He doesn’t know he’s an archetype. He just knows he feels less alone than his father did at his age.
“Straight guys are starving for permission to care,” says Dr. Liana Foster, a sociologist studying campus masculinity. “The Rhett figure gives them a template — funny, grounded, unashamed. He’s not rejecting masculinity; he’s expanding it.” No archetype is perfect. Critics note that the “Rhett straight college man” can still default to certain privileges — especially whiteness, class comfort, and an assumption that his emotional openness will be celebrated rather than punished. Not every straight man on campus has that luxury. rhett straight college men
Still, for many students, the Rhett is a step forward — not the destination, but a likable signpost. On a cool October afternoon, you’ll find the Rhett straight college man exactly where you’d expect: sitting cross-legged on the grass, guitar nearby, sharing a bag of popcorn with three friends. He’s listening more than talking. When he does speak, it’s to ask, “But what do you think?” He doesn’t know he’s an archetype
He’s the guy who quotes philosophy between bites of a gas station hot dog. He wears a flannel like a second skin, laughs too loudly in the library, and somehow makes vulnerability look effortless. He’s not the frat-star of 2010, nor the silent brooder of 1990s cinema. He’s the Rhett Straight College Man — and he’s quietly reshaping masculinity on campus. Defining the Rhett Named (loosely, affectionately) after Rhett McLaughlin — one half of the Internet’s beloved Good Mythical Morning — this archetype blends intellectual curiosity, Southern-adjacent storytelling, and an unpolished warmth. He’s straight, but not rigid. He’s masculine, but not threatened by emotions. He’ll arm-wrestle you, then ask about your childhood pet. Liana Foster, a sociologist studying campus masculinity
Jake now runs a small men’s discussion group on campus. They call it “Mythical Mornings” as a joke. But every Tuesday at 8 a.m., ten straight college guys show up to talk about loneliness, ambition, and what they’re actually afraid of. Perhaps the most Rhett trait of all: deep, platonic male friendship. In a culture where straight men often keep each other at arm’s length, the Rhett man builds intimacy without irony. He’s the one who texts “you good?” at 2 a.m. He’s the one who holds his friend’s hand after a breakup — not as a statement, just as comfort.
This isn’t performative wokeness. It’s simple decency dressed in dad jokes and outdoor gear.
“I grew up thinking I had to be either a jock or a nerd,” says Jake, a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill. “Then I found Rhett and Link — two grown men who just… talk honestly. About fears, friendship, even their own tears. That blew my mind.”