Steve Harvey addressed the possibility of men and women solely being friends. The Family Feud host shared why he didn’t think it was possible on Welcome to the Culture.
The multifaceted 67-year-old man claimed he had no female friends and could not have them.
“Let’s get rid of this myth right here,” he said. “There are some guys somewhere saying, ‘Yeah, we’re friends.’ No, that’s not true. He’s your friend only because you have made it absolutely clear that nothing else is happening except this friendship we have.”
Harvey continued, “We remain your friends in hopes that one day, there will be a crack in the door, a chink in the armor, and trust and believe that guy that you think is just your buddy, he will slide in that crack the moment he gets the opportunity because we’re guys.”
The Steve Harvey Morning Show host believed 99.9% of men thought that way. He knew many women would deny the notion, especially those with male friends, but he challenged them.
“I tell you what,” he began. “All your male friends. Just ask them in a ‘friendly’ way, ‘If I wanted to date you, would you be okay with that?’ And watch. Watch the fireworks.”
In the comments section, ladies and men gave their thoughts on whether or not they agreed with Harvey.
“I’ll say it until the end of time,” one person wrote. “Taking advice from Steve Harvey, who’s on his third marriage, is like taking fitness advice from a competition eater.”
Another guy disagreed with the radio host. “Bruh sound dumb! I love all my female friends. They are really the homies for real. Never looked at them in a sexual way and never will.”
“This only applies to men with no self-control or desire to have real friendships with women. Some men feel like they have every woman they’re connected to, and some actually respect women and can have friendships with them,” one person typed.
“I agree, at least most of the time. There will always be an underlying attraction either from the man, woman or both,” one man typed.
According to Psychology Today, researchers believe male-female friendships could thrive but take the same effort as actual relationships.
If sex or emotions begin to entangle in the friendship, researchers suggest being open about feelings, honestly negotiating the relationship’s state, and establishing boundaries.
“If sex is part of the dynamic, addressing it explicitly is the best strategy [to ensure the friendship survived],” Kathy Werking, author of We’re Just Good Friends, said. “The issue will fester if friends try to ignore it.”
