The Brief: Himbo is a term for an attractive, but unintelligent man.

Bluesquiggle
DEEP DIVE

A riff on bimbo,” a himbo is a man who is not book smart but has other redeeming qualities that make him attractive. They are typically portrayed as men who are conventionally handsome and muscular, but who might be considered stupid.

Online, himbos are sometimes fetishized for their good looks and loving qualities. There is some debate as to whether they are objectively unintelligent or if they are just smart in ways that are usually overlooked in society.

On June 21, 2020, a discussion started on Twitter about how “himbo” might be an ableist term. Twitter user @fangirlJeanne started the debate in a tweet that read “‘Himbo’ is ableist. I find fetishizing someone’s supposed lack of intelligence to be predatory. Why would you desire someone who seemingly has less power than you? Why is that sexy? Why is that different from praying [sic] on underage kids? It’s not.”

@fangirlJeanne’s tweet received 271 likes and over 3,000 retweets, prompting many people to respond with criticism, asserting that her claim is not only outrageous but that it is itself ableist by suggesting that people who are neurodivergent or who have intellectual disabilities are childlike and unable to make decisions for themselves. She later apologized for making that comparison, but not before discourse on the subject became widespread on Twitter.

These himbo memes celebrate men whose brawn overpowers their brains.

https://dreamsandwakingthoughts.tumblr.com/post/189122206294/not-a-complete-diagram-but-a-diagram-nonetheless

If you like Femboy Hooters, you’ll love Himbo Pizza Hut…

https://robotniks-announcement.tumblr.com/post/620478468419944448/himbo-pizza-hut

https://accio.tumblr.com/post/619811775111708672/hermione-i-need-a-himbo-hermione-im-looking-out