Cracking the Guy Code: Deciphering the unspoken rules

Pop quiz: when is it okay for two male friends to share dessert at a restaurant?

(a) When separate forks are used;

(b) When the dessert is split in half;

(c) When the dessert is split in half and served on separate plates;

(d) Never;

(e) Never ever.

Time’s up. If your answer wasn’t “d” or “e” - and frankly, “e” is preferred - then you likely need a remedial course in Guy Code, the unwritten rules governing platonic male friendships, a set of mores enjoying an ongoing moment in the pop culture sun that continues with the new film “50/50.”

Rule No. 22: Never be serious when you can be flippant.

Rule No. 56: Go for a jog together. Not a walk.

For American men, the Guy Code is like the Force in “Star Wars”: It surrounds us. Guides us. Binds our social universe together. The Code is fodder for standup routines and sociological research, online debates and beer commercials.

As a subtext, it also informs the new film “50/50.”

A humorous, semi-autobiographical account of actor and writer Will Reiser’s mid-20s cancer diagnosis, “50/50” largely deals with how two male friends struggle to cope with sickness and mortality.

In the film, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam, the Reiser character, while actor Seth Rogen plays Kyle, Adam’s best friend, a role based on Mr. Rogen’s real-life friendship with Mr. Reiser.

Adam undergoes chemotherapy. He has girlfriend problems. He prepares for last-ditch, lifesaving surgery. In response, the two friends drink beer, crack jokes, smoke weed and … crack more jokes. At one point, Kyle even takes Adam to a bar to pick up girls, using cancer as a romantic hook.

At no point do the two friends share a deep conversation, a good cry or - heaven forbid - a slice of pie, even when they have the munchies.

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