC DRKS AT A SPOOKY ISLAND BAR, SGG A RENDN OF “CAN'T TAKE MY EY OFF YOU” BY FRANKIE VALLI. HER MOMENT AS A BARET SGER STARTS WHEN SHE SPOTS DAPHNE G DOWN THE STAIRS. GRANTED, FRED WAS G DOWN AT THE SAME TIME TOO. BUT NSIRG GUNN TEND FOR VELMA TO BE “EXPLICLY GAY,” ’S EASY TO IMAGE THAT “DNK” VELMA WAS HER FEELS ABOUT AN UNREQUED CSH ON DAPHNE BLAKE. THAT WAS OVER 20 YEARS AGO, AND SCE THEN, WE’VE MET ANOTHER, EVEN GAYER ERATN OF VELMA. TONY CERVONE, THE -CREATOR OF THE 2010 RTOON SOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INRPORATED, WROTE A JUNE 2020 POST THAT HIS TEAM WROTE VELMA AS GAY. “WE MA OUR TENTNS AS CLEAR AS WE ULD TEN YEARS AGO,” THE POST READS. SOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INRPORATEDWARNER BROS. IN THIS SERI, VELMA HAS A CLOSE IEND NAMED MARCIE WHOM MANY FANS SHIPPED HER WH, EVEN THOUGH THEY WEREN’T OUTWARDLY TOGETHER ON THE SHOW. “MOST OF OUR FANS GOT ,” CERVONE WROTE. “TO THOSE THAT DIDN’T, I SUGGT YOU LOOK CLOSER. THERE’S NO NEW NEWS HERE.” AND ACRDG TO SCREENSHOTS OM OUT MAGAZE, BEFORE CERVONE TURNED HIS MENTS OFF, HE REPLIED TO A ER CLARIFYG THAT VELMA IS “NOT BI. SHE’S GAY.” THAT’S WHY SHE ULDN’T STA HER ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP WH SHAGGY, WHICH VELMA SAID ALWAYS FELT OFF TO HER THIS SERI. TRICK OR TREAT SOBY DOO!WARNER BROS. THAT WHOLE JOURNEY TOWARD OPEN QUEERNS CULMAT VELMA DKLEY BEG UNDOUBTEDLY GAY OCTOBER 2022’S TRICK OR TREAT SOBY-DOO!, A 75-MUTE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL. WHEN VELMA FIRST LOCKS EY ON CO DIABLO, SHE STUTTERS AND SHUTS DOWN, LEAVG ONLY BLHG CHEEKS AND FOGGED-UP GLASS HER WAKE. VELMA ADMS TO DAPHNE LATER ON THAT SHE’S “CSHG BIG TIME.” THERE’S NO QUEER-DG NEED HERE; THIS FILM, VELMA DKLEY IS A BIG OL’ LBIAN, WHICH IS ONLY SOLIDIFIED BY HER PARALYZG FEAR ABOUT WHAT TO DO WH A NEW CSH. THIS WASN’T SHOCKG TO THE MANY FANS WHO HAD LONG THOUGHT OF VELMA AS A LBIAN, ALTHOUGH WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED AND CELEBRATED. THAT IS PECIALLY TE FOR THE ACTRS WHO HAD THE CHANCE TO EMBODY VELMA RECENT YEARS. A MONTH AFTER THE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL’S RELEASE, LDA CARLLI PRAISED THE CHARACTER VELOPMENT AN ENTERTAMENT WEEKLY TERVIEW. IT WAS “GREAT THAT ’S FALLY OUT THERE,” SHE SAID, NOTG THAT VELMA’S LBIANISM HAD “BEEN HTED AT SO MANY TIM.”LBIAN J HERSELF, SGER/ACTRS HAYLEY KIYOKO, ALSO PRAISED VELMA’S OVERDUE G-OUT MOMENT. IN SEVERAL TWEETS, KIYOKO REMISCED ABOUT HER TIME VOICG VELMA, BACK 2009 AND 2010. “I REMEMBER BOOKG [THE VOICE ROLE OF] VELMA 2008. IT WAS MY FIRST BIG ROLE A MOVIE,” SHE TWEETED OCTOBER, RPONSE TO THE REVEAL THAT VELMA WAS NOW OUT. “I ALSO REMEMBER THKG ‘I WONR IF THEY KNOW THEY HIRED A LBIAN AS VELMA’ HERE WE ARE, 14 YEARS LATER…” KIYOKO ALSO WENT ON TO TWEET THAT “I FEEL ALIVE AND SEEN,” WHEN A FAN ASKED HOW SHE WAS DOG FOLLOWG VELMA’S OPEN LBIANISM. AND THAT, RIGHT THERE, IS PROBABLY THE BT AND MOST SUCCCT SCRIPTN OF WHY VELMA’S QUEERNS BEG NFIRMED IS SUCH A BIG AL. THE TOPIC OF WHY REPRENTATN MATTERS IS A ROUTE NVERSATN AT THIS POT. BUT MARGALIZED MUNI NTUE TO TALK ABOUT , BEE IS SUCH A VALIDATG EXPERIENCE TO SEE YOURSELF ON SCREEN. IT’S SIGNIFINT TO SEE YOUR SEXUALY, SPECIFILLY, PORTRAYED AS NORMAL AND SWEET BEE THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT IS, JT LIKE STRAIGHT CSH ARE ON-SCREEN. VELMA REPRENTED THAT AWKWARD GIRL WHO DON’T F BUT NEVER TRI TOO HARD TO DO SO, EHER. OUTSI OF A FEW BIG EXCEPTNS (LIKE THE LEATHER ORANGE JUMPSU OM MONSTERS UNLEASHED THAT AWAKENED MANY PEOPLE’S SEXUALI), VELMA IS FE LIVG HER “WEIRDNS” OF BEG THE GIRL WH A NASALLY, NERDY VOICE, BIG SWEATER, AND GLASS. SHE NEVER FELT RIGHT DATG MEN, BUT SHE OF URSE CRAVED SOME LEVEL OF MALE VALIDATN; LBIANS OLD AND YOUNG STILL AL WH THAT TOO. BUT UNR ALL, SHE WAS JT A LBIAN WHO WASN’T GIVEN THE FOOTG SHE NEED TO E OUT. WH LBIANS AND QUEER PEOPLE CLGG ONTO VELMA’S QUEER-D CHARACTER FOR S, HER “G OUT” WAS A DREAM E TE FOR HEADNON-ERS EVERYWHERE.BUT VELMA’S SIGNIFINT, LONG-AWAED G OUT ME WH (UNSURPRISG) BACKLASH. THE LRA INGRAHAMS OF THE WORLD BLEW UP ABOUT VELMA’S QUEERNS “DISPTG… BELOVED CHARACTERS,” AS THE HOSTS OF THE YOUNG TURKS PODST PUT WELL A RECENT EPISO. APPARENTLY, THERE’S “NO NOCENCE” LEFT THE WORLD WH THIS NEWT CHECKMARK THE GAY “AGENDA;” WHAT ARE STUDS GOG TO “SEXUALIZE” NEXT? “BUT APPARENTLY, SEX SELLS UNTIL YOU MAKE GAY.” DPE THE OBV AND SAD FACT THAT NSERVATIVE MENTATORS ARE GETTG SEXUAL ORIENTATN NFED WH SEXUAL SIRE, ’S TERTG THAT A FICTNAL PERSON REVEALG THAT THEY’RE LBIAN OR QUEER IS HERENTLY SEXUAL TO THE TRACTORS. AND A LOT OF MEDIA FOR CHILDREN AND FAI HAS CLUD SEXUAL JOK OF THE STRAIGHT VARIETY (LOOKG AT YOU, SHREK AND SPONGEBOB). BUT APPARENTLY, SEX SELLS UNTIL YOU MAKE GAY. VELMAHBOMAX DPE THE PHBACK, HBO MAX’S NEW, ADULT-ORIENTED RTOON VELMA, VELMA’S SAPPHIC JOURNEY LIV ON. WHILE SOME FANS ARE UNRSTANDABLY ANNOYED THAT THIS NEW ERATN OF THE CHARACTER (VOICED BY MDY KALG) HAS A CSH ON FRED (GLENN HOWERTON), THE SERI DO MAKE A POT TO NOTE THAT SHE’S A HIGH SCHOOLER FIGURG OUT HER SEXUALY. OF URSE SHE HAS THE HOTS FOR THE NVENTNALLY ATTRACTIVE JOCK. BUT VELMA ALSO HAS A NEWFOUND CSH ON A LIFELONG FEMALE IEND. (YOU N GUS WHICH ONE.)HAVG VELMA E OUT ANOTHER PART OF THE SOBY-DOO UNIVERSE AND THEN SEEMGLY “ERASG” ANOTHER MIGHT BE DISAPPOTG. BUT THE SERI DO LEAN TO THE CHARACTER’S HISTORY AND QUEERNS, WHILE ALSO GIVG FANS A LTLE SOMETHG ELSE NON THAT THEY'VE WANTED FOR S.WH OR WHOUT THE HATERS, VELMA DKLEY IS A LBIAN. AND JT AS REAL-LIFE LBIANS ARE ED TO, SHE’S GOG TO NTUALLY HAVE HER SEXUALY DIMISHED OR “FOTTEN” BEE THE GREATER SOCIETY N’T POSSIBLY IMAGE A WORLD WHERE MALE VALIDATN AND SIRE AREN’T THE MOST IMPORTANT THGS A WOMAN’S LIFE. BUT AS SURE AS VELMA’S HAB FOR SAYG “JKI” OR NOT BEG ABLE TO SEE WHOUT HER GLASS, SHE’S A LBIAN AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN. ALANI VARGAS

If we n’t get gay reprentatn, we’ll create , and that pecially go for Velma beg gay isn’t jt somethg queer people’s mds. In addn to her funny ments the 1970s, creators have been tryg to portray Velma as openly gay for s. “In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script, ” he wrote a now-leted reply.

”Dpe stg Seth Green as a love tert for Carlli’s Velma, 2004’s Soby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed also featured a fatly homoerotic energy between Daphne and Velma.

It was a tensn that young sapphics know well: mon teenage feelgs for close female iends before realizg they’re gay. But nsirg Gunn tend for Velma to be “explicly gay, ” ’s easy to image that “dnk” Velma was her feels about an unrequed csh on Daphne was over 20 years ago, and sce then, we’ve met another, even gayer eratn of Velma. Mystery Inrporated, wrote a June 2020 post that his team wrote Velma as gay.

‘SOBY-DOO’ FANS GET THE SNACK THEY’VE BEEN WAG FOR: VELMA IS GAY

She’s gay. That whole journey toward open queerns culmat Velma Dkley beg undoubtedly gay October 2022’s Trick or Treat Soby-Doo!, a 75-mute Halloween special.

VELMA “SOBY-DOO” IS OFFICIALLY GAY AND FANS ARE ECSTATIC

Apparently, there’s “no nocence” left the world wh this newt checkmark the gay “agenda;” what are studs gog to “sexualize” next?

“But apparently, sex sells until you make gay. But apparently, sex sells until you make gay. ” have been makg the rounds on social media, wh folks g them to proclaim that the character is fally beg shown as gay.

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 2020, director Jam Gunn said he tried to make the character “explicly gay” his script for the live-actn “Soby-Doo” movie. “In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script” (for 2002’s live-actn “Soby-Doo”), he tweeted at the time. In the sequel, actor Seth Green played Velma’s boyiend and there was nothg the film to imply she was gay.

”Also 2020, “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Suici Squad” filmmaker Jam Gunn said that his ial script for the live-actn 2002 “Soby-Doo” film, now regard as a cult classic, featured Velma as “explicly gay” but was eventually overled the fal cut. In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script. Rpondg to a fan on Twter, Jam Gunn, who wrote the screenplay for “Soby-Doo, ” a 2002 live-actn film, wrote 2020 that “Velma was explicly gay my ial script.

SOBY-DOO PRODUCER NFIRMS VELMA IS GAY

She’s gay, ” acrdg to a screenshot saved by Out most of the gang has had many romantic terts, notably between Fred and Daphne, Velma “has never really had a ma love tert, ” said Matthew Lippe, a 22-year-old marketg stunt who ns the Soby Doo History acunt on had ocsnal flirtatns and brief relatnships, notably wh Johnny Bravo a ’90s rtoon crossover, but her romantic feelgs were rarely as central to the story as other characters, Mr. Jam Gunn, who wrote live-actn Soby-Doo movi released 2002 and 2004, tweeted 2020 that Velma was "explicly gay" a 2001 script. She's gay, " Tony Cervone, the 2010-2013 animated seri' supervisg producer wrote on Instagram 2020.

”In 2020, Soby-Doo and Soby-Doo 2 wrer Jam Gunn said on Twter that he “tried” to pict Velma (played then by Lda Carlli) as gay the earlier live-actn films.

WE HAVE KNOWN SCE 1969 THAT VELMA WAS GAY

“In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script, ” he wrote, acrdg to CNN.

”The excement of Velma’s g out as gay has even rried over to Google. That starred Lda Carlli as Velma, admted he tried as bt as he uld to make the character’s queerns non: “In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script, ” he wrote shortly after Cervone’s post.

THE NEW HBO ‘SOBY DOO’ WILL REPORTEDLY FEATURE A GAY CHARACTER

After a moment of sheer gay panic, Velma breaks down: “OK, who am I kiddg?! 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.

VELMA IS OFFICIALLY A LBIAN NEW ‘SOBY-DOO’ FILM, YEARS AFTER JAM GUNN AND MORE TRIED TO MAKE HER EXPLICLY GAY

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