Who are hot rodent men of the summer? Meet the internet's favorite type of celebrity

"Challengers" stars Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist pose at a movie premiere in Paris on April 6, 2024. / Barry Keoghan and Timothee Chalamet onstage during the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards on March 3, 2018 in Santa Monica, California.
"Challengers" stars Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist pose at a movie premiere in Paris on April 6, 2024. / Barry Keoghan and Timothee Chalamet onstage during the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards on March 3, 2018 in Santa Monica, California.

Any celebrity can be hot but only an elite few can pull off rodent hot.

With the end of short king spring comes hot rodent summer, when a hyper-specific rat pack of celebrities like "The Bear" star Jeremy Allen White and "Saltburn" actor Barry Keoghan become the internet's most desirable men.

The April release of tennis romance film "Challengers" sparked a wave of Gen Z people who found themselves yearning for stars Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor. Simultaneously others noted that although handsome, the two also bear a striking resemblance to rodents, comparing Faist to cartoon mouse Stuart Little and O'Connor to Roddy from "Flushed Away."

It all led to one conclusion: A man can be good-looking while also giving rat energy. Hence, the "hot rodent man" was born. Other terms like "hot rodent boyfriend" or "hot rodent summer" have accompanied this truly unique time.

According to Dazed, the apparent originator of the term, comparing men to rats is the new version of comparing men to golden retrievers.

“Rodent handsome men are usually more svelte than muscular, with more pinched, angular features," the outlet reports. "They’re often not conventionally handsome, but this only makes them more hot."

What is a hot rodent man?

A hot rodent man is a label used for a male celebrity who is simultaneously attractive but also vaguely resembles a rodent.

Internet users have explained that these men often have pinched or angular facial features, unkempt hair, beady eyes and a face card that never declines. Fans of this niche classification will argue that the celebrity's charm comes from their rodent qualities not in spite of them.

Jeremy Allen White poses in the press room with the awards for "The Bear" during the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, February 24, 2024.
Jeremy Allen White poses in the press room with the awards for "The Bear" during the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, February 24, 2024.

Who are hot rodent men?

The exclusive category of hot rodent men includes, but is not limited to, the following celebrities:

  • "The Bear" star Jeremy Allen White

  • "The Crown" actor Josh O'Connor

  • "West Side Story" star Mike Faist

  • "Saltburn" Barry Keoghan

  • "Dune" star Timothée Chalamet

  • The 1975 front man Matty Healy

  • "Ferrari" star Adam Driver

  • "Succession" star Kieran Culkin

  • Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker

  • "Anyone but You" star Glen Powell

Best 'hot rodent man' posts

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Explaining hot rodent men from Josh O'Connor to Jeremy Allen White