The latest global trend in dating attractive rodent boyfriends may seem offensive, but it’s actually quite the opposite.
The reign of the Golden Retriever heartthrobs is apparently over. Instead, women crave someone who is loyal, unusually attractive, with piercing eyes and angular faces, aka a handsome rodent boyfriend.
Zendaya’s latest blockbuster movie, Challengers, is largely responsible for the new dating trend, thanks to lead stars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor having attractive rodent qualities.
Elsewhere, pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter has landed herself a handsome rodent boyfriend in Barry Keoghan and fans of The Bear find Carmy, played by Jeremy Allen White, to have an endearing but rodent-like appearance.
With an edgy exterior but still showering his partner with love and affection, the handsome rodent boyfriend is also on the rise among non-celebrities.
Generation Z has coined a new pet phrase for unconventionally attractive men: hot rodent
To be classified as an attractive rodent man, one must have a personality that matches his appearance. Unlike a ‘himbo’, there must be more beneath the surface.
They should not only be fun, but also sensitive at the same time and with the ability to form meaningful connections with those around them.
While the likes of Matty Healy and Tom Holland have been dubbed handsome rodent men, the trend largely gained momentum after the release of Hollywood’s latest blockbuster, Challengers.
The film follows Euphoria star Zendaya, 27, as Tashi, a former professional tennis player turned coach who is helping her husband make his own return to the sport.
It was praised for its seductive energy, thanks to Zendaya’s interactions with Mike Faist as Art Donaldson and Josh O’Connor as Patrick Zweig.
Ty Burr in the Washington Post hailed it as a “witty, sexy and wildly entertaining romantic tennis triangle.”
Meanwhile, the Hollywood Reporter’David Rooney said the film was “intelligent, seductive and full of sexual tension.”
The film’s “sexy” energy comes from its lead stars, Mike and Josh, who helped establish the newly established heartthrob category: hot rodent men.
Sabrina Carpenter has landed herself a ‘hot rodent’ boyfriend with Saltburn star Barry Keoghan (seen at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival)
Josh O’Connor’s role in Challengers helped give rise to the ‘hot rodent’ trend (seen at the 2024 Met Gala)
Kieran Culkin (seen in 2021), best known for his role as Roman Roy in Succession, has been dubbed a hot rodent
Mike and Josh are praised for their unconventional and attractive appearance, with angular features and piercing gazes.
Elsewhere, fans of Succession star Kieran Culkin have admired him for his unconventional good looks, open affection for wife Jazz Charlton and endearing sense of humour, putting him firmly in the rodent category. hot.
Generation Z has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the dating trend. One said: “Men make rodents sexy.”
Another asked: ‘Why is my type in men adjacent to rodents?’ Matthew Tkachuk and now Josh (O’Connor)…’
A third said in response to Challengers: “These rodents were up against (men) being the hottest men at the box office right now. That’s movie magic, baby!”
A fourth asked: ‘Why am I attracted to rodents like men?’ Another declared: ‘Hot summer of rodent boyfriends!’
Bear star Jeremy Allen White (pictured in 2023) has also become associated with the phrase ‘hot rodent’.
It comes after Generation Z coined a new pet phrase for attractive men: “So babygirl.”
While the true meaning of the nickname is hotly debated around the world, an attractive man with soft features and a cute air of vulnerability are among the criteria for being a girl.
‘So babygirl’ gained recognition when 26-year-old Jacob Elordi, in other words ‘babygirl of the century’, discussed the term on Saturday Night Live: saying: ‘Me? I am a Girl.’
According to Urban Dictionary, the term “He’s such a girl” is defined as: “A person (typically female) will say this about another person (typically male) when they look extremely attractive but in a softer, more cheerful way.”
And Elordi isn’t the only babygirl among us: actors Jeremy Strong and Timothee Chalamet have been named in the same category.
These stars break the rules of masculinity when it comes to fashion and are often seen wearing more feminine outfits.
The ability to do so is another telltale sign of a “girl,” according to Fashion.
Gen Z has announced its latest heartthrob in X, with one declaring it a “hot rodent boyfriend summer”
The magazine explained that the creative industries have eliminated the idea that being interested in fashion is effeminate. Instead, it is now considered “cool” for men to wear elaborate styles.
Harry Styles helped pave the way for the likes of Elordi and Keoghan, and he was wearing dresses and blouses before anyone had heard of the Saltburn stars.
During an interview with New York TimesStrong responded to his association with the phrase.
“There’s something about this character, this type of guy-man: there’s a lot of masculine vulnerability, which is something that always affected me growing up when I saw it in storytelling,” he said.
‘At this time in our culture, people respond to that in a mocking or empathetic way.
He concluded: “It’s not my job to tell anyone how to respond, but there’s something about vulnerability that’s polarizing.”
Strong alluded to another aspect of the phrase “girl”: vulnerability.
The term includes men who are comfortable with their bodies and typically reject displays of toxic masculinity.
