tagged w/ Public Display of Affection
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The new rules of manhood suggest that you're not a real man unless you're party to a "bromance". These days, no meeting mano a mano is complete without a lingering hug, a manly pat on the bottom, even a kiss – on the lips! After winning Newcomer of the Year at the WhatsOnStage theatre awards in February, Daniel Radcliffe found himself in a clinch with Gavin & Stacey's James Corden. Before an audience of their peers, the two young men appeared to enjoy a lengthy snog.
The rise of the "bromance" ought to be cause for celebration. This trend has spread from the Continent, where it has always been acceptable for male friends to engage in a bit of slap and tickle. Silvio Berlusconi never had any problem planting his lips on the pasty cheeks of Blair or Bush.
Now, it has become the norm in the Anglo-Saxon world, where public displays of affection have been embraced from Hollywood to Capitol Hill. John Travolta caused a stir when he planted a smacker on Kirk Douglas at the Santa Barbara film festival last year, and three years earlier Douglas's son Michael was seen smooching Danny DeVito at the Golden Globes.
In the UK, even the stiffest of upper lips trembles at the thought of another man's embrace. Here is Prince William, first of a new generation of potentially progressive royals, air-kissing his frigid father. It's a charming image of familial bliss. Long live the bromance.The new rules of manhood suggest that you're not a real man unless you're... more
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