And the Screenwriter Created Man: Male Characterisation in Bromance and Bromedy

Recent discussions of gender and screenwriting have largely focused on the perennial problem of the female character, and the continued need for writers to avoid cliches and stereotypical forms of characterisation (e.g. Seger (1996); Francke (1994); Jacey (2010); Silverstein (2013)). However, when the bromance and the bromedy/bromcom are flourishing as recognisable mainstream sub-genres in both film and television series, critical attention to the approaches screenwriters might take in the creation of the male character is remarkably lacking. This absence raises questions about male representation and the screenwriter’s role in developing characters that promote positive images of men and male identity.