Isn't it Bromantic?

"Bromance" has been one of my favorite words since the first time I read it in Us Weekly. I believe it was used in an article about Lance Armstrong and Matthew McConaughey. (The article also rated other Hollywood bromances on a "Bromantic Heat" scale - it was quality reading.) The Trifecta loves to apply the term "bromance" to Noe and Kevin and more recently, John and Rob.

Kevin and Noe: Real-Life Bromance

On Wednesday while watching Rebel Without a Cause at the Hygienic with KLF, Kelly, Chattybox, Mini, and Doyle, we realized that Jim (James Dean) and Plato (Sal Mineo) had quite the bromance going on. (Actually, it was a little too intense to really be a bromance. It was more of a "brobsession.") This got me thinking about other classic screen bromances.

Because tonight is sing-along Grease at the Garde, I have decided to write a tribute to one of my all-time favorite bromances:

Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Kenickie (Jeff Conaway);
Grease (1978)

Bromance does not get much better than this. Both boys are cute, both are "bad", and both have killer moves. They know about "guy stuff" like how to fix cars but are unabashedly vain about their hair.

Plus, is there a more heartfelt bromantic declaration on film than when Kenickie asks Danny to be his second at Thunder Road?

Even more tragic is when Kenickie gets knocked on the head with his car door right before the big race. Instead of racing with him as planned, now Danny has to race for him. He has to win to defend his bromance's honor.

Danny and Kenickie don't even mind that that have shared two girls - Rizzo and Cha Cha DiGregorio (the best dancer at St. Bernadette's) between them. They seem to know that everyone will end up with the right girl in the end, and that bros will always be there, regardless.

One wonders what would happen should Danny and Kenickie ever have to compete against each other. Danny had no intention of racing at Thunder Road, just riding with Kenickie; but what if he had? And what if Kenickie's raunchy moves had not gotten him kicked out of the American Bandstand dance-off and he and Danny had to duke it out for the finish?

Luckily, we will never have to find out the answers to those questions (although my guess is that Danny would win because he was, after all, the main character). Danny and Kenickie simply get to stay how they are, frozen in time as the silver screen's ultimate bromance.