A new viral trend on TikTok is “Rat Boy Summer,” a similar concept to “Hot Girl Summer” and “Short King Spring.” The difference is that this time the Rat Men are in the spotlight.The trend aims to give love to men with less attractive traits, but the celebrities listed often include men who are considered mousy or unattractive. For example, Jeremy Allen White of the Bears and Kieran Culkin of Succession These are just two commonly cited examples of men who would be just fine on the dating market.
So what exactly is a rat boy? According to those who have posted about the trend, it describes a type of man who is longer and thinner than most, with sunken eyes and angular features. These rat-like features are what Gen Z is obsessed with online. Other celebrities in this category include actors: Timothée Chalamet, Tom Holland and The 1975 frontman Matt Healy.
While many find these men attractive, their looks don’t necessarily fit traditional standards of male beauty — many aren’t muscular, for example. The Guardian’s Betsy Reid noted that while the trend is mostly harmless, all of the examples given are white celebrities.
