The Importance Of Bomance

Let us journey back to two years ago as I stroll down the crowded hallways of my high school. Accompanying me to my next class is my best friend of four years, whom I have spent nearly every waking minute with since the day our paths crossed. Arriving just as the bell begins to scream ferociously, he pats me on the back and smiles, “Have fun, man! Love ya!” and we hug. One of our peers walks past us and snickers to my teacher, “Give them a minute; they’re bromancing.” The significance behind my interest in this topic stems from not only years of ridicule and rumors over my assumed affair with my best friend, but also from intensive observation regarding these particular bonds in the media. While various renowned aspects of popular culture are keen in their attempts to glorify male bonding and heterosexual “bromances,” the representation of these relationships ultimately comes off as slightly ludicrous, derisive, and usually has homophobic – and, at times, even misogynistic – nuances.

First off, “bromance” is, in itself, an entirely derogatory term. Many individuals have come to understand this phrase to “describe the complicated love and affection shared by two straight males” (“Bromance” def. 1.) As one would expect, the operative word in this exclusive definition is “straight,” which must be accentuated, because the very idea of having two men platonically profess their love for one another is obviously too futuristic and unconventional, right? It is for this very reason that this underscores the “phenomenon of straight panic” (Chen 2012), a decades-old heteronormative discomfort with the thought of being associated with the LGBT community. These concocted notions of relationships not only revolve around subtle – and, often, not...

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...rustration and the audience has no other choice but to root even more for Jason Segel and Paul Rudd’s relationship, which, in all of its heteronormative glory, has taken precedence over everything else.

Pop culture’s demonstration of “bromances” typically mirrors society’s backward views, in that males with extremely close relationships are constantly put into situations permeated with instances of derisive homosexual undertones for comedic effect. These portrayals and the manner in which the characters handle such situations actually blight the importance of male bonding that these various media try to uphold and ultimately further male heterosexism, homophobia, and purposefully exclude women from the equation entirely. It is time to squash the overly complicated notions surrounding bromances and represent male friendships in a respectful, non-discriminatory manner.