Daily Mail - 01.08.2019

(Jacob Rumans) #1

Daily Mail, Thursday, August 1, 2019


DAILY MAIL
THURSDAY,
AUGUST 1, 2019

MAGAZINE
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Page 41

THIRTY years ago this summer,
the film When Harry Met Sally
was released — and instantly
reignited the battle of the sexes
with its assertion that men and
women can never be ‘just
friends’ without the issue of sex
rearing its ugly head.
While it all worked out for
Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally
(Meg Ryan) in the end, the idea
sparked furious debate. Today,

the state of sexual politics has
altered hugely, with increased
workplace rights for women,
new tolerance of different
sexual orientations and, not
least, the impact of the #MeToo
movement against sexual
harassment. But has anything
really changed? Can men and
women be ‘just friends’ in 2019?
We asked a team of top writers
for their views...

It’s 30 years since the


iconic rom-com said


platonic friendships


between men and


women are impossible.


Now, after seismic


changes in the gender


wars, top writers ask...


Could Harry


be friends with


Sally today?


THURSDDDAY,
AUGUST 1, 2019

MEN MY AGE DON’T


MAKE GOOD CHUMS


ROWAN PELLING
I hate to say
this, but men of
my generation
who make good
friends for
women are thin
on the ground.
they don’t tend
to be as inter-

ested in women’s innermost
thoughts, taking refuge instead
in hobbies, military history or
shouting at politicians on
the television. Female friend-
ships, on the other hand, often
centre around exchanges of
intimate information.
It reminds me of the stats
that show men can be reluctant
to read novels by women, while
women read across gender
and genre.
But I can see things will be

different for my sons’
generation. they’ve been
alongside girls throughout their
education and have grown up
knowing women provide insight
and emotional refuge when
male friends are being bullish
or obtuse.
they laugh with their female
friends and don’t express
amazement at the notion a
woman can be just as funny as
any man. One of my favourite

LITTLE witches, wizards and Muggles will be
spellbound by Mini Boden’s new Harry Potter
clothing collection — and parents will have
fun dressing them up, too.
There are 81 items for children from new-
born to age 16, ranging from bespoke printed

T-shirts and jumpers to colour-change
sequins and dresses emblazoned with spells
from J.K. Rowling’s children’s books.
Best of all is the Protego Maxima Magical
Cloak, left, a masterpiece in black velvet,
gold jacquard piping and sequin embroi-

dery, and the matching party dress in deep
purple tulle.
Or snuggle up in a cosy knitted cardigan
with an embellished faux fur Hedwig the
owl, right. The collection launches on August
5, available exclusively at boden.co.uk.

Boden’s magic idea? A cloak for your mini-Muggle

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