TresSugar

Do, Dump, or Marry?

DearSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0700

Even though Pineapple Express doesn't hit theaters until Wednesday, James Franco and friends have been hitting the promotional circuit in full force. I've actually never seen any of his movies, but every time I see him on the red carpet or late-night television, I can't help but pay attention - he's just so good-looking! Sure, he has a baby face, but come on, there's no denying his hot factor. He's a do for me, but what about you? If you had your druthers, would you want to do, dump, or marry James Franco?

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Humpday: Takes the Bromance to Its Logical Conclusion

TresSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:00:00 -0700

I can't wait to see Humpday, director Lynn Shelton's new film about old college friends who decide to enter an amateur porn filmmaking contest and to have sex with one another on film. Did I mention they're straight men? Shelton has said that the film is about how straight men can turn anything into a competition - even if it means having to do each other.

The film hasn't come out yet, so I'm only going on reviews and the director's comments, but I'm a little disappointed that the sex doesn't arise for the two men out of confused affection for one another, but rather because of a contest. To hear why I think we need more films about men loving each other (or lovin' on one another) and why it's good for women, read more.

I'm convinced that if men were able to admit on some level that they want to be close - not necessarily have sex, obviously, but that maybe an attraction is possible - a lot of macho crap like denigrating women and homophobia wouldn't be so rampant. Why? Because a more open definition of masculinity would mean fewer threats to it. Take gay men - you don't hear a lot of stories about them punching straight people in the face for being straight.

A slew of films about male bonding, or bromances - Pineapple Express, 40 Year Old Virgin, and Superbad - have highlighted the cute and sometimes touching bonds men share. (Although sometimes, as I argued here, it's at the expense of women.) In my favorite scene in Superbad, Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) finally admit to one another during a slumber party that they love each other and will miss one another when they go off to college. It's stupid, says Seth, that men can't say "I love you" to one another.

I couldn't agree more, and whether or not Humpday ends up being a progressive movie about (extreme) male bonding or expands the idea of what straight men can be to each other (and others), I bet we haven't heard the last of this subject.

Dish! What Do You Make of the New Bromance Culture?

GiggleSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Something's a-brewin' in the world of masculinity. It's called the "bromance," and it's an attempt by straight men to be friends without being all gay about it. Unfortunately, it's kind of homophobic, and it's spawned an insulting credo, "Bros before hos," which pits girlfriends as the bromance's public enemy number one. To find out what I'm talking about and to watch a video about bromances read more.

Clearly, men have a yearning to be close, outside of a football field or war zone, so the idea of bromances is a step in the right direction. But do men have to be jerks and diss women and gay dudes in the process? (Incidentally, bromance culture has blown up in large part because of Judd Apatow, whose films, including Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad, and Pineapple Express, should have their own genre - the Brom-Com, or Bromantic Comedy.) So tell me, what do you make of the new bromance culture?