Tumblr sexyman

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In online fandoms, a Tumblr sexyman (or just sexyman) is a type of fictional character that gains wide popularity as a sex symbol. Characters described as Tumblr sexymen are typically villainous or otherwise unusual, although the criteria for what qualifies as a Tumblr sexyman varies greatly. The phenomenon is named after the website Tumblr, from which it originated, although Tumblr sexymen have also gained popularity on other social media platforms such as Twitter.

Definition[edit]

Tumblr sexymen vary greatly, although they generally are evil or have some sort of quirk that separates them from "normal" characters. They are typically a popular subject of fan art and shipping, with fan art often depicting them in the form of skinny white men, even if the character was not originally human.[1] Isaiah Colbert from Kotaku described Tumblr sexymen as typically having "a bean sprout physique" and "a theater kid's bravado",[2] while Ty Galiz-Rowe from Gayming Magazine said that they are "usually tall, white looking, dress well, and have a dark or evil side to them".[3]

The most commonly agreed upon criterion for a Tumblr sexyman is a large and vocal fan following, with some characters failing to be considered sexymen due to having smaller fandoms.[1]

History[edit]

The concept of Tumblr sexymen originated around 2012, with the release of The Lorax. The central character of the film, the Once-ler, gained a substantial fandom, with multiple blogs being created that were dedicated to the character. The Once-ler was also the subject of a large amount of fan art and shipping, a pattern that would continue for other Tumblr sexymen.[1] In addition, fans began to create alternative versions of the Once-ler and to combine these versions into ships; this phenomenon was known as "Oncest".[4]

In 2022, a tournament was held on Twitter to determine the most popular Tumblr sexyman. The poll went viral, and received over 244,000 votes in total.[5] (The poll ended on September 8, 2022, the same day as the death of Elizabeth II, leading to memes which associated the two events with each other.)[6] In the final round of voting, Sans from Undertale had faced Arataka Reigen from Mob Psycho 100; Sans won the closely contested poll with 50.1% of the votes. Sans's win was followed by a massive influx of fan art and memes on both Twitter and Tumblr. In response to the event, Undertale creator Toby Fox wrote a fictional account which featured imagined details of Sans's victory.[7][8]

In January 2023, the rollout of a new polling feature allowed Tumblr to host its own Tumblr sexyman competition, in which Cecil Gershwin Palmer of the Welcome to Night Vale podcast beat Sans to become the ultimate "Tumblr Tumblr sexyman".[9][10]

Notable Tumblr sexymen[edit]

Various fictional characters have been labeled as Tumblr sexymen by fans. Some notable examples include:

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Schmondiuk, Natalie (September 29, 2022). "Tumblr Sexyman Explained". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Good News, Undertale Fans: Toby Fox Just Wrote A Sans x Mob Psycho 100 Story". Kotaku. September 8, 2022. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Galiz-Rowe, Ty (September 8, 2022). "Sans Undertale wins Tumblr Sexyman 2022 bracket". Gayming Magazine. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Doyle, Jack (November 24, 2022). "These Are the Sexiest of Tumblr Sexymen". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  5. ^ "Toby Fox Reacts To Sans Undertale's Win Against Reigen As Ultimate Tumblr Sexyman". Anime News Network. March 20, 2024. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Diaz, Ana (September 9, 2022). "Sans from Undertale won the Tumblr Sexyman poll, and I haven't known peace since". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  7. ^ Wolens, Joshua (September 15, 2022). "Toby Fox wrote a fanfic to explain why Undertale's Sans is the 'ultimate Tumblr sexyman'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  8. ^ Hirun Cryer (September 9, 2022). "Undertale's Sans wins Tumblr Sexyman poll, inspiring Toby Fox to write the event's lore". gamesradar. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia (January 31, 2023). "Tumblr users have voted on the ultimate Sexyman, and it's Cecil from 'Welcome to Night Vale'". The Daily Dot. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  10. ^ Hampton, Rachelle (host); Williams, Wil (guest) (February 22, 2023). "Tumblr Revived the Welcome to Night Vale Fandom: A poll to find the top "Tumblr Sexyman" reminded users how much they loved narrator Cecil Palmer". ICYMI (Podcast). Slate. Event occurs at 32:09. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Colangelo, BJ (December 1, 2022). "Why Animation Fans Are Going Wild For Hazbin Hotel's King Of Hell". Slashfilm. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
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