Wow, taking a course taught by Irvine Welsh sounds like it could have been very, very cool. I also really liked that this was to me, really about male friendships. I think you're right, it's not something well represented in the pop consciousness, at least not well represented with as much sincerity. I also forgot it was International Women's Day. I hope that people following this thread don't get the idea that I was trying to detract from that; that certainly wasn't my intention.
It was indeed very, very cool. He wore Versace jeans and came to class on the last day drinking a magnum out of a paper bag. On the first day, he took us up to the Landmark to see Morvern Callar, all of us looking like a misfit (and co-ed) lineup from Madeline on the trek. Sincerity is exactly it. I mention P&R (third mention, most abbreviated) because that's exactly what they nail in fleeting moments, the sincerity of communication between friends. It's not as much about being 'male' or 'masculine' as it is the context of male communication. I doubt anyone's going to imply anything re: International Women's Day. If anything, you at least had the correct title - I had to go back and edit my post to reflect it!