F*CKBOY FRIDAY: Do They Have Feelings After All?
What makes a man become a fuckboy? Do they act like a fuckboy to defend from possible heartbreak? Or are they really just jerks who don’t care about anyone’s feelings?
This editorial plays with the idea that even fuckboys have feelings, because, like it or not, fuckboys are human. Bex explores the different types of men who eventually become fuckboys, using romantic images to represent the sweet outer shell that many fuckboys exude. The images, a collaboration with illustrator Thomas Nguyen, create an overt contrast to the soft imagery, jarring the viewer into reality. Like, HELLO, he’s a fuckboy girl! Back away slowly!
Here’s what Bex herself has to say about it:
The concept was born from seeing so many of my girlfriends on Facebook posting about “fuckboys.” Many times the posts were angry, full of negative emotion and sentiment.
This got me thinking… what lies on the other end?
Logically, I understood why a woman would be upset by someone acting like an asshole… but why were these guys being pegged as “fuckboys”? Was it any different than women being pegged as “sluts”?
I researched the term and everyone on the interwebs seemed just as perplexed about it as me, except for one fact: language has long been used to insult women with words like “slut”, “whore” etc., but with the increasing use of the term “fuckboy,” the internet has been bridging that gender gap. The use of the word is fueled by women finally having a term to call out the bad behavior of men. The disparity between “real men” and “fuckboys” has never been greater. To many women, you’re either one or the other, with no in-between.
With this editorial, I wanted to create characters that would explain how men can fall into “fuckboy” behavior. I wanted to humanize the term and look beyond the anger and actually, logically understand.
The characters I came up with are The Don Juan, The Challenger, The Heartbroken and The Dreamer. I’ll let you click the link below to read more about them all and see their pics.
Keep in mind, I’m a photographer and a creative. I take complex ideas and simplify them into photos and hope that people understand. Or, if they don’t, that they at least talk about it and start a conversation. Whether or not you like what I created is not important.
What IS important is realizing that words matter. Terms matter. And you should treat people how you want to be treated. You should likewise, not put up with people treating you badly, male OR female. Lastly, realize that behind the careless behavior, behind the silence and the withdrawal, behind the anger and misogyny or emasculation lie fear, insecurity and pain.
But before you see the photos, let’s introduce the cast of characters…
The Don Juan. The romancer, the sweet-talker. He wants the simulation of romantic and time-invested love without investing either heart or any true amount of time, probably because he’s been hurt in the past. He holds himself high – chest out, chin high, a know-it-all glint in his eye and a swagger to his smirk. He woes with roses, yet a few weeks later after the first throes of passion die, you won’t find so much as a trace of him.
The Challenger. He will fight for what he wants. Not so much because he actually wants it but because the act of fighting for something (or someone) and then getting it, is his ultimate high. He’s the ultimate chaser. He’s cocky and knowingly says the wrong thing and the wrong times, instigating conflict so he can show his bravado and capture the attention of his next conquest. Although he looks like he’s got it all together, he’s missing the inner confidence that brings the calm of not having to prove one’s self 24/7.
The Dreamer. He thinks and feels a lot but rarely takes action, content to play out his romantic and sexual fantasies in his head. He waits and waits for something to happen and when it does, it’s almost never as good as he could have dreamed up himself. He’s the king of expectations. He wears an aluminum crown that represents his childish way of thinking.
The Heartbroken. He is heartbroken, conflicted, angry, but still very much in love with the lost object of his affections. What makes him a fuckboy is the fact that he uses his heartbreak to trap a “pity bang.” He uses his own pain to get what he wants and then uses it as an excuse not to commit. The hands pulling at his face are an outer example of his inner conflict.
Now let the show begin…
Concept, Styling and Photography by BEX
Illustrations by Thomas Nguyen
Hair and Makeup by Norah Salazar
Models: Gustavo Sanches (The Don Juan), Robert Spencer (The Challenger), Spencer James (The Dreamer) and Dylan Fender (The Heartbroken).
Clothes via Purple PR Showroom
Special Thanks to Purple PR, Fusion Models, Major Models, Coreterno, Wayne Rogers and Denise Santoro
