Bromance

For the MTV reality series, see Bromance (TV series).

A bromance or "man-crush" is a close but non-sexual relationship between two men, a form of homosocial intimacy. Coined in the 1990s, the term has historically referred to a relationship between heterosexuals, but the term has gained currency in describing such relationships when one of the men is gay.

Etymology

"Bromance" is a portmanteau, a combination of the words "brother" and "romance". Editor Dave Carnie coined the term in the skateboard magazine Big Brother in the 1990s to refer specifically to the sort of relationships that develop between skaters who spent a great deal of time together.

Sociology

Aristotle described a concept similar to the bromance as early as 300 BCE, writing, "It is those who desire the good of their friends for the friends' sake that are most truly friends, because each loves the other for what he is, and not for any incidental quality". Research into friendship and masculinity has found that recent generations of men, raised by feminist mothers in the 1970s, are more emotionally open and more expressive. There is also less concern among men at the notion of being identified as gay and so men are more comfortable exploring deeper friendships with other men. Men are also entering into a first marriage at later ages than they have previously. According to a 2007 study conducted by the Rutgers University National Marriage Project, men are waiting to marry until an average age of 27, up from an average age of 23 in 1960, and men with more education are waiting until their 30s before getting married. The financial pressure of staying single longer may lead to men becoming roommates for extended periods, fueling the bromance.

Celebrity and fictional bromances

A number of celebrities have engaged in bromances with fellow celebrities. Examples include: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, described as "perhaps the pioneering bromance in showbiz history," which led to a hit off-Broadway play called Matt and Ben. Finally, there is the friendship between George Clooney and Brad Pitt, which some humorously describe as "George's longest lasting affair". Clooney's bromantic tendencies served as the basis for an episode of the animated series American Dad! entitled "Tears of a Clooney", in which lead character Stan Smith becomes bromantically involved with Clooney as part of an elaborate revenge plot.

Politically, the relationship between Bill Clinton and Al Gore has been characterized as a precursor to the bromance. The relationship between George W. Bush and former press secretary Scott McClellan as told in McClellan's book What Happened has been described by one reviewer as "the tale of one long, failed bromance". The premiers of Ontario and Quebec, Dalton McGuinty and Jean Charest, have been engaged in what's been described as a "burgeoning bromance".

Brody Jenner, featured on MTV's reality show The Hills and the subject of bromance discussions for his relationships with castmates Justin Bobby and Spencer Pratt, debuted his own series on the network, called Bromance, on December 29, 2008. The six-episode series features Jenner selecting from amongst competitors to become part of Jenner's "entourage".

In fiction, what had once been called buddy films have to a degree been re-branded as bromance films, although critics do still draw a distinction between the two, noting that a buddy film both tends to be more explicitly violent and more open about its latent homosexual content. The intersection between buddy films and what would come to be called the bromance film was noted comedically at least as early as 1978, when National Lampoon ran a parody ad for the football-themed buddy film Semi-Tough, renamed "Semi-Sweet" and featuring an illustration of stars Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson holding hands.

Bromance on television has also become more commonplace, with some critics tracing its origins back to such shows as The Odd Couple. TV Guide placed Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) and James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) on the cover, under the headline "Isn't It Bromantic?"

Gay-straight bromances

File:Benronnieimg08.jpg

"Bronnie"

While the term has generally been applied to straight relationships, mixed gay-straight relationships have also been dubbed bromances. Examples of well-known gay-straight bromances (sometimes dubbed "homomances" or "hobromances") include Ronnie Kroell and Ben DiChiara from the Bravo reality series Make Me a Supermodel, in which the pair was nicknamed "Bronnie". (similar to such celebrity couple nicknames as TomKat and Bennifer) and the Survivor: Gabon relationship between Charlie Herschel and Marcus Lehman.

See also

• Homosociality
• Male bonding