Sassy Man Apocalypse: Meaning, Origins, & Toxic Masculinity

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Plus social media examples showcasing ‘sassy men’
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The Sassy Man Apocalypse is taking over! But what exactly is it? Well, it’s a social media trend that refers to the influx of “sassy men,” aka men who have a tendency for sass and expressiveness. On the surface, it’s a fun, jokey trend where users get to rag on their boyfriends. But, in some ways, it may help to reinforce toxic masculinity. In this article, we explore the Sassy Man Apocalypse trend, explaining what it is , where it comes from , how it reinforces toxic masculinity , and more!

Sassy Man Apocalypse Meaning

The Sassy Man Apocalypse is a trend on social media that refers to a so-called influx of sassy men. For the trend, users post videos of their boyfriends doing sassy things, like rolling their eyes or turning away when upset, often with the caption “how I found out I was a victim of the sassy man apocalypse.”

Section 1 of 6:

What is the Sassy Man Apocalypse?

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  1. The Sassy Man Apocalypse is a trend on TikTok where users post videos of their boyfriends doing supposedly “ sassy ” things (which are often considered stereotypically feminine), like turning away from their partners when they’re upset, rolling their eyes , or reaffirming the fact that they’re handsome rather than accepting the compliment when someone calls them handsome. [1]
    • These videos are typically captioned something along the lines of “how I found out I was a victim of the sassy man apocalypse.”
    • For example, on August 5, 2023, @selena.kun posted a TikTok of her boyfriend staring out the window, turned away from her, and upset, captioned “The moment I realized I’m a victim of the sassy man apocalypse.”
    • The trend started as a way to call out sassy boyfriends, but some of the men on TikTok have jumped on it, as well.
    • For example, on April 16, 2025, @1proxisol posted a TikTok of men from popular videos looking annoyed and captioned it “When she tells me I look handsome today, as if I don’t look good every day.” Of course, #sassymanapocalypse was the first hashtag.
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Section 2 of 6:

Origins of the Sassy Man Apocalypse

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  1. The term “Sassy Man Apocalypse” was first used in 2022. On August 22, 2022, @yattadondada made a post on X (formerly Twitter) talking about how “We in a sassy man apocalypse.” Since that post was made, X and TikTok users have run with the phrase, making posts about how they’ve been victims of the Sassy Man Apocalypse due to their boyfriends or potential partners being sassy. [2]
    • TikTok users like @444pray have embraced the sassy man moniker and helped it spread even more. In one post , @444pray talks about wanting to take the sassy men trend (mainly the part about being in touch with your feelings) “to the moon.”
      • “To the moon” means he wants to take the trend as far as it can go, ideally making it so more and more men are inspired to get in touch with their emotions, as well.
Section 3 of 6:

How the Sassy Man Apocalypse Reinforces Toxic Masculinity

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  1. Calling men sassy for expressing themselves in ways that are often deemed as feminine and not in line with traditional masculinity can be toxic, as it restricts their emotional expression. By using the loaded term of “Sassy Man Apocalypse,” it’s implied that the way these men express themselves is wrong and apocalyptic. [3]
    • Not only can this hold them back, but it may also reinforce toxic masculinity by making it seem like men can’t be in touch with their feelings and emotions.
    • For example, calling a man sassy because he’s upset with something his partner did can reinforce the idea that he’ll be ostracized for expressing his emotions. This can lead him to conceal those emotions in the future.
    • Bottling your emotions can cause your temper to build and build until it explodes, which can have disastrous friendship- and relationship-ruining consequences. [4]
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Section 4 of 6:

How “Sassy Men” Are Combatting Toxic Masculinity

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  1. Although emotional expression and being in touch with your feelings are often deemed feminine by those who embrace toxic masculinity, sassy men are fighting back against this notion by embracing and expressing who they are. By doing so on a public platform, like TikTok, they’re helping redefine what being a man looks like by showing that you don’t have to act a certain way just to “ be a man .” [5]
    • Toxic masculinity refers to the cultural pressures placed on men to act and behave in particular ways, like refusing to cry and express how they feel.
    • One of the hallmarks of toxic masculinity is cutting yourself off emotionally despite the consequences.
Section 5 of 6:

What is considered a sassy man?

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  1. “Sassy” men tend to be men who don’t follow the traditional male gender norms, mainly stoicism and domination. [6] They may even exude stereotypically feminine traits, like using words like “slay” or “it’s giving,” but they’re still in touch with their masculinity. The key to a sassy man, though, is that he’s in touch with his emotions and isn’t afraid to express them in a healthy way. [7]
    • Being “sassy” doesn’t make you any less of a man. It just means that you express yourself in a way that’s different from traditional masculinity, and that’s okay!
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Section 6 of 6:

Other TikTok Trends

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  1. There are plenty of other TikTok trends apart from the so-called “sassy man apocalypse.” Here are some other terms and aesthetics that have been popular around the same time as “sassy men:”
    • Hopecore: Hopecore is a trend of posting cute, inspiring, wholesome videos intended to motivate viewers and counteract the negativity on TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
      • Example: @WORDOF_WISDOM1 posted a TikTok on May 8, 2025, taking various interviews of people talking about how “you’re not alone” and that it’ll all be okay, and pairing them with accentuating visuals.
    • My Roman Empire: The My Roman Empire trend on TikTok refers to something from your past that you think about daily. It typically refers to something you can’t get back in touch with.
      • Example: @emilyg.reenwood posted a TikTok of Tony Stark looking at his love interest, Pepper Potts, in the Iron Man film, captioning it “My Roman Empire,” because they’re such a fan of the pairing.
    • Canon Event: A canon event is an event that shapes and defines who you are. For example, if going to college helped define you and set up your career, which is now flourishing, it’d be considered a canon event.
      • Example: @jadesnoops posted a TikTok talking about how a canon event for people in their 20s is reverting back to everything they liked when they were a teenager.
    • That Damn Smirk: “ That Damn Smirk ” is a fun and silly trend where users put the Face Puzzle filter videos of them smiling and caption them “that damn smirk.” The filter moves their eyes and mouth down on their face, giving them a goofy, unrealistic look that infuses humor into the trend.
      • Example: @5star_brandonnn posted a TikTok using the Face Puzzle feature to remove his nose, captioning it with “☺️#thatdamnsmirk.”

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      References

      1. ↑ https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sassy-man-apocalypse
      2. ↑ https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sassy-man-apocalypse
      3. ↑ https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/sassy-men/
      4. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/why-its-dangerous-to-bottle-up-your-emotions-2018-12
      5. ↑ https://statenews.com/article/2023/12/tiktok-influencers-toxic-masculinity-and-representation-msu-students-discuss?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_latest
      6. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5817048/
      7. ↑ https://statenews.com/article/2023/12/tiktok-influencers-toxic-masculinity-and-representation-msu-students-discuss?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_latest

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