It is high time that we all learned how to love a little more freely. To hell with all the grossly commercialized ideas about what love and dating should look like, and to hell with unspoken expectations and the inhibition of free spirits.
But most of all, to hell with the notion that it’s in any way inappropriate for a couple of besties to intimately feed each other carbs no matter who they happen to be in the company of; in fact, the world would be a better place if this is how we normally ate.
Setting this fine example for humanity is TikTok‘s @lamesville_, who, in the 6-second video above, pops a saucy appetizer into her friend’s mouth during a restaurant double date, who offers her a cheeky little grin in response. That grin is countered, however, by the rather apprehensive expressions on the faces of their boyfriends, who are sitting next to them.
Now, the first explanation that most people will jump to is that the two men were uncomfortable to witness their girlfriend engage in intimate behavior that didn’t involve them. In all likelihood, this nuance is indeed in play. Nevertheless, it would be unwise to rule out the possibility that these two gents were reminded that it’s socially unacceptable for them themselves to engage in such expressions of love, and that perhaps left them feeling dejected.
That’s not to say that’s precisely what’s on their mind, but it’s entirely within the realm of possibility that it’s part of the equation. According to one Harris O’Malley on his blog Dr. NerdLove, men are not encouraged to have intimate friendships with one another the way women are, and that lack of intimacy can be hazardous to one’s health on a physiological level. Moreover, even though men are conditioned to not have these intimate friendships, it in no way means that men don’t desire that very intimacy with one another.
Indeed, commenter whose reply was used for this headline’s pull quote, who needs a man? Well, men need men, just as women need women, just as women and men need each other, and just as human beings need human beings. What has to be so strange about feeding the people you love or giving your homies a good old-fashioned snuggle? In fact, now more than ever, it’s imperative that we begin to think about love a bit differently; that is, we owe it to ourselves to not feel so much shame about our capacity for love. And sometimes, that love is best represented by a curly fry dipped in cheese sauce.