Two dudes hugging

Did everyone catch conservative pundit George Will’s “You know how I know you’re gay?” moment last night? (Answer: You like to hug the president.) Remarking on members of Congress — MALE members of Congress — embracing Obama after his speech last night, Will said:

“I don’t know when men started to hug each other, but hug they do, and look at that”

He clearly pines for the days of the Bush administration, when two men NEVER ever hugged in public. (See Dick Cheney and George Bush, Sr. getting their hug on, too.)
I know, I’m being a bit hyperbolic. But this throwaway comment really is indicative of a sad traditional view of masculinity in which two Real Men (read: hetero dudes) never show physical affection for one another. And if they do, it’s something to be played for laughs. Just look at almost every one of the Judd Apatow films, every one of them a huge hit, in which this theme shows up: The 40-Year-Old Virgin (referenced in the first paragraph above), Superbad (as the two guys fall asleep next to one another near the end — and in countless other scenes), the upcoming I Love You, Man. Most of these films are about men who form really close bonds, but are embarrassed to acknowledge the depth of their relationship because that would be, well, kinda gay. This theme has also arisen in a lot of style-section type reporting, with articles on the “man date” and “bromance.”
On the whole, I actually think that these movies and articles have made it more culturally acceptable for men to show some affection for one another and acknowledge the depth of their friendship. (Yes, the films might be mocking this aspect of male friendship, as well as playing on homophobia, but overall I think they have done some good to help normalize the idea of meaningful male friendship.) George Will is clearly a product of a different era.