The term “bromance” has been coined to mean an affectionate, but non-sexual, relationship between two males.

Popular culture is chockfull of examples of such relationships indicating a growing approval for such relations — the rapport in the new Sherlock Holmes film between the title character and his friend Watson was close to say the least. Holmes even came across as clingy at various points of the film, disapproving of Watson’s desire to get married.

The MTV show Bromance featuring Brody Jenner is another recent example of the how the term has become popularized.

And of course, Judd Apatow’s fleet of bromantic comedy projects — Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad — has fueled the genre.

“[Eve Sedgwick] suggested that straight men often communicate and relate to other straight men through women,” Lily Cho, English professor at Western, said. “The rise of ‘bromance’ is interesting because it seems to suggest that women are no longer the currency through which men express themselves to each other.”

According to Cho, although the language used to describe such relationships is novel, the idea of a bromance isn’t anything new.

“I’m not sure it constitutes a radical change from previous representations of men’s relationships,” Cho added. “Surely, the predecessor of the bromance could arguably be the kind of friendship you find in the buddy film about which film scholars have written extensively.”

According to Keir Keightley, associate professor in the faculty of information and media studies, such relations are expressed freely between men in particular cultures.

“In the Arab world, in Iran, in parts of the Middle East, good friends hold hands,” he said. “The idea that there is some sort of sexual dimension to that would be seen as ludicrous.”

Keightley points to the growing trend of sexualizing relationships, which has accelerated in the 20th century.

“[Such relations] were very common and were not seen as abnormal or deviant. It’s only with the rise of […] the hetero-homosexual binary — the idea that one’s sexuality exists in opposition to another form of sexuality — […] [that a] passionate friendship between two men become seen as problematic or even deviant,” he added.

Moreover, Keightley mentioned the taboo over women’s homosexuality is diminishing women’s sexuality as a weaker thing in western culture.

“It’s a different set of regulations, a different set of sexual regulations,” Keightley said. “I think that’s what makes us a little concerned about bromances — it raises an issue only to shut down a full discussion, and what seems at first to be an open minded exploration of the masculine identity turns out to be a return to the same old heteronormativity.”

Although bromantic relationships remain the subject of giggles, students appear to be comfortable with such a relationship on campus.

“It’s everywhere,” Justin Leung, a second-year social science student at Western, said. “I guess I have one.”

“I think it’s adorable,” Kim Wood, second-year social science student, said.

Yet the humorous way in which affectionate relationships between two men are seen points to a larger problem according to some, especially in regards to homosexuality.

“Bromance could be read as an acknowledgement of an area of anxiety that ultimately reconfigures masculinity so as to maintain its hegemony,” Keightley stated. “The bromance ultimately reassures us that liking another man doesn’t make you gay, yet reiterates the homophobic idea that being gay is a problem.”