Making friends isn't always easy. In middle school, high school, and college, your friends are usually the people you see everyday, but as we grow older it becomes more and more difficult to come across new people. While it may be difficult to make new friends, that doesn't mean it's impossible. If there is one testament to the power of finding new, unexpected friends, it is the friendship between Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg, which is being celebrated in the new VH1 show Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party.
One may not expect Stewart, the cooking and decorating extraordinaire, to find a kindred spirit in rapper/actor Snoop Dogg. However, Snoop Dogg's mischievous sense of humor and Stewart's wholesomeness make for a delightful combination and it's clear that the two of them enjoy each other's company as much as audiences enjoy seeing them together. As fun as they are to watch, the question of "How did they even become friends" looms heavy over the unlikely pairing. In a world where it feels like making friends is anything but easy, how did the queen of a daytime talk show empire and a bonafide rap superstar become pals?
Sociologist Rebecca G. Adams recently told the New York Times that there are three key ingredients to building a friendship. "[Friendships require] proximity; repeated, unplanned interactions; and a setting that encourages people to let their guard down." Looking at an early interaction between Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg, however, one can imagine those three ingredients are actually potatoes, Cognac, and salt to taste.
Though Snoop simply told Variety, "My homegirl, Martha and I have a special bond that goes back," it appears that they first met on the set of her daytime talk show, Martha, where they made fresh mashed potatoes together. As you can see in the video above, while these two may not seem to have a lot in common, they were already able to relate to each other and joke around as if long-time friends.
Since then, Snoop and Stewart have made "green" brownies together, effortlessly aced $100,000 Pyramid, roasted Justin Beiber together, and stayed in touch through social media. Now, VH1 is giving Snoop and Stewart an excuse to celebrate their friendship while doing the thing that brought them together in the first place – cooking. Martha and Snoop's relationship is proof that the truest friendships come down to more than just similar hobbies and other, mutual friends. Friendship is all about being able to be yourself around each other, and Snoop and Martha are certainly their best selves while in each other's company.
Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party premieres on Nov. 7 and Stewart promised Variety that it would "exemplify America's fascination with food, entertaining, and celebrity," while Snoop anticipated, "cooking, drinking and having a good time with our exclusive friends." While they're both interested in food and entertainment, I think the show is really an excuse for two very busy friends to have a creative project that allows them to spend a great deal of time together. Like Snoop said of Stewart in the above interview with Ryan Seacrest, this friendship really is "the gift that keeps on giving."
