Latest news with #platonic
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
People Are Sharing If Straight Men Can "Just Be Friends" With Women, And It's Looking Pretty Grim Out There
When model and actor Emily Ratajkowski said in an interview, "I just have zero straight men in my life, unless they're a romantic interest. In the hierarchy of needs, that's at the top of the pyramid, which is nice. [Men are] pleasure and fun, but not a part of my core," it sparked a conversation about whether straight men and women can "just be friends." So, I asked the BuzzFeed Community if people can be platonic friends with people they could be attracted to, and these were the most compelling responses: 1."I mean, straight men and women definitely CAN be friends. Some of my favorite completely platonic friends have been straight guys. That said it can be absolutely freaking exhausting figuring out which dudes are truly your friend and which ones are just trying to get in your pants, so I understand where [Emily Ratajkowski]'s coming from." —bitterangel233 2."The problem is that straight men rarely have the same definition of friendship that women do. It's why you can lend a guy a pencil and he'll claim you led him on." —zoegomez101 3."I grew up mainly with girls. My class of 40 had eight boys. So being friends with females was normal. Are my female friends attractive? Absolutely! But that doesn't mean I want to sleep with them. Sometimes boundaries get crossed and things get complicated. But I think as long as intentions and boundaries are set, it's all good." —Anonymous, 37, Los Angeles 4."It's so important for everyone to have friends of the opposite gender. Having my male friends around is so refreshing, and I think it's so important for my husband to get female perspectives in his life other than mine." —Anonymous, 30, Ohio 5."My husband's friends are mainly women. He works in a small agency, where he and another person are the only male coworkers. He's around women all day, works well with women, and is not desiring romantic involvement with any of them. His mentors were also female. In conclusion, men can mesh with women on friendship and professional levels and have it be platonic." —iwishiknew 6."Straight men don't see women as people, merely objects for sex, which is why they don't value friendship with them." —vibrantarcher856 7."I admit my best friend of twenty-something years is very beautiful. In the beginning, I was attracted to her, but after getting to know her, I truly just wanted to be friends with her. To this day, we still are best friends." —radiantvolcano108 8."I'm a straight married man who basically only chills with women. And shocker, I'm not romantically interested in any of them. Some of them I've known since my teens, and I'm in my 30s now. It's not that hard." —blakkklansman 9."I'm only going to be friends with a straight guy if there's romantic interest. My last straight male friend tried to get into my pants, being affectionate to me, and acting like a boyfriend. I asked where we stand since he was behaving like a boyfriend. He gave me the I'm not ready for a relationship excuse and ghosted me. I ended up hurt and still hurt." —poeticqueen964 10."My theory is that men and women can be friends so long as neither party is at all attracted to the other. If there's attraction on either side, it gets tricky." —sm819181 11."I have a few male pals. I had to set a boundary early on, and the few male friends that I have respect that. A LOT of men do not respect the boundaries I set, and it's truthfully sooooo annoying, but I'm glad I found the few that I did." —nastylight 12."As someone who was bullied in school, I had a few female friends who would help me through the pain and just talk about what I was going through in ways that my guy friends wouldn't understand, and just usually disappear. I am always grateful for their advice and friendship. As I've gotten older, I have come to appreciate and admire women that much more because of how well they can handle literally anything. My wife is an amazing badass and is truly my best friend. I know it's a cliché to say I get along with women better than men, but it's really not difficult to just show respect, care, and kindness and to simply be a friend." —dukerigali 13."We could be friends if males kept their legs closed for once and saw women as actual human beings with boundaries instead of sexual objects." —itsbrooklynct 14."As a gay man, all my close friends are women because there is no sexual attraction between us. On the other hand, I cannot have platonic relationships with men because there is always sexual tension." —Anonymous, 42 Los Angeles 15."Every single one of my close friends since junior high has been a woman. I always clicked with them more than my male friends. I was so close with my BFF in high school, and I became so close with her parents that by grade 12, they were okay with me sleeping over at times. We never once did anything romantic. We were just friends, as we are to this day. I've been in two different wedding parties on the bride's side (wearing a suit of similar color to the bridesmaids). My BFF over the last 15 years and I have chatted for hours a month on the phone. She's engaged now, and we're discussing the logistics of me being the 'friend of honor' (instead of MOH). She's one of my 21 exes that I'm still friends with. How does this all happen? I honestly don't know... It's probably some mental switch inside that goes 'this one is off-limits going forward,' and you stick to it." —gmancan 16."As a straight male married for 30 years, I'd say that before I was married in my 30s, I had at least a minimal physical or intellectual interest in all the women I was friends with, and I'd say in 90% the feeling was reciprocated, even if never acted on. But TBH I'm not friends with anyone of either sex that I don't have some kind of chemistry with. It's wild how people are offended by everything these days. It's no wonder people have a miserable, impossible time maintaining relationships anymore. So many people are mad about everything, offended by everything, hurt by anything. If someone hits on you and you're not interested, just say no. If they can't take a hint or get offended, then they're the problem. If they leave you alone after they made a pass and you're mad, then you're the problem." —comfymatcha336 17."It's simple yet so hard for many people. I'm not a jerk to my straight male friends, and they aren't jerks to me. And by jerk I mean making the other person uncomfortable, especially by hitting on them. I get so annoyed by men who aren't respectful in this way. Like, can you please pretend I'm not female for two seconds??? People who play friends just for a chance to get with that person aren't real friends." —Anonymous, 43, Oregon 18."It is absolutely possible. I just think too many people are terrible at impulse control. America is overweight. Everything is sexualized. People are entitled and typically bad at real communication. Also, most people don't communicate their boundaries until they are crossed. I have friends who are women. It's corny, but my best friend is my wife. She knows all my friends, and it's very clear and obvious to any and everyone who meets me that I don't want anything but friendship from anyone else. But I 100% get the point, and it is always a good choice to remove anything risky and bad from your life. The bear is the right choice; it won't lie about its intentions." —Anonymous, 40 Hawaii 19."I'm a straight female, and it's always in the back of my mind. I don't want to come off as creepy or too nice. You don't want to lead a guy on because you never know when they might get the wrong idea, then that can also be dangerous as a woman. But also I believe you should just be able to hang out with whoever you want as long as you are comfortable and aware; communication is key." —Anonymous, 27 Colorado 20."I had a really good male friend for about 15 years. We were practically best friends and respected the heck out of each other. We hung out on the regular. My family knew him, and his family knew me, and I even had keys to his apartment since he'd leave often for military duty. Well, about 10 years ago, I was going through a tough time with my ex and ended up using my friend as an escape. One thing led to another, and we had sex. I knew what I was doing in the moment, but I didn't think about the aftermath. I thought we'd be able to brush it off and move forward per usual, but something shifted in him after that." "Ten years later, he has admitted that he has been in love with me all this time and hasn't left my side for one moment. He thought in that moment, I'd be his forever, but I never felt the same. I feel like I ruined our friendship because of one stupid decision, although he says I haven't. He constantly jokes about me having his children and us being together, even though I have repeatedly told him I'm not interested in him like that. I've had to cut him off due to this, and I feel horrible simply because I miss my platonic friend, not the one who fell in love with me. If you ever decide to be 'just friends' with the opposite sex, proceed with caution. Lines can get blurry real fast and it's not salvageable." —Anonymous, 33/DC 21."I stopped having straight male friends in my 20s. The number of times men would try the friend route, only to later expect or even demand sexual/romantic exchange, was depressing. Now I'm friendly with the husbands of friends or gay men to experience positive male energy in my life. Decentering straight men makes my life more fulfilling." —Anonymous, Sam, San Diego 22."As a single male — I have a hard enough time finding time to meet up with my married male friends. I'm not going to invest time in a woman who I won't sleep with. I'm not friends with single women because the drama is too much." —Anonymous, 40 Minneapolis 23."Queer and agender (AMAB) here. Platonic friendships have always meant more to me than romantic relationships in terms of priority because of how my family was growing up (I'd say this is a fairly common experience for queer people, to be fair). However, I was like that before I decided to explore my queerness. Still, as a 'straight male' in my past, I can 100% confirm I have hit on platonic friends and regretted reading into things. At the same time, I've been on the other side of it (getting hit on by platonic friends), and I know how uncomfortable it feels. IDK if everyone needs this hard and fast rule; however, if you're 'hot,' the reality is a lot of people will want more than platonic interactions with you." "For me, accepting that reality is the first step to figuring out what will work for you in terms of interacting with people you could theoretically get romantic with, assuming mutual interest. I'd also say the extent of things matters — if they approach things respectfully and can handle rejection and not be weird moving forward, the relationship can be salvaged. However, a lot of people (straight men are not alone in this) cannot do that, and I'd assume she's had enough negative experiences where she felt she had to institute this rule for herself. Basically, it all depends on how you are as a person, and if this makes sense to you, it's probably for good reason." —Anonymous, 33; Washington, DC 24."I've always had more guy friends than girls. I find different but equal merit in both. However, I was raised by a single dad and have two brothers. I've been happily with my husband for 16 years. They all have platonic close female friends. What I'm saying is that we're all different, and that's okay." —bran230 25."At a sports bar, sitting alone at the bar with wings and beer watching an NBA playoff game, a man sits down, leaving a seat in between us, and after my reactions to the game, strikes up a conversation. At halftime, he flashed his wedding ring and asked if I was 'into that' and 'if I'd want to meet in the bathroom.' I said absolutely not, and luckily, the bartender saw the whole thing and asked him to leave. Another time at a networking event, I connected with a man over potential business ideas and raising capital. It went from just general conversations about business and everyday pleasantries to sending me a link to crotchless panties on Valentine's Day out of nowhere. I immediately blocked him." —Anonymous, 39 Massachusetts 26."Honestly, I sometimes feel like the only reason I have close male friends who aren't creepy toward me is because they have evolved over the years to also be friends with my husband (who I've now been with for 14 years), so these are either old friends who have absorbed him into their orbit or friends I made during the relationship who have always been friends with both of us. Because they get along with him and are friends with him, I have much more confidence that they won't cross boundaries than I ever did when I had male friends when I was single. If you're single, I feel like this becomes way more of a problem." —lawyerlady1 27."I grew up around what later I found out were straight men (two girls in a group of 15 people from kindergarten to middle school). What happened to me is that I was not scared to talk and chat in a non-romantic way to guys. Then it became hard to find someone because I prioritized brains and a good partnership over looks and intimacy. My guy friend group is still active, and 20+ years later, we have seen each other grow, been open about romances, etc. Our unspoken rule is that we prioritize friendship over romance. If we ever decide to date each other, we will prioritize our friendship over whatever happens in our romantic relationships, and it has worked (the other girl and one of the guys dated for a year, didn't work out, but they still see each other constantly)." —Anonymous 28."My issue isn't that all my straight male friends hit on me (which I'm realizing is a bit of an ego check 🤣) but that I will never be able to adjust my expectations from my female friendships and not feel disappointed by their general lack of empathy, compassion, and inability to show loyalty to anyone without a dick." —sharpbubble153 29."I have two male friends: Ethan and Pepe. It's been enough years for me to clearly state that neither I nor they want anything romantic to happen other than the romantic novels Pepe and I read together, because he's into rom-coms even though he's straight." —Anonymous, 24 30."I have had platonic male friends I have known for over 40 years, maybe it's my age that makes me see [Emily Ratajkowski's] POV as limited? I have a male husband, and straight and queer friends of different genders. I am even friends with straight males who, in the past, had a mutual or one-sided attraction. Humanity is larger than the patriarchal capitalist culture that defines some interactions. Respect and love exist in a variety of places, but don't look for friendships with those who don't show you respect and love. It's not about gender or a lack of sexual attraction or feelings; it's kindness and trust, and affection that create friendships." —skimdog841 31."As a 70+-year-old woman, I've had many male (heterosexual) friends in my lifetime, and there has never been any sexual attraction between us i.e., we are just friends." —moniquechandra 32."I have had a lot of straight male friends throughout my life. For the most part, it has worked out well. I think a bit of mutual sexual tension is normal and expected in these relationships when you are both straight and genuinely like each other. You just have to anticipate it and either ignore it or work through it platonically. I have certainly known men, mostly when I was younger, whose motivation within the friendship was to get out of the friend zone, and a few stepped way over the line. But I have had a lot of long-term platonic relationships with men that are rewarding, if occasionally a bit uncomfortable. Worth it." —oddunicorn733 33."Guys will often shoot their shot with any attractive woman who is nice to them, but if they learn that she says it's a no-go, most of the time that will be enough for them to back off and stop going after her as a possible romantic interest." —hwh 34."I am very lucky in that my best friend is a straight man, and it's never been anything other than a very close friendship. He has never once ever made me feel even the tiniest bit like he may want something more or sees me as anything other than a friend. I think he's a very rare gem because I've never experienced this with any other straight men — just him." —bmoney1212 35."I have exactly two male friends, one I met at school and the other I met at work. Both predate my spouse by many years. In my experience, most men have zero interest in being friends with women, and personally, I am just fine with that." —keepintabs 36."Even if there's attraction on one side, I think it CAN work if the attracted person can take no for an answer. One of my best friends, starting in high school, was a guy who asked me out shortly after we met. I told him he was awesome but I didn't feel a spark, he respected that and was genuinely chill about it, and we continued to be friends for about 15 years afterwards, during which time we each dated other people and eventually both got married (sadly we sort of lost touch after I moved to a different part of the country, but there was no falling out or anything). I know he's an especially great dude, and this situation is not the norm, but I just wanted to put it out there that it is possible." —bitterangel233 37."Lots of straight men constantly don't prioritize women in their life unless they're a romantic interest. In fact, many straight men only notice a woman if they find her attractive. I personally think it's an interesting way to see if it'll help some of our internalized misogyny." —meg82461 Do you think friends who could be attracted to each other (straight, gay, bisexual, etc.) can actually be platonic? Share your thoughts in the comments or use this anonymous form.
The Sun
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Play in the Sun Bingo room that matches your friendship this Best Friend Day
FIND the bingo room that reflects your relationship with your best friend. Your bestie, numero uno, BFF or brother from another mother. However you describe your best friend, Sun Bingo has a room for you. * Sunday 8th June marks Best Friend Day. Now is the time to tell your favourite pal what normally goes unsaid: how much you love them. Today is the chance to honour the most wholesome of platonic relationships. They've laughed with you, celebrated you and been a shoulder to cry on. They have your back no matter what. To mark the day, you and your bestie need to find something to do together. That could be an old favourite that connected you two in the first place or it could be a chance to try something new together! Among the Sun Bingo community, we have plenty of BFFs. Some have met through their love of online bingo and others came to us as an already formed duo. It means that we expect plenty of people to choose to spend their Best Friend Day enjoying games of Sun Bingo. Now, without wanting to cause a falling out… which room will you be playing in? It's alright if you both agree but what about if you don't enjoy the same rooms? Fear not! Sun Bingo won't be the reason for any friendship rifts this Best Friend Day. Instead, we're going to bring you all together by offering our ultimate guide to where you should play on site. It's based on what kind of friendship you have with your favourite pal, and how you'd describe their personality. Best bingo room for your buddy From glam fans to thrill seekers, we've got you covered here at Sun Bingo. Classy lassies - Glamour Room If you and your best friend have the sort of friendship enjoyed by Cher and Dionne in Clueless, the Glamour Room is the place for you two. Your duo strut their stuff in the finest fashion and always roll up looking your best, no matter the occasion. You enjoy being fabulous and won't apologise for it. The only room that can keep up with your high life is the sparkling lights of the Glamour Room. Looking this good never stops and neither does this room, as it's open 24 hours a day. With tickets from just 1p but prizes up to £350, this 75-ball room knows how to make your play dazzle. Spiritual sisters - Mystic Meg Are you or your sister from another mister into all things ethereal? You've already dabbled with tarot cards and perhaps even visited a psychic to see what the future holds. This is for the friendships that are similar to that of Elena and Bonnie in Vampire Diaries. You've had each other's back through the multiple lives and deaths but come out stronger for it. At least one of you is in touch with your spiritual side, with an impressive knowledge of herbal remedies. The obvious room choice for these pals is our Mystic Meg room. You can play in this room between 9am and midnight daily. This is multi-price bingo, with players picking whether to purchase a 10p, 50p, £1, £1.50 or £2 ticket. How much you pay impacts your potential winning pot. 1 Boy/Girl buddies - Heart Room So far the focus has been on female best friends but what about the wholesome friendships that some men and women share? MEET LISA PEACE - THE SUNBATHER WOMAN IN OUR LATEST TV ADVERT You've batted away countless questions about whether you're 'more than friends' through the years. Those that can't appreciate how a boy/girl friendship doesn't develop into a romantic relationship need to check out how Morgan and Garcia interact in Criminal Minds. Yes, there's some flirting, but it's done in the knowledge that neither want anything more. They only ever champion the other in all of their endeavours, celebrating the professional, personal and romantic milestones alike. These friends have a special place in your heart, but don't have your heart. This is where our Heart Room steps in. Tickets are as little as 10p each, with prizes of up to £80. Play between 9am and midnight every day in this 80-ball room. Thrifty twins - Penny Press Is there anything more bonding than mutually appreciating a good bargain? Your bestie loves to peruse the sales racks and always knows how to find treasures in the discounts. These friends have great times without big spends. A walk in the park can be as much fun as a bougie brunch with this friend. That's how the likes of Annie and Lillian in Bridesmaids spend their days. Even when others might try to come between you, they'll never truly understand how deep your platonic love goes. You and your budget savvy buddy will find exactly what you like in the Penny Press Room. This is our home of penny bingo. It's open 24/7 and while the tickets might be pennies, the prizes are up to £25! The deals keep getting better in this room as it also hosts Triple Whammy games, where there are up to three jackpots, depending on when the 1L, 2L and full house are won. They're your best friend, you'll stand by them through everything, and that's been tested… a lot. No matter where they go, drama seems to follow them. Your phone is constantly pinging with the latest updates on the minor crisis your pal finds themselves involved in. You might be thinking 'no, my buddy is very drama free.' Unfortunately, that might mean it's not them who brings the dramatics into the friendship. Think about Donna and the Dynamos in the Mammia Mia films, it's not Tanya and Rosie who have three potentially baby daddies rock up to their crumbling Greek hotel. Having said that, that doesn't stop them jumping into Donna's drama and helping her, from cleaning her up after a good cry, singing and dancing with her, to dividing and conquering when it comes to integrating Sam, Bill and Harry. These friendships sound a lot… of fun! There's only one room that can handle all of the energy that's needed to keep up with friends like these, and that's the Cabaret Room. Check out these games between midday and midnight for the chance to win up £3. The drama builds in games like Bingo Linx when the pot goes up to £100! Thrill seekers - Rapid Room There's excitement to be found in any of the Sun Bingo rooms. However, what makes this room stand out is the speed of the games. This is our speedy bingo room, where you've got to keep your wits about you as the balls come thick and fast. The friends who like to play in this room are the type that go on friendship dates to the theme park and plan on one day doing a skydive together. You're each other's hype man and are truly ride-or-die pals. They're the Goose to your Maverick. These fast-paced friendships can be made and cemented in the Rapid Room. The 90-ball games award up to £80, with tickets starting at 1p each. If the full house is won in 35 balls or less, the £2500 jackpot is triggered. This room puts the 'go' into bingo as there's no finish line, with the room open 24 hours a day. *New customers only. Register, deposit £10 and spend £10 on bingo tickets to receive £40 bingo bonus (accept within 48 hours and wager 4x within seven days) and £20 side games bonus (accept within 48 hours and wager 20x within 30 days) on Rainbow Riches in the bingo lobby. Both bonuses must be accepted in the bingo lobby. Only completed games are credited. Debit cards only. Deposits made with Neteller/Skrill/PayPal are not valid for this promotion. 18+. T&Cs apply. Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
CTV News
04-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
How you can rent a friend with this new Ont. platform
Ethan Brooks, CEO of Friendly Connections, posed for a photo in Uptown Waterloo on June 4, 2025. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News) Making friends isn't easy for everyone, but a made-in-Waterloo Region service is hoping to change that. The web-based app called Friendly Connections is helping people expand their social circle. 'In my childhood, I had a tough time connecting and doing activities I loved,' said Ethan Brooks, the platform's CEO. The 20-year-old entrepreneur from Breslau, Ont. grew up in the age of apps helping people making connections constantly, but more so in the romantic sense. He saw a gap when it came to platonic connections. 'I want to create a platform for people who share similar interests as me and for people who also share the same issues which I've experienced previously,' said Brooks. Friendly Connections let's people pick a friend, which is a contractor for the site, who has a list of interests and preferred activities. Then, the customer pays that contractor an hourly rate to hangout with them. Rates range from $5 an hour to $25 an hour. 'For the first time I was hesitant, but after the first meeting it was awesome,' said contractor Ahsan Salman. Salman works full-time in the local tech sector and works as a 'friend' on the side. He said it also benefits contractors who make a connection. 'Sometimes people actually hire us for just a conversation about technology or business,' said Salman. Customer Chris Hodgins says Friendly Connections helped his pick-up hockey team who needed an extra player in a pinch. 'It was very short notice and he said, 'Yeah, I'll come. I'll play with you guys.' It worked out perfect, the guys loved him. They want him to play full time now,' said Hodgins. He says the service can help people like him who are perhaps at a different stage in life. 'I find [my] age group, a lot of my friends now have young families and they're just super busy with their kids playing sports,' said Hodgins. When it comes to ensuring connections remain friendly and the platform isn't abused for inappropriate purposes, the CEO says there are protections in place. 'For safety reasons we are limiting it to 18+,' said Brooks. 'Our contractors are vetted through a background check and interview process.' Both contractors and customers can chat before meeting up through the site to make sure they are both comfortable. If any rules are broken, either party can be banned from using the service, with the focus always on making a friend and never feeling alone.
