A Fine Bro-mance: The Guys Of Entourage

As HBO's "Entourage" heads towards its eighth and final season, the show will take its place amongst other landmark series for opening the cultural conversation about that unusual species, the young American male. The show caught attention with its celebrity cameos and Hollywood hijinks that deftly portrayed the entertainment capital, but the heart of the show was always in the humble Queens borough of New York City.

It's the love story of four young, moneyed young men, surrounded by the most beautiful women in the world, who just can't get enough of each other. Of course, being straight men of the American variety, they must insult one another in the most homophobic way possible. Just "Sex and the City" revealed the sometimes surprisingly salacious conversation between the ladies, "Entourage" let the politically incorrect, blustering alpha male dynamics fly out in the open in a refreshingly honest depiction of how guys interact. The show found and kept a loyal audience because of the realistic guy talk at its center that even made President Obama a fan, according to Politico in 2009.

The setting is simple, if lush, wish fulfillment. Movie star Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his hometown crew of "E" Murphy (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and older brother Johnny "Drama" Chase (Kevin Dillon) live, work and play in Hollywood. With money, connections and the fame factor, opportunity just keeps knocking. What keeps the show interesting, beyond the fantastical movie star trappings, is the ongoing squabble and search for top spot amongst the dudes.

"Entourage works because it's about male friendship," said series creator Doug Ellin. One of the hallmarks of the show is the persistent ridiculing between the characters and high percentage of gay jokes and jibes as camaraderie. The most uncomfortable moments come when ruthless agent, Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), scolds loyal assistant Lloyd (Rex Lee) with a barrage of crude, graphic references to his homosexuality. Similarly, the Vince and his entourage constantly use homosexuality as the greatest possible insult. Like the discussion of sports or obscure indie bands, the frequent and graphic homosexual remarks strengthen the bond between these oh-so-straight fellows. Curious perhaps, but realistic for the way Western males hang out. Just as the show satirized the Hollywood world of vicious back-biting, the show managed that fine line between being an offensive promotion of gay-bashing and holding up a mirror to how guys interact.

Not every culture questions the closeness of male relationships, Mediterranean cultures don't frown on men hugging and kissing. In the Middle East, young men will walk down the street arm-in-arm without raising questions about their sexual preference. But Vince and the boys need to distinguish their closeness from any hint of romantic interest with the constant gay jokes. Borderline homophobia may not be the most admirable trait, but it is a familiar language to anyone who has known a male teenager, or overheard a guys' night. After the series ends, the producers have proposed a 2013 film follow-up to "Entourage" and the guys will be older, wiser and perhaps need a little less reassurance about their love story.