Barack Obama and Joe Biden met up and ate at a Georgetown restaurant last week, leading to a flood of articles about their "bromance" and a reminder the media really, really misses their faves.
First, like "adulting" or "on fleek," "bromance" is a stupid term that should be drowned in the deepest ocean. It just means a close friendship between two men. See, they put the "b" in front of romance, so it's a platonic romance of two bros. How fun.
Second, it was something to behold the press cover this little outing with astonishing uniformity and googly-eyedness.
ETOnline's headline: "Barack Obama and Joe Biden Visit a Bakery Together Proving the Bromance Is Alive and Well." Business Insider wrote, "The Barack Obama and Joe Biden bromance is still alive and well." ABC News: "Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s bromance still appears to be alive and well." "Today:" "The bromance between Barack Obama and Joe Biden is alive and well."
USA Today captioned a photo of the pair: "The bromance between former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden is clearly still alive." MSNBC's Ali Velshi covered the restaurant visit like so: "The bromance lives on." US Magazine: "Looks like the bromance between Barack Obama and Joe Biden is still going strong!"
People: "Barack Obama and Joe Biden Take Their Bromance To The Next Level With Matching Sandwiches." CBS News: "America's favorite bromance continues." "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert said the news about Obama and Biden's lunch "got me excited." When he told his crowd that the two were spotted together eating at a bakery, they cheered and applauded harder than when they found out James Comey was fired.
America's favorite bromance continues: Barack Obama and Joe Biden spotted together at Washington, D.C. bakery that helps veterans and their families https://t.co/cd3kRqWNCV pic.twitter.com/D3Pkb6G7YE
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 30, 2018
It must be reassuring to Biden that, were he to survive the 2020 Democratic primary, he and Obama could rob a convenience store together and the headlines would be: "This Stick-up Shows That Obama-Biden Bromance Is Stronger Than Ever!"
Simply put, the media misses Obama and Biden. They are starved for the time democracy wasn't in darkness and they didn't have to work so darn hard. Watching these folks melt over images of them picking out a muffin is a bit sad.
This latest "bromance" fixation by the press isn't new, of course. Biden and Obama were always affectionate with each other, and the media adored creating collages of them smiling and laughing. You know, the way they would with Republicans.
Sadly, the overuse of "bromance" isn't just confined to Barack and Joe.
Donald Trump doesn't just like Russian President Vladimir Putin; no, they have a "bromance." Trump and French President Emanuel Macron didn't just get along, they have a "bromance." Trump was chummy at times last year with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), so it meant they have a "bromance."
Let it end.
We can't stop the media from showering 44 and who they hope is 46 with their affections, but maybe we can retire this silly term for good. The meme-ification of politics isn't making the coverage any better, or the public any smarter.