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Why Obama calling David Cameron ‘bro’ isn’t necessarily a compliment Why Obama calling David Cameron ‘bro’ isn’t necessarily a compliment
(about 1 hour later)
Let’s be real, David Cameron has a major man crush on Barack Obama. For years he has been trotting after the president doing whatever it takes to form a “special relationship” with the guy. They’ve taken bad-taste selfies together, played bad ping-pong together, and spent hours chatting on the phone. Now, Cameron has exclusively revealed to the Mail on Sunday that all that bonding has paid off and, sometimes, Potus calls him “bro”.Let’s be real, David Cameron has a major man crush on Barack Obama. For years he has been trotting after the president doing whatever it takes to form a “special relationship” with the guy. They’ve taken bad-taste selfies together, played bad ping-pong together, and spent hours chatting on the phone. Now, Cameron has exclusively revealed to the Mail on Sunday that all that bonding has paid off and, sometimes, Potus calls him “bro”.
Cameron is clearly chuffed by this appellation. He thinks it’s a compliment. So, apparently, does the Mail On Sunday, which described the colloquialism as “far better than George W Bush’s patronising ‘Yo, Blair’”. But I’m not entirely sure it is a compliment. Yo, Cameron, before you feel too flattered, I suggest you take a look at what “bro” actually means. Cameron is clearly chuffed by this appellation. He thinks it’s a compliment. So, apparently, does the Mail on Sunday, which described the colloquialism as “far better than George W Bush’s patronising ‘Yo, Blair’”. But I’m not entirely sure it is a compliment. Yo, Cameron, before you feel too flattered, I suggest you take a look at what “bro” actually means.
The classification of bros, it should be noted, is always context-specific. In Silicon Valley they take the form of skinny brogrammers, in New York they’re frat boys turned investment bankers, and in the UK they’re a douchebaggy evolution of “lads”. But despite these geographic variations, a “bro” tends to signify an unapologetically obnoxious and casually misogynistic white male who hangs out with a homogeneous group of other bros. This last point is important: the bro is a pack animal and thrives only in the company of others like himself. The other key point is that the modern bro is usually white; like “douchebag”, the word has acquired a clear racial component.The classification of bros, it should be noted, is always context-specific. In Silicon Valley they take the form of skinny brogrammers, in New York they’re frat boys turned investment bankers, and in the UK they’re a douchebaggy evolution of “lads”. But despite these geographic variations, a “bro” tends to signify an unapologetically obnoxious and casually misogynistic white male who hangs out with a homogeneous group of other bros. This last point is important: the bro is a pack animal and thrives only in the company of others like himself. The other key point is that the modern bro is usually white; like “douchebag”, the word has acquired a clear racial component.
Of course, the whiteness of the modern “bro” is somewhat ironic considering the term stems from black culture. While the word has existed as a colloquial abbreviation of “brother” for centuries, it wasn’t until the 20th century, when it became part of the African-American vernacular, that “bro” became a signifier of non-familial kinship. Slavery tore generations of African-American families apart; calling someone “brother” or “bro” was a way to acknowledge your ties in a community not of shared blood, but of shared bloodshed. Black Rage, a seminal psychiatric study of the effects of slavery, released in 1968, notes: “Any black man in a white environment can establish a relationship with another black man by a … salutation such as ‘Hey, bro.’” Of course, the whiteness of the modern “bro” is somewhat ironic considering the term stems from black culture. While the word has existed as a colloquial abbreviation of “brother” for centuries, it wasn’t until the 20th century, when it became part of the African-American vernacular, that “bro” became a signifier of non-familial kinship. Slavery tore generations of African-American families apart; calling someone “brother” or “bro” was a way to acknowledge your ties in a community not of shared blood, but of shared bloodshed. Black Rage, a seminal psychiatric study of the effects of slavery, released in 1968, notes: “Any black man in a white environment can establish a relationship with another black man by a … salutation such as ‘Hey, bro’.”
Following the popularization of “bro” in black culture came the inevitable appropriation of the term by white culture. Encino Man, a really bad 1990s comedy about some Californian teenagers who find a caveman in their backyard, is peppered with white guys calling each other “bro”. In the past decade, the TV show How I Met Your Mother propelled bros further into the white pop culture via a main character who lived religiously by the “bro code”. Following the popularisation of “bro” in black culture came the inevitable appropriation of the term by white culture. Encino Man, a really bad 1990s comedy about some Californian teenagers who find a caveman in their backyard, is peppered with white guys calling each other “bro”. In the past decade, the TV show How I Met Your Mother propelled bros further into the white pop culture via a main character who lived religiously by the “bro code”.
In recent years, the word “bro” seems to have sprawled aggressively across the lexicon. This probably has something to do with the construction of the word itself; “bro” is a sort of linguistic Lego, attaching itself with a satisfying click to form all manner of portmanteaux. There are bromances, brogrammers, bro-bibles, bro-hugs, gaybros, bro-country, brohemian rhapsodies and bro on. It also lends itself to terrible puns. Further, the cultural appropriation of “bro” is now so complete that it’s almost exclusively associated with white guys. You can be a black or brown bro, but only when flanked by a largely white social group. You know, like in the beer commercials. This has resulted in a certain tension when it comes to inter-racial uses of the term – Cameron probably shouldn’t call the president Brobama any time soon. Although, as an aside, it seems that Mitt Romney, a Mormon bro, once called Obama – the least bro president in the history of presidents – “bro” in a presidential debate.In recent years, the word “bro” seems to have sprawled aggressively across the lexicon. This probably has something to do with the construction of the word itself; “bro” is a sort of linguistic Lego, attaching itself with a satisfying click to form all manner of portmanteaux. There are bromances, brogrammers, bro-bibles, bro-hugs, gaybros, bro-country, brohemian rhapsodies and bro on. It also lends itself to terrible puns. Further, the cultural appropriation of “bro” is now so complete that it’s almost exclusively associated with white guys. You can be a black or brown bro, but only when flanked by a largely white social group. You know, like in the beer commercials. This has resulted in a certain tension when it comes to inter-racial uses of the term – Cameron probably shouldn’t call the president Brobama any time soon. Although, as an aside, it seems that Mitt Romney, a Mormon bro, once called Obama – the least bro president in the history of presidents – “bro” in a presidential debate.
There has been a lot of backlash to bro culture and its damaging effects on society, particularly when it comes to gender equality in Silicon Valley. Nevertheless, the much-parodied bro is often treated more as a figure of fun than a truly pernicious being. There’s something buffoonish and breakable about the bro which goes back to that pack animal characteristic. A bro is not a homophobe or a sexist or a chauvinist: a bro is the collective byproduct of casual homophobia, casual sexism, and casual chauvinism in society. The unthinking agent of a system of self-perpetuating privilege.There has been a lot of backlash to bro culture and its damaging effects on society, particularly when it comes to gender equality in Silicon Valley. Nevertheless, the much-parodied bro is often treated more as a figure of fun than a truly pernicious being. There’s something buffoonish and breakable about the bro which goes back to that pack animal characteristic. A bro is not a homophobe or a sexist or a chauvinist: a bro is the collective byproduct of casual homophobia, casual sexism, and casual chauvinism in society. The unthinking agent of a system of self-perpetuating privilege.
All of which to say, Obama is right, Cameron is most definitely a bro. All of which suggests that Obama is right – Cameron is most definitely a bro.