Bros and the Search for Perpetual Childhood
Bros. They are everywhere, and they are unstoppable. Their mission: to return to the womb.
Copyranter points us to the latest example of Bro-dom in popular culture: this new bro-centric New Zealand ad campaign for PEPSI MAX, in which males are asked to make a "Bromitment" to, you know, spend time with one another, drinking PEPSI MAX. What is the real message here?
1. They pledge to "ignore a texting girlfriend who always needs to know where I am." I am with bros, okay?
2. They pledge to "fight against the ridiculousness of mum." Hmm.
3. "Even if smoking hot her asks me over for cupcakes, I'll say, 'Sorry babe. I made a Bromitment." Will you actually say that, verbatim? Alarming.
4. Bros can go online to register to win great bro prizes, including a Road Trip Across the USA "with three mates for two whole weeks."
"No girls allowed. Get off my back, mom. Ewww, cooties. Let's run away and drive all they across the country in a real car. We can drink all the soda we want!"
The entire conceit of Bro-dom is little more than your typical vaguely homoerotic coming-of-age story, only played in reverse, as grown men seek to regress back to a time when nothing of consequence intruded upon their perpetual all-male playtime bubble.
Which is fine, if that's your thing.