Friend zone: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous edit Next edit →Content deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 01:41, 22 December 2012 view sourceShaun (talk \| contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers6,825 edits Reverted good faith edits by 108.48.29.213 (talk): This isnt at AFD anymore. (TW)← Previous edit		Revision as of 01:42, 22 December 2012 view source 108.48.29.213 (talk) →Application Next edit →
Line 5:		Line 5:
	{{Tone\|date=November 2012}}		{{Tone\|date=November 2012}}

			There are differing explanations about what causes a person to be placed in the friend zone by another.
	There are differing explanations about what causes a person to be placed in the friend zone by another. One report suggests that some women don't see their male friends as potential love interests because they fear that deepening their relationship might cause a loss of the romance and mystery or lead to rejection later. A '']'' writer suggested there were several cases in which a man might become relegated to the friend zone: (1) the woman is not sufficiently attracted to the man, (2) the woman misinterprets ] from the man signaling his interest in deepening the relationship, (3) there is sexual repulsion (but not enough to block a friendship).

	While some believe that this is a group that is male-exclusive, it has been known to happen to women as well, oftentimes proving to be equally saddening. <ref name=twsFebX18>{{cite news
	\|author= GINA B.
	\|title= What's so bad about the friend zone?
	\|publisher= ''Chicago Tribune''
	\|date= January 12, 2007
	\|url= http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-01-12/news/0701120408_1_new-friends-attraction-friendship
	\|accessdate= 2011-02-24
	}}</ref> The writer described the relationship in these terms:

	{{quotation\|When a guy agrees to be friends, he's forced to stifle his attraction while regularly seeing and talking to the woman he's attracted to. She discusses her love life and has the audacity to ask his advice on it. He performs occasional "manly" household and automotive favors for the women. Essentially, he does everything a boyfriend would do – without the benefits.\|author=Gina B.\|source=''Chicago Tribune'', 2007<ref name=twsFebX18/>}}

	Marshall Fine of '']'' suggested that the friend zone is "like the penalty box of dating, when your only crime is not being buff and unobtainable."<ref name=twsFebX24>{{cite news
	\|author= Marshall Fine
	\|title= HuffPost Review: Just Wright
	\|publisher= ''Huffington Post''
	\|date= May 10, 2010
	\|url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marshall-fine/huffpost-review-ijust-wri_b_569896.html
	\|accessdate= 2011-02-24
	}}</ref>

	Dating adviser Ali Binazir described the friend zone as '']'', and wrote that it's a "territory only to be rivaled in inhospitability by the western Sahara, the Atacama desert, and Dante's Ninth Circle of Hell."<ref name=twsFebX19>{{cite news
	\|author= Ali Binazir M.D. M.Phil.
	\|title= How to stay out of the Friend Zone
	\|publisher= ''taoofdating.com''
	\|date= February 2011
	\|url= http://taoofdating.com/how-to-stay-out-of-friend-zone/
	\|accessdate= 2011-02-24
	}}</ref>

	One man described himself as always having girlfriends who were "girls" but were only his "friends", meaning there was no sex between them.<ref name=twsFebX21>{{cite news
	\|author= Mastin Kipp
	\|title= Choosing a Better Kind of Love
	\|publisher= ''Huffington Post''
	\|date= June 3, 2010
	\|url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mastin-kipp/love-choosing-a-better-ki_b_598693.html
	\|accessdate= 2011-02-24
	}}</ref> On the other hand, a report in '']'' magazine suggested that a friend-only relation could change into a sexual one, and based this finding on a 2001 ] survey in which 71% of respondents hoped that they would fall in love with a friend.<ref>{{cite news
	\|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-15951082_ITM
	\|title=When you fall for a guy pal: the "just friends" zone is like relationship quicksand, but you can get out with a few strategic maneuvers.
	\|publisher=]
	\|accessdate=2008-01-14
	\| date=2006-06-01}}</ref> It has also been suggested that women may also become victims of the "friend zone", in which a man treats them as only a friend, while the woman prefers a more intimate relationship.<ref>, AskMen.com</ref><ref name=twsFebX22>{{cite news
	\|author= Emily Yahr
	\|title= The CW's 'Plain Jane,' a not-so-extreme makeover show
	\|publisher= ''Washington Post''
	\|quote= she harbors a hard-core crush on her buddy Ty, who has categorized her in "the friend zone" since college.
	\|date= July 25, 2010
	\|url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/22/AR2010072206828.html
	\|accessdate= 2011-02-24
	}}</ref>

	There is general agreement that once a man is in the friend zone, it is difficult to get out.<ref name=twsFebX27>{{cite news
	\|author= Dr. Alex Benzer
	\|title= How Rich Guys Screw Up Their Chances with Women
	\|publisher= ''Huffington Post''
	\|date= April 2, 2009
	\|url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-alex-benzer/how-rich-guys-ruin-their_b_181386.html
	\|accessdate= 2011-02-24
	}}</ref> A platonic relationship has formed without sex and can continue indefinitely.

	Despite the pitfalls of friend zones, some have argued that a man can benefit from actively cultivating a friend zone once an interaction or relationship with a potential partner has entered one. The theory here is that the friend zone may evolve into something more, particularly if the man establishes an air of trustworthiness and intimacy that his partner finds attractive and has never shared with previous romantic partners. This is more than, as one commentator put it, "the lingering possibility of becoming more than a friend"; as some have argued, it is the most sustainable way of building relationships with long-lasting intimacy and trust.
	<ref>{{cite web
	\|url=http://www.manhelper.com/dating_sex/5_reasons_why_being_in_the_friend_zone_is_a_good_thing
	\|title=5 Reasons Why Being in the Friend Zone is a Good Thing
	\|publisher=]
	\|accessdate=2012-06-30}}</ref>

	There is an important difference between friend zones and "conflicted zones." The latter may arise when one person in the zone is married and the other isn't. The constraints and complications of the existing marriage add an additional dimension to what otherwise may appear to be a friend zone. Some have offered different advice for conflicted zone situations, centering on explicit and deliberate conversation between the two parties to the zone or even counseling or mediation for the married couple.<ref>{{cite web
	\|url=http://www.zen-moments.com/unconditional-love-versus-sexual-desire.html
	\|title=Unconditional Love versus Sexual Desire...is there really a conflict?
	\|publisher=]
	\|accessdate=2012-04-02}}</ref>

	==Popular culture==		==Popular culture==

Revision as of 01:42, 22 December 2012

In popular culture, the "friend zone" refers to a platonic relationship where one person wishes to enter into a romantic relationship, while the other does not. It is generally considered to be an undesirable situation by the lovelorn person. Once the friend zone is established, it is said to be difficult to move beyond that point in a relationship.

Application

This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Misplaced Pages. See Misplaced Pages's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (November 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

There are differing explanations about what causes a person to be placed in the friend zone by another.

Popular culture

Jennifer Aniston played the role of Rachel on the TV show *Friends*.

The term "friend zone" was popularized by a 1994 episode of the American sitcom Friends, "The One with the Blackout", where the character Ross Geller, who was lovesick for Rachel Green, was not only declared being "in the friend zone" by their friend Joey Tribbiani, but was also labeled "mayor of the Friend Zone". The question of whether a man can ever "escape the friend zone and begin dating one of his female friends" was a prime ingredient in making the Ross and Rachel pairing interesting to watch; one writer described the two as a "geek dream couple".

Comedian Chris Rock performed a routine about women keeping platonic friends on his 1996 album Bring the Pain, where he talked about men being trapped in the friend zone.

The television show Scrubs uses the term on the first season episode of "My Best Friend's Mistake". Protagonist J.D. explains that once something important, a turning point, occurs between a man and a woman, they have 48 hours to do something about it or else the man will be stuck in the woman's friend zone forever. J.D. doesn't get to finish kissing his unrequited love, Elliot Reid, in 48 hours, so he enters an imaginary hospital room called Friend Zone with a room full of men who used to like Elliot, but Elliot didn't like them back in the same way.

The 2005 film Just Friends deals with the friend zone and how it affects the main character of the film (played by Ryan Reynolds). He reunites with his female friend from high school (played by Amy Smart) for the first time in 10 years, and she says that she loves him "like a brother", dashing any hopes of him having her as a girlfriend.

The movie When Harry Met Sally explored the theme of whether men and women could be friends without being lovers.

In May 2011, MTV announced a new show entitled FriendZone, produced by 495 Productions cast by Doron Ofir and created by Damon Epps and SallyAnn Salsano. In an interview with a national publication, Epps is quoted as saying, "The idea for the show came out of my own experience. Unfortunately, I know the pain of telling the girl of your dreams you love them and want to take the relationship to the next level only to be told they don't feel the same. I figured if it happened to me, it might be something others could relate to as well. If it works, you have the beginnings of a great love story. If it doesn't, well, pain and humiliation make great TV, too."

References

Cite error: The named reference twsFebX19 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
"Friends: The One With the Blackout Recap". TV.com. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
"IGN's Top 10 Favorite TV Couples". IGN. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
"Amy Smart on Just Friends", RadioFree.com Interviews (Nov. 5, 2005)
"FriendZone Casting Site"

v t e Friends
Seasons	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Characters	Chandler Bing Phoebe Buffay Monica Geller Ross Geller Rachel Green Joey Tribbiani
Music	"I'll Be There for You" "Smelly Cat"
Related shows	Joey Friends: The Reunion
Other	Awards and nominations The One with All the Trivia The Friends Experience The Rachel
Category WikiProject

Categories:

Revision as of 01:42, 22 December 2012

Application

Popular culture

See also

References