The term bromance has recently appeared in our culture to describe a certain relationship; a bromance is when two men are best friends and are deeply involved with each other.but not in a homosexual manner. The word is a combination of brother and romance. Simply put, bromance is the male equivalent to the female BFF.
There was even a MTV reality show entitled “Bromance” starring Brody Jenner, where he sought out to find a close friend that competed in challenges to win his friendship.
More importantly though, comedy movies are placing great emphasis and parody on this type of relationship, and making it normal to be involved with a male buddy. The recent release of “I Love You Man” demonstrates this emerging social trend.
This film reminds me of a Judd Apatow comedy, though he had no part in it. Like “I Love You, Man,” all of his tremendous comedies focus on some bromantic aspect and have the same strong basis of actors that is seen here.
“I Love You, Man” follows newly-engaged Peter Klaven, a Los Angeles real estate agent who has just come to the realization that he has no male friends. He begins a search for a new best friend who could be his best man. Peter is played by the amazing Paul Rudd (“Role Models” and “40 Year Old Virgin”) with such geeky tendencies the audience can only laugh hysterically at his embarrassing antics. His typical wiseass antics are gone but replaced brilliantly with a nerdy understanding that makes one rethink his career.
The ongoing joke of “I Love You, Man” is that Peter is too sweet, sincere, and sensitive to indulge in typical crude male bonding rituals: vulgar sex gossip, sports talk, and caroling to Rush songs like there is no tomorrow.
This is where Sydney, played by Jason Segel (“Freaks and Geeks” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), comes in to sweep Peter off his feet. Sydney is natural buddy material personified and the more the two hang out the more Peter sees him as a pro).spective mate for his wedding. However, the male bonding that goes down shows just how bad Peter is at it (seriously, so wincingly funny it hurts).
Rudd’s character has such an eager desire to fit in and be accepted that he is easily a geek that you can emphasize with and root for. Sydney’s acceptance of his new best bud show the inner workings of an emerging bromance.
“I Love You, Man” is a guy-meets-guy “romantic comedy” and parodies how men have been changed by girl-power culture, seen through Peter’s great ease in relatng to women but complete inability in bonding with his own gender. The movie is completely rude, raunchy, funny, and guy-oriented, focusing on everything that makes and breaks a bromance.
Other comedies have also had great success with male bonding, but none like “I Love You, Man” because it intimately focuses on this once taboo relationship. In the “40 Year Old Virgin” bromance was defined and given faces: enjoying fine pornography, playing passionate poker games, rallying together to find women, smoking dope out of an apple, and joking about their borderline homosexual relationships despite being straight.
“Knocked Up” is another comedic example of the bromance trend which involves all of these aspects, along with arguing over trivial things like who is greater, Chuck Norris or Steven Segal?
Even “Pineapple Express” contains not-so-subtle male bonding situations, spending a weekend getaway in the forest together or just hanging out watching cartoons.
The film “Superbad” also falls into this bromance category as it focuses on teenage bromance relationship and all its intimate details.
The gender norm in our society discourages men from being emotional or sharing intimate feelings with other men for fear of being labeled un-masculine or homosexual. The term bromance has made men feel less homophobic about sharing their emotions with their closest male companion.
Through humor this idea has spread throughout our culture and has become widely accepted. “I Love You, Man” is a terrific film that imitates the male bonding in the tremendous Will Ferrell comedy “Step Brothers” and is just as funny and loveable. So go watch this awesome film and become inspired to forge your own bromance with a friend. Seriously, it’s okay.