Ted: new sex symbol for stuffed animal fetishists
Teddy-bear in Mark Wahlberg film is a pin-up for 'plushies' who can't resist a fake furry animal
MILA KUNIS might have been voted The Sun's sexiest female this year but it is her furry co-star in box office hit Ted who is being held up as a sex symbol.
- R-rated films Magic Mike and Ted top US box office
Animated bear Ted has apparently become a pin-up among 'plushies' – people with a fetish for stuffed animals. Written and voiced by Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane, Ted follows the friendship between Mark Wahlberg's character Johnny and his potty-mouthed teddy bear who has a penchant for pot and prostitutes. Their relationship is tested when Johnny's girlfriend, played by Kunis, becomes tired of Ted's behaviour. But in real life, Ted's character has found some ardent fans. According to TMZ, the nadult entertainment website Clips4Sale.com, which is popular with plushies, has contacted MacFarlane to ask if it can acquire the rights to use Ted's image and make him the site's new mascot. "Not since Alf has there been this kind of excitement over a stuffed animal," they wrote. "We are very serious and would like to engage in talks with you at your earliest convenience." The site also attracts 'furries', people with a fetish for dressing up as stuffed animals, according to one Clips4Sale.com enthusiast who commented on the TMZ story. Ted's fan-base might go some way to explaining the success Ted had at the box office last weekend. It opened as the number one movie in the US, bringing in $54m, beating Magic Mike, Channing Tatum's male-stripper tale. Or as entertainment newspaper The AV Club suggests, the popularity of Ted might go someway to explaining the sexual interests of America. "MacFarlane has yet to respond to the site's "very serious" request," it says, "though hopefully he'll soon realise the importance to a community for whom Ted is essentially their Magic Mike. And actually, considering Magic Mike's second-place finish, this may be all the proof we need that plushies are now America's predominate sexual orientation."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 2, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Dan Wootton: GB News presenter admits ‘errors’ but denies criminality
Speed Read Former employers investigating allegations that he offered colleagues tens of thousands of pounds in return for sexual material
By Jamie Timson Published
-
Sport on TV guide: Christmas 2022 and New Year listings
Speed Read Enjoy a feast of sporting action with football, darts, rugby union, racing, NFL and NBA
By Mike Starling Published
-
Five worst films of 2022
The Week Recommends Jurassic World Dominion, Asking for It and Firestarter were all panned by the critics
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
House of the Dragon: what to expect from the Game of Thrones prequel
Speed Read Ten-part series, set 200 years before GoT, will show the incestuous decline of Targaryen
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
One in 20 young Americans identify as trans or non-binary
Speed Read New research suggests that 44% of US adults know someone who is transgender
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Turner Prize 2022: a ‘vintage’ shortlist?
Speed Read All four artists look towards ‘growth, revival and reinvention’ in their work
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
What’s on TV this Christmas? The best holiday television
Speed Read From films and documentaries to musicals for all the family
By The Week Staff Published
-
Coco vision: up close to Chanel opticals
Speed Read Parisian luxury house adds opticals to digital offering
By The Week Staff Published