Poll: What is TV’s best bromance?

Each time we sit down at the (quite imaginary) great round table that is in the (also quite imaginary) CliqueClack HQ to hash out the weekly poll, it generally goes like this. Someone (me, obviously, this week) suggests an idea for a poll, and a couple of choices. Then, said person is bombarded with all of the ideas that they didn’t think of. This week was no exception. To set the mood, I give you the following:

Ruby: Raj and Howard on The Big Bang Theory. They are such good friends that Leonard’s semi-human, neuroscientist mother described their relationship as an “ersatz homosexual marriage.”

An: I can’t believe you left off the well dressed Neal and Peter bromantic-ship or even the geek-mance of Chuck and Morgan. I might even add in the sub sleeper-relationship of Mike & Carl in Mike & Molly. Use your boy for drunk dialing/drunk drive-by? Sure. Why not? Let him sleep on your girlfriend’s bedroom’s floor during your drunken booty-call? Umm, bromance?

Carla: Mike and Carl are definitely a bromance. I loved that sleepover scene last week.

Carissa: Bobby and Andy on Cougar Town. They’ve actually dedicated scenes to Andy’s feelings about Bobby.

Julia: Oh god, how am I supposed to even choose my favorite Bromance? Bromance is pretty much my favorite thing in a television show ever. Though I would suggest adding John Sheppard and Rodney McKay from Stargate Atlantis. Also, Ryan and Esposito from Castle.

Me: For a working definition: A bromance or man-crush is a close but non-sexual relationship between two (or more) men, a form of homo-social intimacy…. This would eliminate folks like my suggestion of McGarrett and Danno.

Julia: From what little I’ve seen of Hawaii 5-0, I’d disagree. Bromances can often take on a somewhat antagonistic, competitive nature, akin to pigtail pulling or a less sexual Beatrice and Benedict from Much Ado About Nothing (check me out with my snazzy classical references!), but so long as there’s a warm fuzzy feeling at the heart of it, it counts as a bromance. Merlin and Arthur, for instance, is the textbook definition of a bromance, but they spend every episode shamelessly ragging on each other, or throwing things at each other, or making the other intentionally look stupid. A large part of any bromance dynamic is the helplessly adorable sensation of “boys are stupid and incapable of expressing their feelings.”

Jen: Post-romance Bromance! I love it! Let’s see if we can get this to trend on twitter … wait … I may spend too much time there….

Julia: Which brings up an interesting point so far as the term “bromance” is concerned. A lot of these “bromances” are all but romantic relationships, often times being the cause of failed romantic relationships with actual women, (“You always talk about/care more about/spend too much time with [other dude in the bromance].”) or they leave the characters in a state of emotional arrested development where they use the other as a substitute for a woman. There are some, like Abed and Troy, which are genuinely would consider a bromance, but then there are others (like Merlin and Arthur, which I campaign rather violently for), that use the term “bromance” as an excuse to keep from going down the dark, scary path of The Gay, when it’s clear that were one of the characters a girl, they would have jumped each other like five seasons back. This often leads to a very frustrating romantic twist I like to call “the replacement chick,” where writers, upon realizing they have nowhere to go with this relationship besides a commitment ceremony, throw in a girl for one of the guys to fall in love with as a desperate “look! They’re not really gay!” ploy, often times making the girl essentially the other bromantic partner, but with boobs, so it’s then okay to take it to a romance level.

Me: 5 seasons ago?  Bones much?

Julia: Exactly, but the point is, we know they’re going to get together eventually. The bromance fan is a constantly-tortured individual knowing that they will be thrown tantalizing kernels, yet never get a follow-through. It makes us bitter.

Michael: Three words: Ranjit and Chad. I am all over those Metro PCS television commercials. (And yes, they count as relevant to this category.)

(A quick note, and I only do this because I was paid off  with undisclosed wares … But I have it on excellent authority that this week’s Commercial Clack will feature the aforementioned Metro PCS commercials. So check it out … and stuff)

Carla: After this week’s episode, I have to add Casey and Morgan as the beginning of a bromance. Their relationship has become so touching. Never thought I’d see that side of Casey, but Morgan brings it out in him. So sweet.

Me:  Wouldn’t one character having two different bromantic relationships … I don’t really know how to finish the question, I just wanted to use the term “bromantic.”

Carla:  If I had to chose, I would chose Casey and Morgan over Chuck and Morgan. I don’t know that Chuck and Morgan really have a “bromance.” Maybe in Season One, but not anymore.

An: Although I’m on the fence about Mike & Molly (I love the earnestness of the main M&M relationships and the side C&M interaction, but find everything else stilted and poorly done), the guys provided a definition for their bromance (“male camaraderie”) in this week’s episode using Julia’s rather impassioned words (guys ragging on each other). Irony.

Carla: I’m on the fence too. I really don’t like Molly’s mom or sister. I like most of the rest of the show, but they are just so over that top that it is unbelievable and really not funny.

That’s enough of what we think … Why don’t you tell us what you think?

Clacked by Ivey West
on Oct 20, 2010 @ 11:38 EST5EDT