by Siti Fatimah Ayuningdyah

(Bromance: noun. 1. A non-sexual relationship between two men who are unusually close.)

In the spring of 2009, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert, dubbed lovingly as ‘Kradam’ by fans, rose to fame as finalists fighting for the title of American Idol in its eighth season. Viewers were split into two camps. One group was enamoured by Allen’s inventive acoustic renditions and the other was captivated by Lambert’s glam rock revival. As for Kradam (yes, they are a unity), they were just too busy bromancing each other. Their unusually close relationship, despite Allen’s marital status, intrigued the public. Kradam brought back the term ‘bromance’ and made it cool again. People could not get enough of their bromance, and boy, did they deliver!

Their friendship blossomed when they became roommates at the Idol mansion.They could not seem to get through an interview without mentioning each other’s name. As a show of solidarity, they wore matching nail polish to show their mutual support for each other, defusing rumors of rivalry.

Fans of the show began to notice. Fangirls embraced it heartily and online sites, fangroups nd a slew of slash fanfiction grew overnight dedicated to Kradam. It did not help that they had always been very “physically comfortable” with each other, often seen sharing hugs and even an ear kiss on camera.

-hug-

The turning point of their bromantic saga was when Lambert, who is openly gay, disclosed his crush on his best friend on Rolling Stone magazine, saying

“He’s the one guy that I found attractive in the whole group on the show; nice, nonchalant, pretty and totally my type — except that he has a wife.”

Kris Allen, Kris Allen's Wife & Adam Lambert

Allen, who was raised a Christian, stated that he was flattered and even said nonchalantly in an interview that the crush was mutual. Still, these two have always been very careful and respectful of Allen’s marital status and made it clear that nothing beyond friendship (albeit a very unusually close one) is going on.

Bromance

‘Bromance’ is not exactly a new found phenomenon. In fact, the history of bromance started a long time ago. In Japan, yaoi or ‘Boys’ Love’ has always been immensely popular among the female population.

It refers to the female-oriented fictional media that focuses on homoerotic male relationships. Male popstars in Japan are famous for giving their fans ‘fan-service’ which involves them engaging in sexually provocative acts with fellow guys. They know that it sells and that the fangirls will eat it up. Even Kradam knows how certain fans of theirs fantasize about them being together; they know that fan fictions about them actually exist. Allen joked, “I have a feeling that most of those do not end up very PG-rated.” If only you knew, Mr. Allen.

Although Hollywood has not been as up front in its fascination with bromances, Hollywood is actually a covert minefield for bromances. Now, who can forget how much attention the media gave to real life BFF’s Matt Damon and Ben Affleck when they, then unknown actors, won an Oscar together.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

On March 1997, everybody was screaming for these young men as they got up to accept their award. They were just so green, cute, and bromantic! Furthermore, Hollywood’s shielded fascination with bromances also translates into movies and tv series. Supernatural is a TV show with an incredible cult following. The two stars, Jensen Ackless and Jared Padalecki (or J2 to fans), are the object of many heterosexual female and gay men’s bromantic, sometimes slashy, fantasies. To the fans’ defense, the two actors did not actually make it difficult for fans to be suspicious of their relationship. The boys sometimes kissed each other on the red carpet and at one point even shared an apartment.

Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki

What is it with bromances that make them so? Will the popularity of bromances lead boys to engage in bromantic behavior just to get girls? Is Singapore, or Indonesia, ready for bromances? Well, for those of you boys who are reading this, please hold your horses. Not every bromance works, and there are a few requirements to be met in order to make a bromance appealing;

1. Make sure you and your bromantic partner are hot. If not, then, too bad.

2. You can be different, but you two have to ‘fit’.

3. Subtlety is the way to go. It will keep people guessing and interested.

4. If one or both of you are taken, it is even better. After all, who doesn’t love a tragic, unrequited romance bromance?

Kris Allen, his wife, Katy Allen and Adam Lambert

5. You want to make sure that everything stays within the bromantic boundaries, otherwise people might think you are gay

(Not that there is anything wrong with that, but that is not your desired effect.)

So, are you ready to be bromanticized?