It started with this photo last Friday.
For those who aren’t familiar with their lightskinned celebrities, that is Chris Brown and Drake in the studio together enjoying some tasty beverages in red cups.
Fast forward to Wednesday night and Drake hosting the ESPYS. As Damon already mentioned, Drake killed. It wasn’t just one moment or two moments, it was many moments, and definitely more moments than LeBron has rings. I can go on and on about how Drake managed to make all of us care about an award show that is a pure vanity project for athletes and celebrities, but I will focus on one.
In the sketch, "Drake and Blake" (or Blake and Drake), Chris Brown made a cameo in the same scene with Drake. This was the second time in less than a week we saw two men who once had a highly publicized beef appear as though they have put aside their differences.
Understand, in the magnitude of pop music, the Drake/Chris Brown beef was pretty serious. These two guys were really, really upset with one another and arguably were enemies longer than they were ever friends. A couple of years ago, the camps of both men were involved in all-out brawl at a New York City nightclub. Then, in a GQ profile, Drake revealed the following:
"I don't want my name to be synonymous with that guy's name. I really don't. I wish we could sit down, just like you and me are right now, and talk it out man-to-man. But that's not going to happen. I'm not confrontational, but if someone challenges, I'm not going to back down."
Still, none of it sits too well with Drake. "It's embarrassing, the amount of media coverage," he says. "Two rappers fighting over the woman. He's not even a rapper, but still, it's the last way you want your name out there. It distracts from the music. But he's made me the enemy, and that's the way it's gonna stay, I guess."
When I say he seems somewhat Zen about it now—after all the back-and-forth between them this past year, trading barbs on radio shows or blasting them out in song lyrics—he says, "If I think about it too much, I feel it wrapping around my foot, like I get a feeling it could end really badly.
Oh, Drake.
Anyway, so yeah, like I said, Chris Brown and Drake were once not cool with each other at all. So to see them go from that to first seeing a picture of them acting all chummy in a studio together, and then days later appearing in a funny sketch together, you may be able to understand why to many younger millennials, specifically teenage girls, these two moments were like Jay-Z and Nas recording “Black Republicans,”
I watched the sketch, like everybody else did, and even though I kind of knew it was coming due to reports among various gossips and legit news outlets, I still was somewhat jarred by it. Once I got over the shock and the laughs, I had another thought.
Does Rihanna know about this? And if she did, what was her reaction?
I was only curious because, well, I know what it’s like to be in Rihanna’s shoes; specifically, the shoes we wear when we realize two of our exes appear to be friends, aka Care Jordans.
Truth be told, it’s something that has happened to me more than once. Girls I dated meeting either through me or someone else in my wide social circle and getting along, and it’s never not awkward. I had to wonder if their mutual hatred for me is what started their own platonic romance for one another. Some have even had the audacity to tell me how much they enjoy the company of my other ex/their new bestie. I wouldn’t say it’s uncomfortable, it’s just awkward and unsettling. Like, damn, can’t you two not like me by yourselves; do you need each other to not like me more? Does that help you two move on quicker, by combining emotions?
Of course, none of it could be about me, just like none of CB and Drake’s newfound friendship could be about being Eskimo Brothers over Rihanna. But let’s be real, just like two exes of ours becoming friends with one another is kind of, sort of, maybe, likely about us, CB and Drake becoming homies has Rih-Rih’s name tattooed all over it, more than likely near the ankle.
And since I've been where Rihanna was myself, I took to Twitter because if Twitter is good for one thing, it’s building community around emotion.
I asked my followers to Twitpic the face they make when they realize two of their exes have become friends.
What transpired was nothing short of comedic gold. I mean, LOOK AT THESE TWITPICS!
See? I told y’all. But the hits did not stop. They kept on coming, especially after I modified the request to include both men and women. Like I said, I’m familiar with the feeling of seeing two exes become friends too.
This is me:
Here is more:
“@jozenc: Twitpic the face you make when you see 2 of your exes become besties.” pic.twitter.com/Yzgt1mEiAJ
— AMG (@houseofleigh) July 17, 2014
“Clueless” face is never not funny!
Storyboard edition.
RT @jozenc: Twitpic the face you make when you see 2 of your exes become besties. pic.twitter.com/gAIVOvaLPE
— Puff Danny (@MrDaniel_Austin) July 17, 2014
RT @jozenc: Ladies, put yourself in Rih's shoes. Twitpic the face you make when you realize your exes become besties. pic.twitter.com/kK810DXpEw
— A Tale of 2 Titties (@_MiaBreezy) July 17, 2014
WHITNEY!
RT @jozenc: Ladies, put yourself in Rih's shoes. Twitpic the face you make when you realize your exes become besties. pic.twitter.com/Zu8a5qaGzm
— A Tale of 2 Titties (@_MiaBreezy) July 17, 2014
THE PURPLE ONE!
And, even VSB’s Maya Francis got in on it with a gif of what is probably the classiest of responses.
So now, it’s your turn people of VSB, share a picture or a gif of the face that captures your feelings when you see your exes have becomes friends. Even if the mere thought of that makes you emotional, find a way to laugh. Please?
Oh, and one more thing, which has nothing to do with anything, but today is my birthday, so if you all want to include any born day shout outs in your responses, that would be much appreciated as well!