Why pretty boys have ousted beefcakes as Hollywood hottest heartthrobs: Tom Holland and Harry Styles are the poster boys for 'non-toxic masculinity' who appeal to Gen Z with 'enlightened' views

U.K. Daily Mail ^ | 1/4/2021 | Claire Toureille

[simpson96]

Ten years ago, baby-faced men were passed over in Hollywood for rugged looking stars with more traditionally masculine looks.

But today more feminine-looking actors with delicate features, shorter stature and symmetrical faces are more in demand because they appear to younger viewers, experts claim.

Gen Z audiences are drawn to celebrities like Tom Holland, Timothée Chalamet and Harry Styles who embody a 'brand of enlightened non-toxic masculinity', according to beauty expert Laura Kay.

Their symmetrical, heart-shaped faces also make them more photogenic and therefore more popular on Instagram, which has become a key part in the Hollywood marketing machine.

These non-traditional leading men also benefit because younger generations are more tolerant of things which would have seen as 'abnormal' in the past, such as height differences or attitudes to gender, says dating and relationship expert Alex Mellor-Brook.

Tom Holland, 25, who is dating his co-star Zendaya, also 25, for example, is 5ft 8in, shorter than one might expect for a Hollywood A-lister, while Harry Styles, 27, proudly steps out in feminine clothing and has released a range of nail polishes.

[MercyFlush]

Glad to be of service! :-)

[Chode]

yup

[Georgia Girl 2]

Sorry Imma stick with Jason Mamoa. 😉

[minnesota_bound]

Director Howard Hawks: Most of the leading men today, the younger men especially, are a little bit effeminate. There's no toughness. Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood don't compare with John Wayne.

[TianaHighrider]

Love John Wayne 🥰
Presently Waiting for my tough guy to come sweep me off my feet like John Wayne did Maureen O’Hara.