Guests are invited to stay in Barbie’s Ken-ified DreamHouse, the LGBTQ+ community marches in New York City’s Pride Parade in defiance of political attacks, and The New Yorker makes the case against travel. All this and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Come on Barbie, let’s go party—in real life
Photo by Joyce Lee
If you’re a Barbie girl—as we all can be—then the Barbie movie’s marketing campaign is certainly working on you. Airbnb is also getting in on the excitement. Fans can rent the pretty-in-pink Malibu Barbie DreamHouse, hosted by Ken, for two individual one-night stays for up to two guests on July 21st and 22nd, writes Variety. The DreamHouse stars an outdoor disco floor, infinity pool, and a set of signature yellow and pink Impala skates and surfboards. “We all have dreams, and Barbie is lucky enough to have a house full of them,” Ken said in the press release. “But now, it’s my turn, and I can’t wait to host guests inside this one-of-a-kind—dare I say, one-of-a-Ken?—digs.” (Real Barbie heads can also enjoy Buzzfeed’s take on what Barbie’s DreamHouse looks like for each state.)
Dior’s spa cruise to set sail next month
Rendering courtesy of Dior
Luxury brand Dior’s spa cruise will set sail on the River Seine beginning on July 3rd during Haute Couture Week in Paris. The Dior-branded yacht will offer two different cruise options—the treatment cruise and the wellness cruise—both of which are two hours long, according to Hypebeast. The former includes a one-hour face or body treatment and a one-hour rest on the boat’s deck, while the wellness option includes a one-hour activity followed by one hour of rest. Additionally, the yacht features four treatment cabins, one double cabin, a fitness area, juice bar, relaxation deck, and a pool.
NYC Pride March continues despite attacks on LGBTQ+ rights
Last Sunday was the NYC Pride March—the largest of its kind in the U.S. with 75,000 marchers and around two million spectators in Manhattan. This year’s parade, which marks the 1969 Stonewall riots that spurred the modern LGBTQ+ movement, was also a response to the threats on those rights. Writes The New York Times, “Over the last year, states across the country have passed laws banning drag performances and transgender healthcare, while protests and physical attacks on LGBTQ events and their supporters have cast a pall over gay bars and community centers.” The worsening political climate—led by conservatives and presidential candidates like Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida—has made these celebratory gatherings feel less safe, the organizers wrote.
Is travel worth it?
In The New Yorker this week, philosopher Agnes Callard wonders if travel is worth it. The controversial piece (critics have called it entitled and elitist) says that “travel gets branded as an achievement: see interesting places, have interesting experiences, become interesting people. Is that what it really is?” Callard argues that travel, in fact, divorces us from humanity instead of enlightening us. All those tourist activities (re: seeing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris) actually hold us back from experiencing a city. Travelers are compelled to do what they’re supposed to do in a place but also have a desire to avoid it. Callard writes that travel is not transformative, in fact, “The traveler departs confident that she will come back with the same basic interests, political beliefs, and living arrangements. Travel is a boomerang. It drops you right where you started.”
ICYMI: Tour the Valley Forge Fabrics factory in Massachusetts with HD
In the latest episode of our HDTV video series, we toured Valley Forge Fabrics’ North East Campus in Brockton, Massachusetts with Charlie Grady, senior director of customer operations, and other members of the team. The sponsored segment takes viewers behind the curtain, so to speak, to see how the company’s products, including window treatments and bedding, are made. Indeed, the factory handles 100-plus guestrooms a day, in addition to public spaces and other areas. Watch the full episode.
