Ladies and Gentlemen: One carries dog

Women who love their animals are disparagingly called "Cat Ladies" in the Anglo-American world. The term is meant to lump together all women considered crazy and alludes to the idea that animal love is a substitute for a human partner, specifically a man. The "animal lady" is considered unmarriageable because she always has wet food stuck to her clothes and is surrounded by a multitude of cats, rodents, and dogs. However, Brigitte Bardot became questionable for other reasons, not because of her boundless love of animals! The truth, therefore, looks much more like Demi Moore, who, as a "Dog Lady," is not unmarriageable at all, but beautiful and more successful than ever. And this despite the fact that she has been taking her Chihuahua, Pilaf, everywhere with her like a handbag for years. The Chihuahua also has a bad reputation, much like the "Cat Lady." It is seen as a yappy lapdog carried around by snobs as a substitute for children, which is usually just a small part of the life of this amusing dog. Pilaf, for example, has already been to fashion shows in Paris and bored herself to tears on talk shows; moreover, she has her own Instagram account. Here she is with her owner in New York, looking stunning in front of the velvety, luminous Saint Laurent suit. Dog owners know: you can never really look your best without your pooch, because then you're wearing clothes born of guilt. With men, it's often the other way around; their absence can bring out an unexpected glow. So who's the crazy one here—the manless cat lady or the pet-less wife?

Several aspects of Alexander Skarsgård's appearance at a film premiere in London last week warrant discussion. It's not visible here, but several large motorcycles were parked behind him on the red carpet. Skarsgård also had his dog Maggie with him, and, well, his outfit for the evening consisted of a barely-there shirt and a leather tie, looking suspiciously like the attire of men who jump out of cakes and start stripping. In fact, all these disturbing elements are connected to the film being presented, "Pillion." Its plot is described as follows: An aging but still attractive leader of a motorcycle gang (Skarsgård) meets a young, timid man, introduces him to the pleasures of sadomasochistic culture, and makes him his sex slave. To put it mildly, this sounds like a cinematic endeavor off the beaten track. So that explains the bikes, the dog with a 16+ rating, and the hair-raising S&M outfit on the otherwise so impeccably Scandinavian Mr. Skarsgård. The fundamental question, however, is—should the actors' styling at a film premiere really reflect the plot? In alien movies, there's always some costumed extra waving an alien club, but it feels more like a second-rate amusement park. And sure, it would be fine if Mr. Skarsgård brought a dog along. But the cake-patterned shirt was rather unnecessary.