Broculture and The Hangover
Abstract
The concept of broculture and bromance in the movie, The Hangover provides a new understanding into the changing conception of masculinity in the modern man as depicted in popular culture. It is both a celebration of uber-masculinity and the liberation of the individual, in particular, the male from traditional conventions through the experimentation with drugs and alcohol.This paper seeks to examine the treatment of broculture in by Phillips in The Hangover. The first part provides a short synopsis of the movie and explores the choice and treatment of the setting of Las Vegas. The second part looks at how characters negotiate their sexuality and masculinity through the excess of drugs and alcohol. It further explores the potential for emotional intelligence in the four friends. The last part of the paper looks at the marginalization of the female characters in the movie.
Historically, the term “bro” referred shorthand to brother or friend. Moving into the 21st century, the term has taken a new identity and new meaning. A Bro is now defined “as a specific kind of fratty masculinity” (Demby n. p.). This conception of bro associates the term with fratty white guys. Associating the term with guys leads to a limited understanding of the term since it now applies to people of color and middle aged men. It is used as a term of endearment. Barney Stinson argues that “a bro is a person who would give you the shirt off his back when he doesn't want to wear it anymore. A Bro is a lifelong companion you can trust will always be there for you, unless he’s got something else going on” (1). Stinson definition of bro is laced with humor and based on a fictional TV character but it mirrors what a bro really is - a companion. In a more critical exploration of the bro culture in Hollywood, Alilunas observed that companionship is important to individuals who constitute the bro culture (12).
Despite its ubiquity in popular culture, the term “bro” has received little scholarly attention. It is usually explored under the umbrella term of bromance. Bromance is a term that refers to “a specific configuration of male homosocial relationships and the texts that explore and represent them” (Thompson 368). Thompson goes on to say that bromance can be viewed as a sensibility; as a discourse, a film genre, as a lifestyle and as a taste code (368). The different ways of exploring bro culture are not exclusive since everything is intertwined. The film genre of bromance is a way of mirroring the bro lifestyle.
Even with the limited attention from scholars, aspects of being a bro and bro culture can be easily deduced. A survey by the National Public Radio (NPR) showed that there are four elements that makes one a bro. The first two are “jockishness” and “dudeliness” (Demby n. p.). Jockishness refers to the evidence of physical prowess or having the build for sports. Dudeliness on the other hand denotes one’s ability and preparation to always conduct their business with bros and confide in them.
There are two other significant terms associated with the bro culture. There are “preppiness” and “stoner-ishness”. Preppiness refers to the ability to dress in a certain way. Demby notes that “a bro’s sartorial inclinations are conservatively casual” meaning that bros prefer casual ways of dressing. Stoner-ishness is the ability to have a cool and happy free vibe. Stoner-ishness is stems not just from the need to be cool but to cope with complex social expectations. Bros have to contend with the knowledge that society’s expectations of males have changed. The role of the man in society is influx and this presents a challenge which is often solved by stoner-ishness. All these elements put together show that bros are defined not exactly by color but demeanor. They also make up the broculture. In the movie, The Hangover, there is preppiness, dudeliness and stoner-ishness but there is little of jockishness. The four friends who embark on a trip to Las Vegas do not have the physical build associated with frat house bros.
The Hangover is an example of broculture at work. It is a story about four individuals who embark on an adventure that is spurred by the excuse of having a bachelor’s party. To make the oddity of this near slapstick comedy more funny and accommodative to all types of viewers, the writers concentrate not on the actual bachelor’s party but the aftermath (Wyatt 19). The focus on the aftermath presents the best opportunity to reflect on the consequences of bro related actions. The Hangover becomes less of a celebration of the broculture but a critical reflection of it. By focusing on the aftermath, the creators of The Hangover took a stand on what they thought extreme broculture activities such as partying lead to. They lead to destruction not only of property but human bonds and relations.
The four friends go to Vegas with the idea of having fun but their experience of the real Vegas is limited to the time they got to the rooftop after their arrival to the hilarious attempts at a recollection of the previous day’s events. Through flashbacks, the viewer is taken into the broculture of partying. Through the emphasis on partying in the film one is able to explore issues of gender and motivations for the emergence or creation of brocultures. It is the delineation of gender differences aspect of the culture that is critical to this analysis.
A common feature of American culture is the conscious and unconscious dictation of acceptable gender behavior. Even though the understanding of gender roles have changed, some aspects of traditional cultures still exist today. Society still expects women to behave in particular way. They should be compassionate, motherly, caring and homely while masculinity is defined by toughness and the ability to act like a potential provider (Alberti 160). The slow acceptance of the stay at home dad and boys doing what traditionally was said to be what only girls could do has let a vacuum in terms of understanding gender roles. Coupled with the acceptance of different forms of sexuality, those who adhere to a more traditional understanding of gender are often confronted with changes they cannot understand or define. Bromance introduces a conflict that most males are at trouble in solving. Chen argues bromances “reinforce gender hierarchy, bolster marriage as the governing archetypal relationship, and normalize homophobia” (259). It is evident that bros want to retain certain traditional forms of power such as those found in marriage. They face resistance from society. The struggle to redefine gender leaves most individuals, in particular, middle class white males with an identity crisis (Hatfield 527). As a group that has been dominant in all cultural and societal activities, the inability to dictate how society functions brings with it a challenge that finds an outlet in subcultures. Other scholars like Alilunas observe that the masculinity of bromance movies has little to do with denying femininity or becoming a hero but more to do with escape (13). It provides an opportunity for men to celebrate failure and not be hounded by judgement from the greater part of society. There exist a belief in the bro culture that males are somehow being persecuted. Alilunas argues that this persecution is more imagined than real. In The Hangover, there is one character who is ‘persecuted’ - Stu. Because not enough of time is expended towards the development of Stu’s girlfriend’s character, it is not easy to come to the conclusion that his persecution is real. It is true that for the few moments that she appears in the movie, she is manipulative and controlling. One aspect of bro logic especially the stereotyped bro is that women are manipulative, hence the need for a good bro circle that restores an individual to their senses.
The Hangover is a quest and yearning for male indulgence rather than symbolic of mainstream culture. The trip back home and the struggle to make it home in time for the wedding, shows that broculture has its limitations. It is an escape avenue than a solid ingrained culture. The broculture provides an outlet for reacting against society’s demands from equality, especially gender equality (Alilunas 15). With changing notions and understanding of manhood, individuals find create new social circles that give them a new identity. This is not an identity that comes from family relations but from wanting to come up with spaces for male bonding. It is a movement to pre-modern times where men used to go hunting and bond around a fire. Hatfield observes that a lot of parallels can be drawn between broculture and traditional male gatherings and bondings (532). Bro meetings are an opportunity for males to sit down and deliberate on developments in their life. Like old times bros get to share their experiences without the need of dealing with sentimentalities.
In bro cultures, individuals are looking for a way to redefine their sense self. Redefining the self entails finding ways to be comfortable with the new roles that men play in society. It is also a way of shaping the future according to shared values and beliefs of what men are and should do. The performance of gender through broculture shows the individual’s struggle with their sense of self (Matthew 38). Bros often find themselves watching movies like The Hangover and Fight Club. From these movies, they get the extra element of masculinity they do not find in real life. It is a way of solidarity of refusing to admit that they are “a generation of men raised by women” and that is not bad at all (Fincher n.p.). Bros have to contend with and accept the fact that women now wield the same amount of power as men and that the relationship between men and women should not be reduced to gender issues. Being identified as soft is not bad at all. It however should be noted that not all bros are the same but some are ridden with guilt and shame when they assail in activities that one would think they were traditionally made for women.
The emergence of broculture is in essence a failed attempt at the revival of old gender relations and traditions. The goal is to explore whether the broculture in movies like The Hangover emerges out of the need for a community or the desire for man to retain their privileged positions in society. It can be a yearning for the past that comes with the realization that the past is long gone, hence the need to create a new culture that advances new ways of thinking masculinity. When looked it as a complex phenomenon, male bonding becomes significant in understanding modern cultures. In The Hangover, male bonding takes precedence over everything else and this is the nature of bromance films (Alberti 159). A viewer gets glued to the television set because they want to know if Alan manages to become a real member of the wolfpack. It takes the whole movie for him to finally fit in. The relationships are complex but they are managed and maintained.
The opening scene of The Hangover is a testament to its approach to the theme of male bonding. It features Doug, the groom to be and his future brother-in-law, Alan, trying tuxedos on for the wedding. It is evident from the first scene that Doug is portrayed as a mature adult compared to Alan. The broculture becomes evident when Doug’s future father-in-law walks in. He teases his son, Alan, and tells him he has his mother’s legs. This is a reflection of a critical part of broculture which is the idea that Bros cannot be like girls. Even though the remakes are made for jokes and enhance the comedic aspect of the move, they do have a basis in how society things a real man should look and act like. There is a certain unconscious standard that is set and no man is expected to break it. Men are not allowed to share sentimentalities and they should have everything figured out. It is evident that Alan does not have everything figured out (Doug 23). This however does not mean that he is not an intelligent man. He might be the most intelligent man in the group, much more intelligent than the dentist, Stu. Harbidge notes that “The Hangover is marked by both a fascination with and repulsion towards the male form that symptomatic of such anxiety” (Harbidge 7). This fascination is complicated by the fact that the least alpha-male and least attractive member of the group,
Alan seems to be the one who is most comfortable with his male body form. The taunting from his father and friends seems to do little in ruffling him. Alan is an interesting member of the group, an outlier bro. He is short, chubby, his beard is unkempt and walks around with a purse. He is a contrast to Phil, played by Bradley Cooper. Phil shows the concern for the presence of the Alpha dog in bro culture. In Phil and Alan, the viewer sees to disparate beings with different worldviews but belong to the same broculture. This means that there is no typical bro even though society generally believes the typical bro is the alpha dog.
Phil is a typical bro, lacking a sense of humor and being particular is his own warped self-sense of worth. There are few moments where Phil is portrayed in a more heartfelt way. His career choice of being a teacher is not that of a typical bro. Teaching is associated with sensitivity and compassion, as an alpha dog, it is not expected of Phil to be compassionate. An alpha dog would care little about the affairs of the future generation. This has to do with the fratty behavior that is often associated with with being a bro and the leader of the wolfpack (Hatfield 538). Phil promises to help one of his students with the money to go to camp. This promise is however questionable since he starts collecting camp money before going on his Vegas Trip. It is never clear whether he gambled the students’ trip money away. It is apparent that Phil is supposed to be a complex character but he is underdeveloped. He comes of as a man with great affection for his wife and son. The show of compassion makes the audience wonder whether he uses his tough bro language as a way to escape the grind of family life or that is just how he is (Shaw and Watson 6). It is apparent that as a bro, Phil has both elements of toughness and sentimentality. The mix of toughness and compassion deals a blow to the suggestion that bros are a monolith. In The Hangover, they come off as complex beings with disparate origins and goals. Phil is in control of all the group’s activities because he is the alpha-male but he still has a softer side to his character. He also does keep his emotions in check. Of the four wolfpack brothers, he is the one who is not agitated.
The constant bickering between Phil and Allan, and, Phil and Alan shows that bros are always competing with each other on all facets of life. This an integral part of the picture, the ability to compete. It is done in the name of the team and not for outright rivalry. There is no sport competition in The Hangover but there is constant fighting for whose decisions matter. This bickering does not lead to uncontrollable fights. Alan is well aware that people might not take his suggestions so he resorts to cunning ways like drugging his friends. There is an acceptance of the fallout from the drugging. This is part of the broculture (Alilunas 8). Drugs are significant because they alter an individual’s state of consciousness. They are essential to the escape from society. When the man discovered that they messed up and drugs were at the center of it, they did not divulge that information to the women back home. As bros, they stuck by the old adage that “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”.
Sticking together in the broculture means that nobody talks about the other’s transgressions to outsiders. Sticking together and secrets are a critical component of broculture (Hollows 42). Hollows argue that broculture is a form of masculine cultism. Talking about transgressions and broculture brings the conversation to Stu. Stu provides a complicated case of being a bro. He is unlike Alan but he is also close to Alan on the spectrum of softer masculinity than he is to Doug and Phil. Stu is tormented at home by a controlling girlfriend whose manipulation of him is too outrageous to be believable. The fact that he continues to live with her even after she admitted to cheating is baffling but that is why the trip to Vegas is significant. It is a way for Stu to confront his demons and realize that his continued relationship is against the bro code. His relationship also reflects on what is acceptable to the broculture. It is apparent from the case of Stu that being dominated by a woman is acceptable. It is gullibility that Stu’s friends rile against. Stu lives a miserable life under the dominance of his girlfriend and that is not right in the eyes of his friends. He has to resort to white lies to make free time. Stu’s dilemma shows why broculture is important because it provides an opportunity for freedom and expression that might not be found at home or other social circles. Bro culture becomes a culture of regaining freedom especially for Stu in The Hangover.
An integral part of the broculture is the bro code. The bro code is the specific language bros use to communicate with each other. It is also the code of conduct. It consists of expectations and language. The broculture uses the bro code for its existence. The bro code are the rules that males are supposed to follow (Kuhn 2). These are unwritten rules. They are necessarily a way of maintaining some level of mystery to the group and a sign of closeness. Stu breaks most of those rules, together with Alan and his purse. Phil’s role is to see to it that the sacred bro code is not violated thus his language is laden with derogatory remarks and jokes that cuts across gender and sexuality (Kuhn 4). He uses words like “faggot” and “retard”. He calls Stu “Dr. Faggot” because Stu couldn't be man enough to tell his girlfriend that he was going to Vegas instead, he told her he was going to wine country. The use of foul language is not geared towards outright insult but as a form of delineating the boundaries of what bros can do.
Because of the bro code, most of the individuals in The Hangover are allowed to get away with sexist remarks as well of lying. Stu is behind a lot of lies especially when it came to his girlfriend. His lies took many forms involving denial once they figured out that he had gone on a drug induced marriage. It took Las Vegas for Stu to realize that he was not happy with his life. The setting of the movie brings us to the significance of Las Vegas as a place that is frequented by bros.
Las Vegas is a perfect setting for broculture and the exploration of the evolution of masculinity in the United States. It is a place that has a serious gambling culture as well as a non-stop party life. It is significant in that it is associated with people finding their true self or enjoying excesses of freedom. Harbidge in an analysis of The Hangover as a Bakhtinian bromance observed that with “Vegas, it goes without saying is the most suitable backdrop for the men’s misdemeanors; from gambling and booze, to sex, strippers and more, it caters for every vice” (Harbidge 6). It becomes evident in the movie when all these vices are depicted through the actions of Stu, Phil and Alan. In the movie, Las Vegas lives up to the old cliche of it being a place of hedonists. Stu gets married to a stripper at a chapel that is run by an Eastern European man with a perchance towards vulgarity. The drugs and the hangovers are everywhere. In a broculture, all these elements that are undesirable to the large parts of the populace are viewed as heavenly sent by bros (Hollow 37). The reason why they are viewed as such is because they are the best form of escape.
Las Vegas allows for moral decadence but it also allows for individuals to find themselves. It is a place where people go to redefine themselves. All the drug fuelled parties of the four friends helped them realize a couple of things about themselves. The fortuitous meeting with a stripper helped Stu realize that he was unhappy with his life and needed a change. Alan became an integral part of the group something he had wished for for some time. The world of Las Vegas that is portrayed in The Hangover is a world of debauchery but there is another side to it. Las Vegas is therapeutic for some individuals. For the four bros, Las Vegas provides an opportunity to forget about their daily existence for a while and concentrate on themselves. In the end,
Las Vegas acts as a place of realization rather than drug fueled debauchery. All the gambling and marriages and encounters with the police and gangs is overshadowed by the realization that the life that the four friends had at home was precious and they had to protect it. Stu does dismantle his life but he had his moral justifications for doing it. Las Vegas becomes a place were bros even though in a group can individually reflect on their lives. The bros in The Hangover are not frat guys who live together, they live in different places and have different expectations about life. They however can get raunchy as long as they keep their activities to themselves. They especially have to keep it a secret from their wives and girlfriends.
An analysis of Broculture in The Hangover is not complete without a reflection on the role played by the female characters in the movie. Doug’s mother-in-law rarely talks, his future wife is only featured on the screen when she is talking to Phil about Doug’s whereabouts. The two female characters with a more developed personality are Stu’s girlfriend and his stripper wife. His stripper wife is a filler for the plot. She is the stereotyped woman of Vegas, a stripper with a baby. The limiting of the time of women on the screen is deliberating but more interaction would have helped in providing a better understanding of the relationship between the bros and the women in their lives.
In conclusion, The Hangover is one of the few popular culture explorations of the broculture and how men in modern day America negotiate their gender. From the experiences of Alan, Phil, Stu and Doug, it is apparent that men face an identity crisis that leads to a pretentious hypermasculinity. The window of exercising the traditional forms of maleness has shrinked leading to the emergence of bro cultures, In these cultures, men seeking attachment get to work hard in shedding off their sexuality and emotional intelligence.
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