A showmance (sometimes show-mance), also known as show romance, is a romance that develops between two individuals in
theater
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...
and between
reality show
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
contestants or participants for the running period of the show. When the two actively engage in a "made up" situation, it can be called a fauxmance. It is also considered a
neologism
A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...
and its usage is gaining popularity in the media.
The term came to the attention of the mainstream on the non-scripted American television show '' Big Brother (TV series), Big Brother'' when it was first used by Will Kirby in 2001. It has been used in theater on stage for years. Then it moved to films, theater and scripted television. It is primarily entered into as a ploy to gain more public and media attention and, in case of television, more camera time during the run of a theater piece, or a television series. It may be also just a
publicity stunt
In marketing, a publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized, or set up by amateurs. Such events are frequently utilize ...
. Showmances during reality shows are often motivated by the participants' wanting popularity with the viewers for post show success (as well as success during the show, if Audience Voting is a part of the format). In some competitive reality tv shows (Big Brother or Survivor), contestants often engaged in a showmance for strategic purposes. A showmance couple, by protecting each other and by voting together, maintaining power over the game’s political power structure. Sometimes, when an amorous relationship actually does continue after the end of a show, many people would still allege that it is "just a show" the two are putting on.
Showmance is a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words
In popular culture
* The second episode of ''
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' is entitled " Showmance". It aired on September 9, 2009.
See also
*
Bromance
A bromance is a very close and non-sexual relationship between two or more men. It is an exceptionally tight, affectional, homosocial male bonding relationship exceeding that of usual friendship, and is distinguished from normal friendship by ...