In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, (ya know, the commercialized thing with all the hearts and cupid) I decided to examine whether guys and girls who are best friends could maintain a platonic, healthy, friendship! One of my closest friends is a guy, but in the 3rd grade, I was convinced he was my soulmate! I’ve heard stories of girls who have had a close guy friend, only to eventually get hit on by them, and that’s #Aca-awkward. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are countless guy and girl best friends who are just friends, but growing up, it seemed like TV and movies taught us that BFFs would inevitably get together. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?
1. Lizzie and Gordo
For years, Gordo kept his feelings for Lizzie hidden, although his love was blatantly obvious to us, the loyal audience. I’ll never forget the moment Gordo finally revealed himself in what might be the most romantic profession of love in history:
“You Rock. Don’t ever change, only…I mean it.”
2. Shawn and Topanga
Wait what? Yes, clearly Topanga and Cory = relationship goals, but how could you forget the episode where Topanga and Shawn kissed for the first time? I dont care how “upset” she was about moving, there is NO such thing as a platonic lip kiss at fifteen years old! It looks like a cheek kiss but no, it was lip, and Eric, Cory’s brother, was so angry he proceeded to throw Shawn against a wall. Even though it meant nothing, these two “bffs” crossed the friendship line!
Ugh, I love these two. Tawny was my spirit animal growing up and the love I have for Shia today is truly inexplicable. I have to admit, when watching the show I didn’t see this one coming, but these two were perfect for each other. *sigh*
I think Phil fell in love with Keely the first time they met. After all, who could resist her bubbly, helpful, and delightfully ditzy personality?!
5. Chase and Zoey
Some of the funniest parts of Zoey 101 were watching Chase hide his feelings for Zoey. Finally, in season four, they kissed. Remember when Chase literally moved to England because Zoey was going to school in England? That’s dedication. Or kinda scary.
So, can guys and girls just be friends? According to Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, no. But that’s why they’re TV shows right? Either way, every guy-girl best friendship is different. To anyone out there debating if they should go for a romantic relationship with their best friend, I say, try it! Being honest is the most important thing, but come clean about your feelings only if you’re ready for either outcome. In the meantime, host a marathon of your favorite childhood V-day episodes with your BFF; when the couple on TV gets together you can laugh at how cheesy it is OR you can make your move!