Debbie (Hayes Warner) has a conversation with Ryan (Daniel Dale) while attending a school event Susan has organised to raise awareness after the kidnapping of the fellow student Rhonda. She asks him what he’s wearing and his reply is not surprising.
Yves Saint Laurent Kouros is an aromatic fougère fragrance created by Pierre Bourdon and launched in 1981, the same year in which the TV show is set. It quickly became very popular (my father wore it, too!), so it’s obvious that someone who takes so much care of his appearance like Ryan uses it.
This specific line (“It’s for men”) adds more depth to a simple exchange. We don’t know much about Ryan yet, but at the beginning of the TV show a sexual connection with Bret is hinted at [1]. This apparently unnecessary remark emphasizes the fact that the boy wants his public persona to be undoubtedly heterosexual.
Debbie’s snappy comment makes us understand that she’s probably seen through the surface, and senses there’s more to Ryan than appearances suggest.
[1] If you have read the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, you’ll remember how important the relationship between the two boys is. None of that can be found in the TV show.
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