Junkee Roundtable: Is The Age Of The Celebrity Hunk Over?
What do we look for in our celeb hunks?
The Age of the Celebrity Hunk has been well documented. Since the advent of the superhero superstar, the ideal mould for a male celebrity is big, buff and beefy.
But the lust for a swole screen god may have met its tipping point. Junkee’s Managing Editor Rob Stott put it to us that the Age of the Celebrity Hunk has passed. The new celebrity idol is lean and lithe, in the vein of Ansel Elgort, Harry Styles and Tom Holland.
So the Junkee team came together to discuss some very important questions: has the Age of the Celebrity Hunk truly ticked over? And, if so, what’s the next ideal celebrity look for our male film and TV stars?
Is the Age of the Hunk over?
Amelia Marshall: It is, and I won’t be mourning it. Now that we know how the Hunk sausage is made – i.e. with a lot of whey protein shakes, a punishing early morning workout regimen and a vapid Instagram account full of mirror selfies – the fantasy is ruined. Since they’ve optimised their bodies for a one night stand it’s fitting, really, that the age of the hunk would be brief.
Tara Watson: I really hope the age of the hunk is over. I’ve always felt alienated by what kind of man I, as a cisgendered woman, am supposed to be attracted to. I’ve never felt the slightest interest in the likes of “hunks” like Zac Efron and Channing Tatum. I remember awkwardly watching the trailer for Magic Mike and not being into any of the men presented. They’re just not the type of guys I like, and I sometimes feel pop culture attempts to drive me into a direction that makes me uncomfortable.
I have personally always been more interested in the anti-hunk types, the slim, awkward and sensitive dudes. I grew up crushing hard on gangly guys, such as Topher Grace, and today I’m much more drawn to the likes of Riz Ahmed and Ezra Miller.
Rob Stott: The Age Of The Hunk is over, and Zac Efron killed it. History is a pendulum, eventually it has to swing back in the other direction. With Efron, the hunks got so big, so swole, that Hollywood had no choice but to head in the other direction. Efron was the Icarus of of hunks – he flew too close to the sun. (Also, I would watch Zac Efron play Icarus.)
We shouldn’t mourn The Age Of The Hunk, we should celebrate it. The end of the Age Of The Hunk should not be seen as a failure of Hunkdom in general. Instead, it was the inevitable end point of a period in Hollywood history that simply had nowhere else to go. We reached Peak Hunk, now we’re in the Hunk denouement.
Henry Kalaf: The Age of the Hunk is not over… it will never be over. Since the beginning of time we have had 10/10 babes and we always will! From a dancing 90s Ryan Gosling to Chris Hemsworth, we’ve seen and we’ll continue to see these boys blossom in front of our eyes into the fully-formed, swoon-worthy hunks that they are!
Sharnee Rawson: I’m slightly confused about what the Age of the Hunk is. My teenage crush was more in line with Moss from The IT Crowd, or Jason Segel in Freaks and Geeks.
If the Age of the Hunk is over, what’s next?
RS: I think we’re entering the age of the Nice Boy. They’re a bit skinny, they’re handsome but in a different way, they’re charming and you’d happily take them home to mum. Remember before the Age Of The Hunk really began, and guys like Freddie Prinze Jr, Michael Vartan and Heath Ledger were the hottest guys in Hollywood? I think we’re heading towards an updated version of that.
TW: I think (and hope) culture is heading towards finally idolising the anti-hunk. This could come hand-in-hand with evolving to recognise that masculinity can be expressed in many different ways, that don’t necessarily need to involve veiny, oversized man muscles and enlarged thighs the size of a baby elephant.
AM: The late bloomer. They’re charming because they’ve worked on their personality instead of coasting on looks. They’ve looked after themselves, not out of vanity but out of pragmatism, and now it’s paying off.
SR: Our hunk expectations have evolved — we want them to be chiseled still, sure, but to be truly deserving of our adoration, men need to be woke, smart, soulful and funny. It’s almost the male equivalent to being a “cool girl” a la Gone Girl. Hot, but also into puppies and gender politics.
Matilda Dixon-Smith: Personally I’m sorry to see the Hunks go. As someone who is unfailingly shallow, when a man removes his shirt and what’s underneath is hulking, rippling muscle, I still salivate. I’m not salivating at a body that looks like the last guy I picked up from Tinder — the “normal” guy. That’s not what I want from my celeb crushes. I want Full. Blown. Hunk. To be honest with you, I’m resisting the end of the Age of the Hunk.
Which star epitomises the next Male Celeb Movement?
AM: 2017 silver fox Steve Carrell.
MDS: If I’m resistant to the end of the Hunk Movement, I guess I’d better name my favourite underappreciated hunk. Of course, it’s my fella Michael B. Jordan, who looks damn good covered in oil and flexing flirtatiously.
SR: God, I am too old for this one. I still think George Clooney is hot. [Ed. note: he is!]
TW: An interesting comparison is in the popularity of Jughead on Riverdale compared to Archie. Archie is the obvious attractive one, he ticks all the boxes of what makes a “hunk”, but I think fans are much more interested in the sexual appeal of Jughead. He’s skinny, not conventionally attractive, sensitive, intelligent and funny. I think 10 years ago, Archie would have been the drawcard, but in 2017 it’s Jughead that’s getting the attention.
RS: Ansel Elgort is not really my taste, but he seems like the epitome of the Nice Boy. He’s charming, handsome, has a great smile and is sexy in a non-threatening way. The ultimate Nice Boy.
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Amelia Marshall is the Editor of The Cusp.
Tara Watson is Multimedia Producer at Punkee. She tweets at @tara_watson_.
Rob Stott is Junkee’s Managing Editor. He tweets at @Rob_Stott.
Henry Kalaf is Executive Producer of Video Junkee.
Sharnee Rawson is the Editor of The Upsider.
Matilda Dixon-Smith is Junkee’s Staff Writer. She tweets at @mdixonsmith.