The latest example comes in the form of a tweet that has surpassed 20,000 likes. X user CatGirl Kulak complained that “girls get the ick from everything men read.” The netizen further explained that women shouldn’t expect men to behave according to their whims and rebuked the notion that girls just want men to read books like the ones they do. The seemingly irritated user stated, “No, you don’t want a guy who reads rapey romance.”
A man who reads what? All guys who read are either biblical obsessives, WW2 obsessives, scifi obsessives… Girls get the ick from everything men read. “I just want him to read normal books like me” No you don’t want a guy who reads rapey romance. — CatGirl Kulak 😻😿 (Anarchonomicon) (@FromKulak) July 4, 2024
Woman slams viral “Ick” trend that labels certain male habits and characteristics as disgusting and unattractive
Share icon Image credits: Freepik The viral post garnered support from hundreds of other women, who expressed their frustration at the “ick” trend. “I want him to explain things to me that he has learned. This is normal and healthy,” says one user. “My man and I bonded over a book pretty early on, this is ridiculous,” commented another, adding to the more than 700 comments below the tweet. X is not the only platform where women have expressed their annoyance at the viral trend of getting the “ick,” as similar comments have started to appear in related clips on other sites like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. As defined by Urban Dictionary, an “ick” is “something someone does that is an instant turn-off for you,” and it manifests as an inevitable gut feeling of disgust in response to a behavior of someone you are, or might consider, dating. Share icon Image credits: Freepik “I would admire my guy so much if he didn’t let anything stop him from being his goofy self,” says a female viewer on a clip uploaded to the “Ick List,” a massive TikTok list of more than 750 different clips criticizing men for a wide range of behaviors. The “Ick List” includes habits such as wearing flip flops, playing bingo, not carrying a woman’s bags, and not being tall enough. This list updates daily, thanks to an active Discord community that supplies it with an influx of videos, the most viewed of which have amassed close to 30 million views each.
Men “can’t do anything without it being a red flag,” says the Ick List creator, highlighting the absurdity of some clips
Share icon Image credits: wyszkay TikTok user @wyszkay, whose channel has more than 1.5 million followers and 45 million likes, often titles his clips with statements like “we can’t do anything in this generation”. His latest pinned video at the time of writing depicted a woman being interviewed about her personal turn-offs. She claimed, “I could find a man really hot. The second he sends me an Instagram reel, he’s done,” earning her the 558th spot on the list. In another clip, a woman explained that her personal “ick” was men having phone cases. “If you can’t protect your phone, how can you protect me?” This prompted a user to comment, “Guess she’s never realized that men actually work for a living, and everything from clothes to phones to our bodies goes through some serious abuse.” Share icon Image credits: wyszkay
Experts believe that feeling the “ick” might be an inevitable defense mechanism
Psychologist Naomi Bernstein explained to Time that getting the ick is unavoidable, as the feeling is random and “more a reaction in the body than a rational thought.” Evolutionary factors and the need for security may contribute to why getting the “ick” is such a common experience. According to Bernstein, “Our human bodies evolved in a patriarchal world where men protected us from predators, and hunted, and were strong,” which, in turn, makes women value masculinity and social status. At the same time, it makes them feel disgusted when behaviors considered to be “weak” or “unmanly” are displayed. Examples of this can be found extensively on the “Ick List.” Share icon Image credits: wyszkay For instance, in one video, a man is simply enjoying running through a field of toy obstacles and celebrating; another captures a man falling on the snow while skiing. Another video depicts a man having fun on a swing, and a different clip shows a man recoiling from the cold water in a pool. Most of these videos share a common trend. They depict men in behaviors traditionally attributed to children, femininity, and a general lack of competence.
More users have chimed in to express their exasperation at the “Ick” trend, considering it to be overly judgmental
These are just really “small and inconsequential behaviors,” said one commenter on Reddit. “It seems to be a way to cruelly make fun of people without explicitly saying it,” they added, pointing out that most of the videos they had seen were made by women to shame their partners for “any kind of un-cool or childlike behavior.” “It’s sad that people can’t just enjoy their lives without being judged,” said one viewer of the list. “People who don’t like seeing others happy is an ick for me,” added another. Several women agreed that “ick” is a ridiculous trend, and men should continue reading whatever they want, as it might even be an unexpected plus. “A guy showed me his bookshelf the other day and I actually blushed. It was so hot to me,” said one commenter on the tweet. “My guy is a WWII obsessive and I’ve learned a lot from him,” added another.
The “Ick” trend remains popular as ever, but the public opinion of it has started to shift
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