I’M sure most of us remember the unconventional dating show called the Friendzone, that aired on MTV for five seasons between 2011 until 2014.
In that period, I was watching and believing everything I saw on MTV, the channel that has been culturally impactful for years, so who could blame an impressionable teen for swallowing up everything they fed us.
The friendzone, in pop culture, is when one person wants more from their friend.
That person could either want a romantic relationship or a sexual one, either way, that person has ulterior motives in the friendship.
The show was given a cute/romantic setting where it would be easy for the audience to villainize the crush if he/she rejected the crusher.
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The premise of the show was that the crusher would ask their friend, on whom they had a crush on, to help them prepare for a blind date and when it was time for the crusher to go on the date, they would then confess their true feelings to the crush who would either accept the date invitation or reject it.
There were plenty of scenarios throughout the four seasons but what I disliked about the show was how it influenced audiences to have ulterior motives in their platonic friendships. Back then, I definitely believed in the friendzone.
A lot of teenage boys did, most of us didn’t understand the value of having a girl as a friend.
There were many articles, shows and opinions that would tell us about the friendzone and how it’s something you should avoid at all costs and how it’s so horrible that your crush (who thinks you’re only friends) doesn’t like you back.
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The friendzone isn’t a thing. No one owes you their romantic feelings, body or even their time.
Men are the most guilty for the friendzone phenomenon. We’re constantly encouraged to go after women, either sexually or romantically. In every setting as well, we’re encouraged by other men in our circles and society that all women we come across is attainable and being only friends with them is a waste of time.
Another problematic aspect of the friendzone is how it teaches boys and men to not accept rejection in the right way.
By saying, “I’m in the friendzone” you’re categorising your crush as someone who won’t give you what you want.
It’s a weird victim mentality; you always hear moppy guys who say, “I’m such a nice guy, why am I always in the friendzone?”
Those are the types of men that perpetuate this culture the most.
They feel like the women owe them something for being nice and being kind enough to even befriend women in the first place.
Shows like the Friendzone definitely encouraged men to push boundaries with their women friends and it also validated people who could not handle rejection.
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