‘White Boy of the Month’: Harmless fun or a harmful stereotype?

It’s April 2020 and you’re on your fourth hour of scrolling through TikTok when suddenly — he appears. It’s Timothee Chalamet dancing in slow motion on your For You Page to the song “Playdate” by Melanie Martinez. You’re in love, and apparently, so are the 5.7 million other people who liked the video. 

“This is THE Timothee Chalamet edit,” the comments said. “OMG, I’m in love.”

Thanks to that TikTok edit, a new “White Boy of the Month” was born.

“The ‘White Boy of the Month’ is a celebrity, usually a white male, who the internet picks to obsess over monthly,” Isabelle Cook, an Accounting student, said.

The trend primarily exists on TikTok, but it’s been around for a long time with origins on Tumblr and Twitter. It usually starts when a conventionally attractive actor, singer, athlete or influencer gains popularity from a new movie or project. Fans then flood the internet with edits, memes and threads about how wonderful he is. 

That attention rapidly grows into an internet-wide obsession. Once that obsession reaches a fever pitch, he’ll be crowned the “White Boy of the Month” by millions of social media users. 

“A lot of people will focus and obsess over one guy,” Yukie Sato, a Biology student, said. “Then, there will be a lot of edits made about him. After a month or two, it moves on to the next one as another guy makes a thirst trap on TikTok or a new movie comes out that has a really hot guy in it.”

Even if you’re unfamiliar with the term “White Boy of the Month”, you’ve probably seen the phenomenon online. Men like Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland and Austin Butler have all been given the coveted title at one point or another, but the list could go on and on. 

The trend itself is mostly harmless. Celebrity crushes are a common experience for most people, and talking about their favorite celebrities with others can be a lot of fun. The TikTok edits and memes can be very creative, and participating in cultural moments — even over something as silly as debating who the current “White Boy of the Month” is — can be an enjoyable online experience.

Upon closer examination, however, some troubling patterns appear. While the “White Boy of the Month” trend may be fun and lighthearted, it reveals deeper issues with how the internet uses race, gender and beauty standards to decide who gets to participate in these conversations — and who gets left out.

By its very name, the trend excludes people of color. While the internet searches for the next “white boy” to crown, it consistently overlooks men of color who are just as deserving. Even when men of color gain widespread popularity for their talent and appeal in popular movies or other projects, they are very rarely given the same levels of viral recognition by the internet as their white counterparts. 

This pattern reflects a much larger issue in pop culture, where conversations about desirability and attraction are often centered around white individuals, leaving people of color out of those spaces.

The trend also reinforces unrealistic beauty standards for men. When millions of people elevate the same male celebrities based primarily on their looks, it creates an online culture where a very narrow idea of masculinity is celebrated. That culture can lead to men feeling insecure because they don’t fit the stereotypical mold for what the internet defines as “attractive”. 

The idealization of certain traits that all the “white boys of the month” have in common can be detrimental to the self-esteem of men who don’t see themselves represented in those limited beauty standards.

Additionally, the trend highlights a double standard in how we celebrate famous men and women. Conventionally attractive men are elevated solely because of their looks — fans assume that because they’re so attractive, they must also have great personalities. 

Meanwhile, conventionally attractive women are subject to much more scrutiny. Not only do those women have to be beautiful, but they have to prove themselves to be humble and gracious to deserve the same level of respect. 

That being said, the “White Boy of the Month” trend isn’t all bad. The cycle of picking a new white male celebrity to obsess over every few weeks has some unfortunate consequences, but that’s not to say that the men the internet does crown with the title don’t deserve the fame and attention. 

Many of them are genuinely talented and charismatic, and their work resonates deeply with their audiences and fans. Despite its underlying issues, the trend highlights the internet’s enthusiasm of participating in cultural moments and celebrating their favorite celebrities in fun and creative ways.

“I think it’ll continue on,” Audrey Trayer, a Criminal Justice student, said. “Knowing teenage girls — myself being one — I don’t think we’ll ever get sick of it.”

However, it might be time for the internet to distance itself from the specific labels that “White Boy of the Month” carries. It’s important to acknowledge how those specific labels exclude others to create more inclusive spaces where everyone can be a part of the conversation, not overlooking people who are equally deserving of the attention. 

That doesn’t mean we have to lose the fun and creative online moments — you can keep watching the Timothee Chalamet TikTok edits. However, by opening up those conversations, the internet can ensure that the admiration and excitement can be shared with everyone, not just one specific group.