What Is With the “White Boy of the Month” Craze?

Every so often when I open my TikTok, I am greeted by a slow and heartstopping edit of a shirtless, white, cis-gendered man. Created by Twitter users, the “White Boy of the Month” is a title granted to a man who is trending in the media. More often than not, there is a correlation between a recent project he has completed that makes his presentation circulate in the media. 

This trend was brought to my attention recently with the release of Stranger Things Season 4 and Top Gun: Maverick. Being a devout Stranger Things follower since middle school I expected to open up my social media to hear people gossiping about far-fetched theories for the next volume. But to my surprise, a multitude of edits of Steve Harrington [Joe Keery], Eddie Munson [Joesph Quinn], and 001 [Jamie Campbell Bower] clouded my For You Page. Along with that, individuals were making TikTok’s about how attractive they are, not about the show’s content. Needless to say, the masses unspokenly claimed these three men, more specifically Joe Keery, as the white boys of the month. 

Now, this may seem normal as I am a fan of the show and the algorithm brought me to these specific videos; however, a synonymous white boy of the month proves otherwise. Miles Teller. On May 27th, Top Gun: Maverick was released, starring Tom Cruise and Teller. Honestly, I would be the last person to see that movie. I only know Miles Teller’s name because he starred in Taylor Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me” music video. If that doesn’t reinforce my previous statement, I don’t know what could. 

Suddenly, my TikTok was filled with Stranger Things edits and now edits of shirtless Miles Teller flying planes and doing whatever constitutes being in a movie with Tom Cruise. I had no interest in seeing this film. But the pictures of Teller were circulating the internet, and finally, he was competing with the Stranger Things men to grab the White Boy of the Month seal. In my objective opinion, he trumped Netflix’s favorite 80’s cast, but let us see how long that lasts with the release of Stranger Things 4, Volume 2 on July 1st. 

Now, these are not the only two relevant White Boys of the Month. Last year, a striking Dylan O’Brien gained traction at the height of the All Too Well Short Film release. Timothee Chalamet has been the White Boy of the Month a handful of times; most notably with the release of Call Me By Your Name, his rap with Pete Davidson, and (my personal favorite) his statistics video that shows up every couple of months or so, along with Andrew Garfield with his appearance in Spiderman: No Way Home and Tick, Tick, Boom. 

Now, this phenomenon has been relevant for quite some time. Although it may seem like another Internet facade for teenage girls to obsess over, it is much more than that. This obsession can equally act as a new era of celebrity crushes. Say goodbye to the days when boy band posters are slathered on bedroom walls, and say hello to this impatient, almost competitive Internet cycle that decides which white boys will be placed on a pedestal next. 

Digging deeper, there is a further analysis of race that plays a part in this ideal man, creating unrealistic beauty and relationship standards. This facade only highlights the roles and accomplishments of the typical white man which takes away space from the advancements of people of color, especially in the film and television industry that is lacking diversity as is. 

Similarly, many individuals who idolize the White Boy of the Month tend to put this way of thought into practice. They seek the men who act, but more importantly, look like the aforementioned white men. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing; it just warps seekers' perceptions of their partners, perpetuating unrealistic expectations. 

Regardless, this is not new in terms of television and film. Since the 1920s, white actors and actresses have been the beauty standpoint. What is different nowadays is how quickly individuals are coming into the spotlight, hence the term White Boy of the Month. 

In all, this trend is fun. It is lighthearted and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. However, let us not base who we fall in love with based on the white boys that are all over the Internet––it is not worth our time.