girl crush
I'm dealing with some complex issues around women's friendships in one of the novels I'm working on. It's probably coincidental, but I'm also noticing, just now, the increased use of the term 'girl crush' which I take to mean a strong (but not necessarily sexual) attraction one woman has for another woman.
There's a whole website, Girl Crush Clique, which narrows down the definition to an attraction to a celebrity:
Is there a female celebrity that you just think is the most awesome? You have tons of pictures of her, you watch all their movies or buy all their cds. Well then she is your Girl Crush. Don't worry its nothing bad. You don't have to be gay to have a girl crush. You just have to like a girl(female) celebrity!Then there's getupgrrl's post about her friend-crush on her vet:
Do you know what I mean? "Friend-crush"? You meet a woman and you immediately want to be her friend but you don't know how to ask? I have an enormous friend-crush on my regular veterinarian (and believe me, nothing is more humiliating than having your husband say encouragingly - after every annual check-up - "Why don't you just call her and ask her out for coffee? I'm sure she'd love to be your friend!"). I don't know what it is about female veterinarians. They just all seem so funny and nice and best-friendy. Last night, I developed a friend-crush on the emergency veterinarian, too, an experience made even more painful by the fact that the emergency vet and my regular vet turned out to be friends with each other.I'm not sure why grrl is substituting 'friend' for 'girl'; maybe she'll tell us. My own understanding of the term in pretty much in line with hers. Once in a while there's a woman I come across who I'd like to know better (and doesn't that sound like a cheesy pickup line). It doesn't happen very often, maybe twice a year, and it's always someone who feels rather unapproachable for some reason -- a woman at a party who had some interesting things to say about a movie, or someone I only know from afar, another writer or (cough) even an actor. Not to really embarrass myself here or anything.I want in on this vet-friend-clique, people. How do I get in? Just tell me what I have to do.
So I'd be pleased to hear from you all about this phenomenon, what associations it has for you, where you came across it, how you use the term (if you do). It will help me sort out my thoughts, and I may end up writing an article as well.