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The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
My unexpected Pride icon: Pokémon, small fluffy monsters battling in a gender-fluid world
Woolworths, Woking, Surrey. I'd walk up to the till, place my Barbie or Britney Spears CD player on the counter, and before the cashier had the chance to ask if we wanted a bag, I'd blurt out: 'This is a present for my sister, it's not for me!' Sharing a smirk with my mum, they'd offer replies such as, 'Wow, she'll love it!' and 'Aren't you a kind brother?' (If you hadn't already guessed, I do not have a sister.) This was a regular occurrence in my childhood in the early 2000s. I was acutely aware, even as early as the age of five or six, that these were not the usual toys a little boy should be playing with. Where was my Action Man or Scalextric track? Why were my bedroom walls covered in posters of pop stars wearing crop tops and not footballers with muddy knees? Barbie and Britney may have been my secret vices, but there was another phenomenon I, and a lot of other children my age, quickly became wrapped up in: Pokémon. The Japanese media franchise – currently the highest-grossing in the world – reached its 'Pokémania' peak around this time. Video games, trading cards, figurines, and an anime TV series – the Pokémon universe had them all. I was obsessed. My parents were left dumbfounded when I could name all the original 151 species by heart, and less than happy when I drew a huge pokéball on my bedroom wall in crayon. As a queer child, I could love Pokémon freely. Unlike other children's media and toys of the time it wasn't strictly gendered. While my badge maker and Polly Pockets were clearly marketed towards girls (and my short-lived possession of them was mixed with shame), nobody had a problem with my love of Pokémon, because anyone could be a Pokémon trainer, and for a while everyone wanted to be one. There were singing, dancing Pokémon that were fluffy and cute, and that – shock! – I was drawn to. Nobody cared which one was your favourite, because everyone had the same goal: to become the ultimate Pokémon master. Looking back, in what was incredibly ahead of its time, there were gender-neutral and gender non-conforming Pokémon. There was even one slightly resembling a drag queen. The human villains in the original TV show, Jessie and James of Team Rocket, regularly dressed in clothes associated with the opposite sex and subverted gender roles, and this never attracted the kind of frivolous concern about 'confusing' children that it would today. Longtime Pokémon fans have debated their queerness in online forums, even if queerness is never mentioned in the show. For that matter, aside from the odd crush, heterosexual relationships weren't central to the show's storylines, either. Pokémon 'battled', but it was hardly violent enough to make me squirm or put me off in the way that hyper-masculine, weapon-wielding characters from other TV series and video games did. I felt excluded for not liking shows with these attributes, but in the Pokémon universe, I fitted in. In 2016, the augmented reality game Pokémon Go catapulted the franchise back into public consciousness. By the end of the year, it had been downloaded more than 500m times. A community of LGBTQ+ fans – whether teenagers fresh to the franchise or adults who grew up with the original series – formed, and now it's common to see Pikachu at Pride or get-ups resembling Ash Ketchum (the show's original protagonist) in drag bars. The franchise has since embraced this community, introducing more visibly gender-fluid human characters. Though my relationship with Pokémon remains firmly in the early 2000s, I'm grateful that it provided me with a world free of gender norms that I didn't relate to, a world that shielded me from being judged for what I really liked. Feeling a pang of nostalgia as I began writing this, I searched for the soundtrack of the first Pokémon movie on YouTube, only to discover that none other than a teenage Britney Spears sings a song on it. It's made for children and it's called Soda Pop, so obviously it's awful. But if anything, discovering it is a full-circle moment for me, and in my mind, cements the fact that Pokémon has a place in queer culture through and through.
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Who is the Next James Bond? Theo James, Henry Cavill, and Bridgerton stars lead the top 7 frontrunners to replace Daniel Craig as 007
After the iconic Daniel Craig's 007 era wrapped up with the 2021 film No Time to Die, marking his fifth and final appearance in the globally famous spy franchise, the hunt for the face to replace him has intensified, given the next James Bond movie eyes a 2027 release window. For months now, the oddsmakers have been betting big on Hollywood A-listers like Henry Cavill, Harris Dickinson, Callum Turner, etc., as a potential hero in a black tux with a license to kill. However, according to Daily Mail, a new name has suddenly captured the makers' eyes, and it's none other than The White Lotus and Divergent star Theo James. Since the character has to be British to continue the legacy of the character, a few Bridgerton stars are also being considered. Check out the frontrunners. Also read: How James Bond films' creative control went to Amazon, what this means Reportedly, both Ladbrokes and Coral, the betting websites, now have Theo James as the leading face, placing him at 6/4 odds, ahead of Superman fame Henry Cavill, former top choice Callum Turner, and others who've been bouncing up and down the list. But contrary to being the popular choice, the actor once dismissed the idea of playing Bond, calling the role 'terrifying.' Speaking to The Guardian earlier, James said, 'Everyone's interested in [playing Bond] because it's a big part of British cultural identity, but that probably wouldn't be me.' He labelled signing up for the character as 'opening Pandora's box.' Before James shot to the top, Henry Cavill, who is no stranger to playing superhero roles, was the most popular choice. The website places him second. What's even more interesting is that during Daniel Craig's audition, the makers were most impressed by Cavill, who also auditioned for the role but was rejected only because of his young age. Fans believe the actor could finally land the role. Also read: Explained: The enduring legacy of James Bond The 34-year-old Aaron fits the younger Bond mould. Rumours were rife last year that he'd even filmed a Bond screen test. He was once seen as Barbara Broccoli's pick, but with new producers on board, nothing's locked. 'Aaron went for a screen test to be the next Bond in September, and producers and Barbara loved him. He is now one of the front-runners.' The actor has earlier impressed with his roles in films like Action Man in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Godzilla and Tenet. Norton exploded to fame with the release of 2016's Happy Valley, and his winning streak continued with films like War and Peace, Grantchester, and more. Being a Cambridge alum with strong backing from the industry, rooting for his 007 role, Norton has a high probability of taking over the next Bond film. 'He's got everything that you need. First of all, he's extremely attractive, very smart, he's well-educated, and he's a fantastic actor. And he's sexy, right? I'm not wrong, I mean, women are gonna love him,' said Diane Keaton while pitching for the actor's role in the film. Considered a dark horse in the race, Lowden's been steadily climbing the popularity list. He's delivered solid performances in war dramas and thrillers, but whether he can carry a billion-dollar franchise is still being viewed through a sceptical lens. What gives him an edge is that he's played a spy in Apple TV's hit franchise Slow Horses for four seasons and is set to return for more. Lowden's Bond stock stands at 5/1 on Betfred, while he's at 7/1 on Paddy Power. Fresh off Babygirl's success, Harris, 28, was once in the bookies' top three but has since slipped to a much lower position. The actor recently made it to the Cannes red carpet last week and later for an interview with the BFI, where he was pressed on the rumour he playfully downplayed the hype: 'Jonathan Bailey is your first choice, so let's go with that.' Another British heartthrob, Turner, has the classic look and rising star power, but hasn't yet broken through in the way that others have. Pierce Brosnan, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland, Joseph Quinn, and Idris Elba are just a handful of names adding to the popularity list. Josh O'Connor (16/1) and Stuart Martin (20/1) are more like long shots at this point. Both Bridgerton stars, who have already made themselves household names thanks to Netflix, are a few popular contenders for the James Bond movie. They round out the top 10 list. While Page has a chance to land the role with 25/1 odds, it's still too soon to consider Jonathan in the betting market. The bookies have him at around 80/1. After Amazon bought MGM Studios in 2022, it got its hands on the Bond franchise's distribution rights. Earlier this year, they reportedly spent around $1 billion to regain creative control, which had always been tightly held by longtime producer Barbara Broccoli. New producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal are reported to be locking in Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Roma) for the director's chair, and once that is a done deal, they will progress with the lead cast. Insiders say Amazon is eyeing Liverpool as a stand-in for the next Bond city.
