Love, Victor pushes back against toxic masculinity and other TV bromances

Season 2 of Love, Victor premieres on June 11th, and after that cliffhanger that Season 1 left us on, we are excited to see where the show goes! One of our favorite things about the show is the bromance between Victor and Felix. Victor is seen struggling with his sexuality throughout most of Season 1 because of his religious family and his fear of coming out. Felix is the first person Victor comes out to during a heartwarming moment when Felix is nothing but supportive and even gives Victor a hug to further show his support. Talk about a tearjerker.

This was a very important moment, and honestly, refreshing to see, because representation of strong male friendships is something we can always use more of in pop culture. And Victor and Felix are especially great because they push back against the harms of toxic masculinity and show each other a level of intimacy we just don’t see very much between male friendships. So often societal pressures and toxic masculinity can lead men to feel like they can’t be open about their emotions or have vulnerable moments with each other. This is obviously harmful because it can lead to men feeling alone and self-conscious about their feelings, and who are they supposed to open up to if they can’t turn to their male companions?

Victor and Felix show how necessary and valuable it is to be honest and supportive to develop positive male friendships. While not all of these fight against toxic masculinity, here’s a list of some other great bromances we’ve seen across TV shows!

Ricky and Big Red

Another recent bromance we’ve seen is Ricky and Big Red from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. It’s pretty clear right off the bat that these two are best friends. Throughout all the drama that happens with Ricky and Nini, Big Red remains a loyal friend to Ricky, and that friendship persists into Season 2. To make matters even better, Joshua Bassett, who plays Ricky, challenges toxic ideas of masculinity in real life as well.

Cory and Shawn

A great bromance from the past is, of course, Cory and Shawn from the 90s sitcom Boy Meets World. These two share a lifelong friendship, and the series follows them from middle school all the way into their college years. And it didn’t stop there! Their friendship remained strong during the spinoff series Girl Meets World.

Seth and Ryan

For any fans of the California drama, The O.C., you know exactly why Seth and Ryan are included on this list. They became fast friends when Ryan moves in with Seth, and Ryan is seen standing up for Seth when he is being harassed by a group of guys at a part early on in the series. These are two guys who truly have each other’s backs.

Stefan and Damon

Now, while Stefan and Damon from The Vampire Diaries are actually brothers and are seen fighting over their love for Elena, their friendship is still strong. I mean, when you’re vampires and can live for eternity, there are obviously bound to be some conflicts. But at the end of the day, their bond is unbreakable and worth a mention.