When Chanté Joseph’s “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?” hit the internet, readers had a lot to say—some in enthusiastic agreement, some in indignant objection.
But I think Joseph had a point.
While her perspective mostly leaned on the surge of “heterofatalism” in our current culture, and women not wanting to be seen as the “boyfriend girl,” my take focuses on the culture of men as a whole.
In a world of podcast bros, red pill memes, and hoping you never hear your brother repeat a phrase that wakes you up like a sleeper agent, the idea of having a boyfriend is seemingly more and more unappealing by the day.
So, yeah, having a boyfriend is embarrassing. Well, unless you’re talking about the boyfriend you made up in your head. Fictional book and TV show boyfriends have officially taken over our imaginations.
The thought came to me while watching Off Campus with my two best friends, Alex and Sarah. As Garrett Graham’s abs glistened on the screen in front of us, Alex sighed dreamily and declared, “Shows like this make me want a boyfriend.”
But no, we didn’t just gush over the abs. We admired the show’s depiction of the importance of consent and safety throughout Garrett and Hannah’s relationship. When she asks for a little help in the bedroom, he immediately confides in his close friend Dean, who gives him sound advice about the importance of trust during first-time intimate experiences.
Later, Hannah pokes fun at Garrett for giving her privacy while getting undressed, even though they are about to get intimate (they coordinated a date and time and everything). He reassures her that he won’t turn around from facing the wall until she wants him to turn around.
It’s refreshing to watch scenes like this after scrolling on the cesspool that is X. And as I forced my friend to stay up and watch the entire season (this was my second time watching), she came to the same conclusion of wishing to be in a relationship.
The nontoxic (and quite vulnerable) display of masculinity depicted in Off Campus was shocking to us, in a good way. During the climax of the plot, when we all thought Garrett would be angry at Hannah for missing his game, he was surprisingly gentle and was more worried than upset about her absence.
Having a boyfriend is embarrassing, unless he’s Garrett Graham.
The first season of Off Campus was No. 1 on Prime Video worldwide, and the second season is currently filming and rumored to be released in early 2027. The new season was confirmed to center on Dean DiLaurentis and Allie Hayes, not following the order set by Elle Kennedy’s books. This was to the fans’ dismay, who expected the second season to portray the relationship between John Logan and Grace Ivers.
No matter what couple comes next, how excited are we for a show that doesn’t leave us waiting three years between seasons? (Cough cough, Bridgerton.) I’m ready if you are, BriarU fans.