Houston Rockets Kiss Cam Fail: Watch A Guy Get Savagely Friend-Zoned On Live TV [Video]
The Houston Rockets Kiss Cam captured a stunning and embarrassing fail Thursday night, showing a man getting savagely friend-zoned by his date in front of tens of thousands of people in the stadium (to say nothing of the viewing audience at home).
As Fox News reports, Thursday night’s NBA Playoff game between the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs was pretty boring, as the home team failed to show up for Game 6. But even a boring game can be saved with the Kiss Cam, so the in-house announcer turned it on and started panning around.
Things got weird when the camera went to this guy.
Rockets Kiss Cam just buried this dude LOL???? pic.twitter.com/8xlk9oUjGj
— Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) May 12, 2017
For those who can’t see the video, as The Kinks’ “What I Like About You” plays, the camera pans to a guy who looks to be about 30, seated next to a woman who appears to be about the same age. At first, the laughing couple try to shake off the camera, but if you’ve ever been to an NBA game or any other even where the Kiss Cam is a feature, you know that the cameraman isn’t going to let you shake him off. Eventually, the guy goes in for a kiss… and his companion turns and offers him only a cheek instead.
Ouch. You’ve been Friend-Zoned, dude.
#ExplainAFilmPlotBadly Boy dies trying to get out of the friend zone. pic.twitter.com/PmhSt8YQNW
— Explain A Plot Badly (@ExplainAPlotBad) May 13, 2017
To drive the point home, the Kiss Cam operator realized what was happening, and captioned the video “Friend Zone” right there in front of the audience.
Double Ouch.
For those not familiar, the term “Friend Zone” is a recent invention that dates back to a 1994 episode of Friends. You may recall that, at that point in the show’s run, sad-sack Ross Geller’s love for Rachel Green was unrequited, as Rachel considered Ross a great friend – and nothing more. Ross’ pal Joey described Ross as the “Mayor of the Friend Zone.”
What if Friends was set in 2017? Rachel would have a buzz cut, Phoebe would teach Bikram and Joey would be on Tinder https://t.co/zh63j18MPj pic.twitter.com/vvooaVBLv4
— British Vogue (@BritishVogue) May 12, 2017
In other words, if you are attracted to someone, but they aren’t attracted to you and only regard you as a friend, you’re in the Friend Zone. And you likely aren’t getting out of it.
Writing in the Chicago Tribune in 2007, Gina B. – who has Friend Zoned more than one guy – says that women can knowingly or unknowingly exploit the Friend Zone to her advantage.
“When a guy agrees to be friends, he’s forced to stifle his attraction while regularly seeing and talking to the woman he’s attracted to. She discusses her love life and has the audacity to ask his advice on it. He performs occasional “manly” household and automotive favors for the woman. Essentially, he does everything a boyfriend would do–without the benefits.”
For the guy (or, in the case of same-sex relationships, the partner whose affections aren’t returned), being in the Friend Zone… really sucks.
“The attraction might dissipate, but there is a good chance that the guy is hoping she’ll eventually come around. It has to be torture.”
As for the man and the woman who got caught up in the Kiss Cam Fail: as of this writing, neither of them has come forward to explain the awkward moment. But it could very well be that the two people actually are friends, without the guy being stuck in the Friend Zone. Or it could be that they’re in an early phase of their relationship and aren’t comfortable kissing in front of strangers yet. Or, as commentator cash500 on the Houston Chronicle‘s story on the video notes, “lol they must be married.”
[Featured Image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]
