Explanation of the “rat friend” trend, which is celebrated as the new “Golden Retriever”

If I told you that your future partner should be a “rat friend,” it might not sound so appealing, but it could actually be a good thing.

A viral X-post apparently compared men to various animals, and now it seems we should be on the lookout for a rat.

The post said: “Men either look like an eagle, a bear, a dog or a reptile.”

Next to it were pictures of Ryan Gosling (eagle), Henry Cavill (bear), Heath Ledger (dog, more specifically a golden retriever, in case you were wondering) and Timothée Chalamet (reptile).

A man with the form “Eagle Beauty” has prominent facial features, a long nose, lighter hair and small eyes, while the term “Bear Beauty” describes someone with a rounder face, broad shoulders and lighter hair and/or eyes.

A “reptilian handsome” man has strong facial features, dark hair and eyes, and a straight nose, while “canine handsome” is someone with a rounder face, darker hair and eyes, and often a cheeky or silly “golden retriever” grin.

However, there is another category that people have discovered: “rodent beauty.” While it sounds ugly and not necessarily something you want, it is considered a good thing.

In fact, it's so good that being single and finding a partner who seems like a rodent is thought to have a positive impact on dating.

Is he a “rodent pretty boy”? (Getty Stock Image)

Examples of hot rodent men include Kieran Culkin, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Allen White, Logan Lerman, Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire and Matty Healy from The 1975. None of them are bad looking, so the term “rodently handsome” does not mean that they are ugly, but is actually considered a good thing.

In fact, rodents or “rat friends” are usually more slim than muscular and have narrow, angular facial features. But that doesn't mean they're ugly either.

According to an online article, rodent men are the opposite of toxic masculinity.

The new dating trend is spreading like wildfire on the Internet and has even caught the attention of US television presenters such as Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb, who discussed it. Today with Hoda and Jenna.

Jenna revealed how stars of The challengers Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor sparked the debate because people say they look like mice.

She added: “People say they look like cartoon mice. We're not, by the way. That's not a criticism at all, it's the opposite.”

Jenna then joked, “No, that means you want to date Stuart Little. Stuart Little is actually quite attractive, isn't he? He's good looking.”

Jenna continued to talk about her problem with “rodent friends”: “Here's the thing. I have friends who love hot rodent friends. They're always looking for that sexy little thing. If you're a certain size, and I am – tall and wide – the problem with hot rodent friends is that they fit into your jeans.”

She concluded: “So I think, yes, the hot rodent boyfriend may be good for some, but he's just not for me.”

Photo credit: Getty Stock Images

Topics: Sex and relationships, dating trends