As a relatively meek dude with special interests, I’m aware of how I can be. What I’m saying is, perhaps it best not to engage me in conversations about cooking, America’s greatest bar band, or, yes, the Roman Empire. I will talk too much.
But my wife — bless her heart — has listened intently so often to fun facts about The Hold Steady. Because when you love someone, you find their quirks and interests, well, interesting. TikTok’s latest trend involves strong women protecting the pure, soft-spoken men in their lives as they show off their interests. In general, the women participating in this trend dole out faux-menacing threats before the man shows off their thing, urging the viewers to be nice.
As best I can tell, the trend began with @yearningyardies on TikTok. A woman tells the viewers they better tell her boyfriend his plants are cool. Then the boyfriend comes and gently shows off his plants.
That TikTok seems to have inspired other couples to show off everything from a painted turtle, to golf clubs, to even more plants. Oftentimes the women in the background mime that they’re watching you or indicate you better be excited. The comments often feign fear at the woman’s threats while also admiring the work of the meek guy. It’s good, sweet fun.
These posts are sort of a nicer version of the years-old trend where (typically) women would post TikToks showing how they know their partners wouldn’t cheat. Oftentimes, these TikToks would feature men doing stereotypically nerdy or uncool hobbies. The implication being, this guy is too nerdy (or, in the less-common, meaner versions of the trend, too much of a loser) to cheat.
Instead of poking fun at these hobbies, the new trend celebrates and protects these guys’ right to a fun little interest. It also reverses society’s expected gender roles — the man as the protector — in a lighthearted way.
So if you’re a dude like me with some uncool interests, now might just be the time to share them — so long as you’ve got a tough woman to back you up.
