Our leading men are getting dirtier… and we’re here for it. For a long time, the leading man has been an alpha male type. But now it feels like leading men are becoming more unkempt, unbothered, but maybe even more attractive as a result. They’re a little rougher around the edges, tortured souls, and still manage to be really hot. So, why now? Maybe because our leading men in cinema have been handsome, but a little bland for so long. The dirtbag represents an alternative to the status quo, and right now the status quo is pretty chaotic, so those who push against it almost seem aspirational.
Transcript
INTRO
Our leading men are getting dirtier…and we’re here for it.
For a long time, the leading man has been a sort of classically handsome, all-American type —with perfect skin and a million dollar smile. But now it feels like our leading men are becoming more unkempt, unbothered, and maybe even more attractive as a result.
There’s a name for this new brand of sleazy yet sexy faction of dudes: The Dirtbag. Sure, the term has been around for a while, but it used to be used in a more pejorative sense where now it’s been reclaimed. The Atlantic declared ‘The ‘Dirtbag’ Is Back’ and Vice’s i-D says, ‘The dirtbag boyfriend is 2022’s hottest accessory.’
And these dirtbags have a few things going for them:
So, why now? Maybe because our leading men in cinema have been handsome, but a little bland for so long. Writer Bolu Babalola says “In famous men, women love space to project a fantasy of their desires & not only is it sexual but also it is intimate comfort! There are so many handsome actors that do absolutely nothing for me because the air around them is like…mall air.” But also, the dirtbag represents an alternative to the status quo, and right now the status quo is pretty chaotic, so those who push against it almost seem aspirational.And The Atlantic’s Andrea Matei suggests that “Watching characters who wouldn’t notice the apocalypse if society were smoldering at their feet is cathartic. Their ease with chaos can briefly be ours.”
They’re a little rougher around the edges: They don’t play by the rules in more ways than one. They’ve got a kind of “just rolled out of bed” look and mentality…but one that recalls some old-fashioned notions of masculinity.
They’re tortured souls: What’s interesting about these dirtbags is that their hard, rough exterior masks a more churned up, unsettled interior. They come with a lot of emotional baggage and while this might be messy, it’s an alternative to the classic ‘strong, silent type’ that we’ve become more suspicious of. They’re damaged but in an endearing way. Essentially, the dirtbag screams: “I can fix him!”
They’re still really hot: The tattoos. The beards. The bodies. These characters are less clean cut and manicured, and more relaxed about their appearance. It’s a different kind of hot – one that comes with a sense that they’re almost hiding in plain sight…that makes you feel special for noticing.
Here’s our take on the rise of the dirtbag, and why it’s the perfect moment for men to embrace their rough edges, and show us a less perfect side of themselves.
CHAPTER ONE: THE NEW BAD BOY
The dirtbag feels like an evolution of the bad boy. Guys from the wrong side of the tracks who have something underneath the surface that draws us to them. In a sense, it’s a Lady and the Tramp-esque fantasy come to life, where the woman gets to be the one who does the saving, rather than the one who’s saved.
And over the past few years, it feels like Hollywood’s bombshells have all bagged themselves a dirtbag. Kourtney Kardashian married Travis Barker, Megan Fox ditched the clean-cut Brian Austin Green for Tommy Lee redux Machine Gun Kelly…not to mention the amount of women who’ve been romantically linked with Pete Davidson — from Kate Beckinsale to Ariana Grande to Phoebe Dynevor to Kim Kardashian, to most recently, Emily Ratajkowski. We’re fascinated by these couples because there’s an intriguing kind of incongruence to seeing opposites attract. And often, because these dirtbags feel a little more down to earth, they serve to normalize these previously rarefied beauties.
But maybe it’s precisely this down to earth nature that makes these dirtbags so attractive. We’re culturally primed to see bad boys as dangerous or rebellious, but in this era – despite their rock and roll image – they all seem kinda sweet.
In an interview with Paper Magazine, Pete Davidson said “My love language, when I’m in a relationship, is I treat the person I’m with like a princess. And similarly with MGK, in interviews he is openly enamored with his new flame.
Machine Gun Kelly: “She’s super compassionate, she’s the nicest person I’ve ever met, she loves me for me and all my crazy.”- The Drew Barrymore Show
And when we were first introduced to Travis Barker by Kourtney, it wasn’t as the tattooed rock and roll drummer, but as her longtime friend and neighbor, and devoted father to his kids. While we may have preconceptions about these dirtbags based on older bad boys – this new era is slowly stripping them away.
On top of seeming romantic and caring, there’s also a certain vulnerability that makes these dirtbags endearing. In The Boys, Frenchie is perhaps the most anti-establishment character, but rather than just being a bad boy, he’s reflective and thoughtful about his troubled past – and he takes steps to address it. What comes with that is an emotional awareness of others, too. So really, these new bad boys…aren’t bad boys at all. Maybe they were once upon a time, but now they’re figuring it out — they show a willingness and an ability to change, both for the sake of themselves and for the sake of the other people around them.
CHAPTER TWO: THE TORTURED SOUL
Over the past few years, toxic masculinity and its many harmful manifestations have been (rightfully) called out. And one of the defining characteristics of toxic masculinity is a tendency toward bottling up emotions, as a way to appear strong. With our new dirtbag characters, it feels like there’s been a slow move away from that. These men are more in touch with their emotions – they are going through it, and while it’s messy, it’s better than the alternative.
In The Bear, Carmy is 100% channeling this new, more emotional energy. Grieving the death of his brother, struggling to keep his business afloat, dealing with his own insecurities around his career as a chef, all the while having his family taking chunks out of each other. The circumstances he is plunged into are extremely chaotic, but despite that, we can still sense the huge potential he has — both as a chef, and as a person. Throughout the season there are times when he doesn’t tap into that more emotional side. But he recognizes his mistakes, and is always making steps to get better. By the end, when you feel like he can see the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s clear he wants to bring everyone with him – his healing can be everyone’s healing. There are similarities between Carmy and Jeremy Allen White’s previous dirtbag incarnation as Lip in Shameless. Lip too has huge potential, but wastes it out of a feeling of insecurity that comes from his social stature. But Lip’s mistakes, like Carmy’s, come from a feeling of a lack of control of his life. And you feel like once he gets that control, he’ll be able to fulfill that potential. These tortured souls may feel like “works in progress” but they’re ones we want to invest in.
Take real life, crush-worthy dirtbag: Pete Davidson – a man who’s overcome tremendous personal loss and tragedy – and who’s been extremely open about his own struggles with mental health, and how he’s trying to cope. We’re clearly attracted to the brave candidness of someone admitting they have a problem and getting the help to fix it – in fact we’re all the more invested in their success thereafter.
Pete Davidson: I got diagnosed with a bpd a few years ago // when somebody finally tells you that the weight of the world just feels lifted off your shoulders.- Actors on Actors
If we look a bit further back, it seems we’ve always had a curiosity about these kinds of tortured souls. Think of the enigmatic hard-boiled leading men of film noir, like Elliot Gould’s take on Philip Marlowe, or even Humphrey Bogarde in Casablanca. Now, these classic antecedents are being channeled, but we’re spending more time peeling back the layers. In Money Heist, Denver feels modeled after Old Hollywood archetypes like Marlon Brando and James Dean, which gives him this enigmatic quality – but he’s more than these archetypes, too. He reflects on his bad behavior, and has this desire in him for a more normal, less chaotic life, and like Carmy – wants to share that growth with the people he loves.
Previously, the tortured nature of these characters may have been romanticized, but now there’s more focus on the reality these characters are living with – so when they try to get out, and recover, it feels like a much greater win.
CHAPTER THREE: THE DAD BOD DIRTBAG
The rise of the dirtbag has, perhaps not uncoincidentally, coincided with the rise of the dad-bod, and an appreciation that men who are a little softer around the edges can still be sexy — and maybe are sexy precisely because of that.
Recently, there’s been a revisitation of some of Jack Black’s iconic roles, like Dewey in School of Rock, or Barry in High Fidelity – where he wasn’t just a little bit of a mess but also a chubby king. As Harrison Branham writes, “Human sexuality isn’t limited to Barbie and Ken doll types; what we find desirable comes in all forms, shapes and sizes. For Jack Black, his swagger is in a league of its own. And that’s what being hot is all about.”
Dewey Finn: “Once I get up on my stage, start doing my thing, people worship me! Because I’m sexy, and chubby man!”- School of Rock
Maybe the most iconic dad bod dirtbag in recent years has been David Harbour’s Sheriff Hopper in Stranger Things. He embodies many of the dirtbag archetypes: he’s tortured, he’s a bit of a rebel, and he’s making active steps to regain some control of his life. But rather than being a ripped, tattooed rock star, he has this huskier, let-himself-go kinda look that really works for him. Interestingly, when he was brought into the MCU for Black Widow — which tends to take otherwise normal looking guys and turn them into rippling, six-packed superheroes overnight — Harbour was allowed to retain his dad-bod. And thank goodness for that. Maybe this reveals that, while superheroes are usually these unattainable peaks of masculinity, what we actually want is something a little more real.
When Thor is fat and playing video games in New Asgard, even though it’s (somewhat problematically) played for laughs in the movie, the public reaction was pretty warm. Lots of fans were glad to see plus-sized superhero representation and appreciated the way Marvel depicted Thor’s depression. Kate Tanski writes: “Thor isn’t just another celebrity rocking a “dad bod” who will inevitably end up slimming down. When we leave Thor at the end of the movie and he joins Rocket and Peter Quill and Groot to become the Asgardians of the Galaxy, he’s still fat…and he can get it”
If we contrast this reaction to Chris Pratt’s journey from dad-bodded Andy to his current turn to superhero slash action star, it’s very revealing. Of course, there are other reasons why Pratt has fallen down the pecking order of Chrises over the past few years, but high among them is that people miss the more normie, schlubby Chris. The funny, sweet, nice guy who sang songs about horses and had the hot, weird, goth girlfriend.
Our beauty standards are constantly evolving and while there’s certainly room for improvement – we’re arguably more inclusive than ever. The dirtbag aesthetic isn’t just not being super fit — in fact, sometimes these characters can be pretty ripped — but the fact we’re allowing ourselves to desire men who are chubbier, or dirtier, because of who they are as people, shows how our priorities have changed.
OUTRO
Everyone has gone through a lot in the past few years, so it seems we’re gravitating toward these more damaged, messy men because it looks like…yeah, they’ve been through a lot too. Even our fashion is getting baggier, dirtier, and more torn up – and Nick Haramis has offered a similar explanation, stating that “after a long period of sanitizing every surface we touch, it feels exciting to roll up our sleeves, if we’re wearing any at all, and embrace grime.”
There’s certainly a kind of unspoken, forbidden fruit thing going on with our new, dirtbag crushes – but also an inherent relatability. Like us, they’re just trying their best. Their aesthetic may look slovenly, but they’re working on themselves, growing as people, and embracing all aspects of life…the hard parts, sure, but the good parts too.