You may have heard of zombies and zombie apocalypses, but recently, people are talking about something which they argue is the next thing for society to fear: sassy men.
It started with some men simply having an “attitude,” whether acting uncharacteristically bold or forward, or increasingly exhibiting behaviors more commonly considered to be “girly,” such as frequenting Starbucks and getting pedicures or doing petty things like purposefully waiting to answer a text.
Some feel this is the result of a TikTok trend referred to as the “Sassy Man Apocalypse.” Some girls complained that their boyfriends were acting more “girly” than they did themselves. The trend doubled in attention when TikToker Prayag posted a video talking about how he planned to like the Instagram account of someone with whom he had a past relationship.
“Your looks were never the problem, it’s the way you act, it’s the way you act, it’s the way you act,” said Prayag while doing a dance that went viral on TikTok. One reason the video may have gone viral was because while dancing, Prayag included hand gestures which many people have copied in other videos.
People flooded Prayag’s comment section calling him “sassy” or noting how much they love sassy men. Prayag replied to this with a video where he admitted, “I’ve been sassy. If it was up to me, I would’ve chosen to be nonchalant. God wanted me to be loud and sassy.”
Some men have responded to the trend by admitting that they are indeed “sassy,” and even being proud of it. The trend does not seem to be confined to the internet, with some men openly claiming they practice sassiness in day-to-day life. Meanwhile, more women online are posting or noting in person that their boyfriends have more sass or pettiness than they do.
For example, says FCHS sophomore Molly Cook, “One time a boy I was talking to sent a [Snapchat], deleted it, started typing, sent a chat, then deleted that too just so he could get my attention or prove a point. If that’s not called sassy, I don’t know what is.”
Meanwhile, some of the women following this trend have started claiming themselves as “victims” of the sassy man apocalypse. “My man is sassier than I am half the time. I don’t know where these men are getting the audacity, but it’s there somehow,” said sophomore Allison Rhoades.
At least some boys at FCHS admit to practicing “sassy” behavior. “So what if I’m a sassy man? No harm in it,” said junior Logan Wade.
Other boys feel the trend is hypocritical and that there’s a double standard since girls do the same thing. “I don’t like the girls making fun of it because I feel like they do the same things. Us acting the same is only fair game,” Wade added.
Some male students at FCHS simply don’t think they fall under the “sassy” category, even when told they do. “I don’t think I’m sassy, but my girl always says I am. I’ve seen the trend, but I wouldn’t consider myself a part of it,” said sophomore Jordan Lewis.
