Journal 2: Isn't it Bromantic?—Male Intimacy in the Era of Bromances

One interesting phenomenon over the past decade has been the rise of so-called "bromances," intimate, but non-sexual, relationships between American men. Affectionate male bonding has a centuries-long tradition around the world, yet American society has generally drawn rigid lines between two males who are friends—or at least we are lead to believe. Bromances are said to break down many of traditional gender barriers, allowing a man to be more expressive of both his own feelings and his feelings toward his friend. Just why American male friendships are seemingly more open these days is up to debate. Some argue these bonds have been shaped by everything from feminist mothers raising more emotionally-open sons to the gay rights movement to younger generations of men simply breaking from old societal taboos. If you are a man, have you experienced a bromance? Does it feel any different than any other male friendship? How does it stand out? And if you are a female, what do theses relationships look like from the outside looking in? Has a bromance ever made you feel excluded, even jealous?

Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion:

• "The Case for Hugging Your Bros" (GQ)
• "Why I Love Guys Who Hug Other Guys" (New York Magazine)
• "Bromances: A Challenge to Hyper Masculinity" (Broke&Basic)
• "The Joys of Bromance" (HuffPost)
• "'Bromances' are Good for Men's Health Says Science, So Maybe it's Time We Stop Being Weird about Men Having Close Friendships" (Bustle)
• "Don’t Apologize for Wanting to Embrace Bromance and Intimacy" (TheGoodMenProject)

Required:

• MLA Style
• 2 pages in length
• Works cited page 

Due: Tue 9.19/Wed 9.20