From rodent boyfriends to frog princes: Gen Z are not done with categorising men as animals
This year has seen the emergence of many new and prominent male archetypes: first, there were the golden retriever boyfriends, a trend spearheaded by Taylor Swift’s beau Travis Kelce. Then, TikTok presented us with hot rodent men to coincide with rat girl summer—a special shoutout to Jeremy Allen White, Josh O’Connor, and Timothée Chalamet for providing the eye candy for that one.
And now we are rolling out the red carpet for a new ring of animalistic man candy. For this particular trend we’re going to be giving thanks to men like Edward Bluemel, Rami Malek, and Tom Holland because we are moving onto, drum roll, frog princes.
View this post on Instagram
What is a frog prince?
Frog princes, according to Laura Masia from Pedestrian TV, are a breed of sexy men whose eyes are wide set and whose grin errs on the goofy side, often accentuated by prominent smile lines on their cheeks.
Frog boys gettin it done 🥹
— emily (@IoneIymoons) August 13, 2023
Unlike the sculpted jaws of hunky beefcakes, the sleek, angular features of rodent men, or the wholesome, boy-next-door vibe of golden retriever boyfriends, frog princes draw their charm from a rounder, softer face, often with a hint of a scruffy beard or tousled hair that adds to their quirky and accessible allure.
Rodents, with their bold, chiselled features, and hunks, much like broad, muscular, and stormy stallions, can be quite intimidating, after all.
I suppose that their appeal also lies in their contradictions and imperfections—the way their features don’t quite fit the conventional mould, yet somehow come together in an irresistibly endearing way.
Other notable examples of frog princes include Kumail Nanjiani, Dominic Cooper, Bradley Cooper, and Harry Styles.
this is not harry styles. this is my pet frog pic.twitter.com/lvHdUKuxPW
— CODY🌸 (@copyofacody) March 29, 2021
Are there frog princesses?
Of course, a couple of keen-eyed netizens also spotted these very same features in a lot of women, making the frog aesthetic a gender-neutral trend. We love it!
The most prominent frog ladies out there were identified as Amanda Seyfriend, Simone Ashley, Nneka Okoye, Florence Pugh, and Madonna.
Simone Ashley by Rodney Rico before the British Fashion Awards 2023 - Widescreen Version pic.twitter.com/pR03hkp69r
— Simone Ashley Source (@SimoneAshleyCom) July 10, 2024
Why are we classifying men as animals?
There will be many exasperated sighs upon reading this article. Another group of men classified as some random animal? Why? The answer is: why the hell not?
In a world full of tragic events, occasionally lit up by fun-filled PowerPoint nights and the good, old-fashioned meme, we need things to occupy ourselves with. Assigning all of our favourite celebrities, specifically the men, to animal groups is one way to do that. So, don’t rob the TikTok girlies of their fun because that’s all that this is really at the end of the day.
These playful categories really aren’t about fitting people into rigid boxes—they’re meant to celebrate the diversity of attraction while having a laugh along the way. So, whether you’re swooning over a frog prince, pining for a golden retriever boyfriend, or still trying to figure out what makes a hot rodent, just enjoy the ride. After all, in this world of endless labels, we might as well have fun with it.
