No Bromophobia Here

Okay, here’s the thing.  I love Freckled K.  Like, seriously, she’s one of my favorite DC kids, and she always has a way of mingling sentiment with grit that can form a lump in my throat or a twinkle in my eye.  But she and I just can’t seem to see eye to eye on our most recent debacle.

In no way, shape, or form am I embarrassed to admit that I watched Bromance on Monday.

The Brodester Himself

Remember that pesky little rule about how I’m awesome and you’re not allowed to judge me?  It was put into effect for watching 90210 and it’s still very much in play today, as I discuss my newest treasure.  The thing is, 90210 was more of a morbid curiosity shared among friends; Bromance is firmly on its way to appointment television, people.

Let’s back up a tad, please…perhaps to the part where I live in a building with 112 people under the age of 21.  I love my residents, and spent the last two or three weeks of the fall semester almost exclusively with them.  A real connection evolved, and I think of several of them as little brothers and sisters now.  Part of what we did, especially during the freezing rain monstrosity we referred to as Finals Week, was watch TV together.  Did we fall upon an occasional Next, Parental Control, or, heaven forbid, recap of Charm School: Rock of Love?  Of course.  But as we meandered the wasteland that is December television, we started noticing a lot more commercials for upcoming fares from MTV – Real World: Brooklyn, The City, and, be still my heart, Bromance.  What’s the next logical step?  Viewing parties.

There’s no reason to be embarrassed, K.  The show is not only funny, but it realizes that it’s a joke, and everyone’s in on it.  Well, at least everyone besides Michael.  Seriously, dude, you thought this was going to be like The Hills?  But instead of going down the route of your average MTV show, the producers didn’t skewer him.  After Brody and Michael had a broment, and Michael decided he needed to go home, Brody offered him a ride to the airport…because that’s what a real bro would do.  Some of these guys are total rocks, like Jered – who we like to call “Crier” since he was always shown with tears streaming down his face in the ubiquitous ad spots.  Crier is a full time lifeguard from FL who, despite graduating from college with a degree in criminal justice, still claims Spring Break is his favorite time of year.  Come on!

The show is good, harmless fun.  Who wouldn’t want to see cocky losers who wear American Eagle t-shirts out to a club in Hollywood?  Seriously, guys, is Miss Tyra going to guest star in an upcoming makeover episode?  Or what about when “Fratty” (Chris P.) made his shirt calling Pratt out as the douchebag all of us know him to be – joy spread across America when that happened.  Even better, the fact that these guys are eliminated while sitting together in a hot tub.  As “Asian” (Chris F.) said, “The awkward level just went from about five to twenty eight!”, which, inherently, made the awkward level rise even more.  I mean, come on, they even have a “can-fessional,” where the bros have to film all confessional segments while sitting on a toilet.  How can it not be more obvious that this entire show is in on the joke?

Sidebar – unfortch, the same can not be said for Whitney’s spin-off.  The City was enjoyable, yes, but only because the casting department did such a better job with the mactors (model slash actors, and not the other way around) this time around.  There is no way Olivia does any work at DVF.  And what was up with Jay taking Whit to patio-seating restaurants twice?  Does he love the Big Apple weather on September nights, or was it easier for the camera crews to film it as opposed to cramming into a tiny Manhattan bistro?  I’m not trying to knock The City, but it’s so surrealist that the fake parts were suffocating the real parts.  Besides, it was fun to recognize parts of town (and mock Erin for not being to actually afford Gramercy), which can’t be said for the slum they film in on The Hills.  And yes, I realize that I watched two spin-offs of a spin-off of Laguna Beach, which is, in turn, a spin-off from reality.  Bite me.

So all in all, I’m stoked for Bromance.  My guys are stoked for Bromance.  Shit, my girls are stoked for Bromance.  And who is stoked most of all?  The company that made our viewing party t-shirts.

Essential to fully soak in broments.