# Tumblr Sexyman

In online fandoms, a Tumblr Sexyman (or just Sexyman) is a type of fictional character that gains wide popularity as a sex symbol. Characters described as Tumblr Sexymen are typically villainous or otherwise unusual, although the criteria for what qualifies as a Tumblr Sexyman varies greatly. The phenomenon is named after the website Tumblr, from which it originated, although Tumblr Sexymen have also gained popularity on other social media platforms such as Twitter.

## Definition

Tumblr Sexymen vary greatly, although they generally are evil or otherwise have some sort of quirk that separates them from "normal" characters. They are typically a popular subject of fan art and shipping, with fan art often depicting them in the form of skinny white men, even in cases where the character is not originally human. Isaiah Colbert from Kotaku described Tumblr Sexymen as typically having "a bean sprout physique" and "a theater kid's bravado", while Ty Galiz-Rowe from Gayming Magazine said that they are "usually tall, white looking, dress well, and have a dark or evil side to them".
The most commonly agreed upon criterion for a Tumblr Sexyman is a large and vocal fan following, with some characters failing to be considered Sexymen due to having smaller fandoms.

## History

The concept of Tumblr Sexymen originated around 2012, with the release of The Lorax. The central character of the film, the Once-ler, gained a substantial fandom, with multiple blogs being created that were dedicated to the character. The Once-ler was also the subject of a large amount of fan art and shipping, a pattern that would continue for other Tumblr Sexymen. In addition, fans began to create alternative versions of the Once-ler and to combine these versions into ships; this phenomenon was known as "Oncest". Tumblr Sexymen such as the Once-ler are especially popular among the LGBT community.
In 2022, a tournament was held on Twitter to determine the most popular Tumblr Sexyman. The poll went viral, and received over 244,000 votes in total. The poll ended on September 8, 2022, the same day as the death of Elizabeth II, leading to memes which associated the two events with each other. In the final round of voting, Sans from Undertale had faced Arataka Reigen from Mob Psycho 100; Sans won the closely contested poll with 50.1% of the votes. Sans's win was followed by a massive influx of fan art and memes on both Twitter and Tumblr. In response to the event, Undertale creator Toby Fox wrote a fictional account which featured imagined details of Sans's victory.
In January 2023, the rollout of a new polling feature allowed Tumblr to host its own Tumblr Sexyman competition, in which Cecil Gershwin Palmer of the Welcome to Night Vale podcast beat Sans to become the ultimate "Tumblr Tumblr Sexyman".

## Notable Tumblr Sexymen

Various fictional characters have been labeled as Tumblr Sexymen by fans. Some notable examples include:
* Sans (Undertale)
* Cecil Gershwin Palmer (Welcome to Night Vale)
* The Once-ler (The Lorax)
* Arataka Reigen (Mob Psycho 100)
* Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
* Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock)
* Nagito Komaeda (Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair)
* Raymond (Animal Crossing)
* Wheatley (Portal 2)
* Waluigi (Super Mario)
* Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)
* Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)
* King Dice (Cuphead)
* Junkrat (Overwatch)