What is a man crush?
A man crush is a strong, non-sexual bond between two men. Straight men catch feelings for each other, too, even if those feelings don’t develop into anything romantic. If a guy has a “man crush” or “guy crush,” it means he’s taken a liking to another guy. It’s often used to talk about celebrities, but can also be applied to real relationships. A man might feel admiration, respect, vulnerability, or even a little tenderness for his man crush. Example: “I just can’t stop reading about Henry Cavill. He’s my man crush.” Example: “Those two bros are inseparable. See the way they look at each other? They definitely have a man crush situation going on.”
Man Crush vs. Regular Crush
Regular crushes can be sexual, but man crushes are always platonic. When a guy has a run-of-the-mill crush on a girl (or another guy), his thoughts or intentions might be romantic or sexual. But a man crush is always totally platonic, meaning there aren’t any sexual feelings between the two guys, as physically and emotionally close as they might become. A man crush is a little bit more than a friendship, but less than a romance. A regular crush, though, is more than a friendship, with romance as a possibility. Some say that a “man crush” is another way to talk about intimacy between straight men, when talking about it otherwise would be uncomfortable due to societal pressures like homophobia.
Signs You Have a Man Crush
You can’t stop thinking about a guy. It might feel like a crush on the surface, but… different. It’s not like you want to get romantic with him, but there’s something about his appearance, personality, and his way of living that you feel drawn to, and you can’t seem to stop your mind from wandering in his direction in your down time. You admire him, but maybe you’re not sure why just yet. It’s one of the first signs of a platonic crush. This includes scrolling avidly through his social media profiles, or keeping up-to-date on his personal life.
You want to get closer to him, emotionally and physically. Once a man crush catches your attention, you usually want to know all about him. What he does for work, his gym routine, what he thinks about the Yankees being 15-7 this season. You find it easy to talk to or confide in him, you value his opinion and perspective, and find yourself wanting to spend a lot more time with him. It’s like a friendship, but a little more intense. A bromance. If you have a man crush on a celebrity, you’ll probably start watching all their interviews, performances, or other media associated with them.
You sometimes think you want to be your man crush. When a man crush gets really intense, sometimes it feels like much more than a crush. Maybe you start to get into your man crush’s interests. You style your hair and wardrobe a little closer to how he styles himself. You might even adopt his way of speaking or small mannerisms. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and since you admire your man crush so much, you feel inclined to adopt the things that make you admire him.
You feel an intense, indescribable bond that borders on romance. It’s true that a man crush can sometimes feel like a romance—the venn diagrams do often overlap. At some point, you probably perk up whenever you see him, and feel sad to watch him go. You might crave his approval, and even feel good when he gives you a good-natured pat on the back. Your heart flutters, and that’s totally natural! They don’t call it a bromance for nothing. You might even have a “man crush breakup” that can feel a bit like a regular romantic breakup.
Related Terms
Man crush Monday (MCM) “Man crush Monday” or “#mcm” is a trendy weekly hashtag people often use to showcase their personal man crushes, most often on (you guessed it) Mondays. Guys will usually post a photo of their man crush with a short, sometimes humorous message of admiration. Example: “Happy #mcm! Starting my week thinking about this Idris Elba photoshoot. He’s so suave.”
Girl crush This is the straight woman’s equivalent of a man crush. Often, a woman with a girl crush feels intense, positive, non-sexual feelings towards another woman—feelings that go a bit beyond friendship but stop short of romance. Example: “I’ve got the biggest girl crush on Emma Stone. I can’t even watch her movies without swooning a little bit.”
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