Nick Wilde. Jake Sully. Lightning Mcqueen. The number seven…? One of the latest trends on the ever trending TikTok is “hear me out” where people gather unexpected characters (usually fictional) and admit that they find them extremely attractive, when usually they are not seen in that light.
Even if this is a funny trend, why in the world does it resonate with so many people, and what does it say about us as a collective society?
The phrase “hear me out” is usually used to preface an opinion that will most likely be met with doubt. It takes almost a defensive stance, where the person already knows that they need to defend their opinion before even telling it to the audience.
This plea for understanding has surprisingly been heard by many, some even making “hear me out” cakes where friends take turns sticking pictures of their chosen “hear me out” characters into a literal cake as a fun way to bond with each other.
Through this phenomenon, TikTok has created a comforting community of those who are absolutely down bad for characters or people that are often unexpected, and perhaps even unsettling. Clearly, it’s meant to be a playful rebellion against conventional beauty standards. I mean, why be drawn to the latest, hottest celebrity crushes when you can crush on an animated fox or a cartoon car?
On the surface, this trend might just seem silly and unserious. And while it is very much so, there is a lot that this trend says about humans psychologically. It has shown the idea that attraction is not purely based on conventional looks, but rather on emotional or narrative connections.
Although it may sound ridiculous, if you think about it, most of these crushes are rooted in a character’s personality, voice, and role as opposed to their physical appearance. For example, Nicke Wilde, the fox from Zootopia is sly and charismatic, traits that can be endearing despite him being an animated fox. His voice actor, Jason Bateman, is also known to have a conventionally attractive voice. When you combine these aspects, you automatically get a character that is difficult to not be attracted to.
So, the next time someone admits to having a crush on a fictional character that makes absolutely no sense to you, give them a chance and hear them out. Who knows? Maybe these characters can show us the true qualities that make someone attractive.
