A Definitive Ranking Of Pop Culture’s Most Loveable Himbos
All I need in this life of sin is me and my himbo, am I right?
In the last 10 years, himbos have been popping up everywhere — and especially in pop culture. ICYMI: the term himbo translates to a male bimbo and was first coined in 1988 (the year of my birth, coincidence???) in a Washington Post movie review.
While bimbos are often portrayed in a negative light as superficial airheads — and thankfully, rarely appear on TV or film anymore — himbos carry a much more wholesome and pure vibe. Himbos are not fuckbois or even softbois. These men are hot and stupid, but they’re also kind-hearted and driven by good intentions. Some even reckon that himbos are the antidote to toxic masculinity.
Give me a dose! Sign me TF up!
There is an absolutely specimen of a himbo at the beach rn. He set up the umbrella, took a bunch of photos of his gf and her friends, is not wearing sunscreen, sprinted across the beach to catch a different flyaway umbrella, had to be told to not to touch a dead fish- the dream
— G. L. DiVittorio (@gldivittorio) May 23, 2021
My favourite himbos come from TV and film. I’m talking the early himbos like Joey Tribbiani in Friends and pretty much every role Brendan Fraser played in the ’90s, or modern himbos like The Good Place’s Jason Mendoza and True Blood’s Jason Stackhouse. Himbos doing what they do best: acting like loveable, confused puppy dogs.
Himbos make the world a better place, so we’re ranking our absolute faves.
A definitive ranking of pop culture’s most loveable himbos:
14. Andy, Parks and Rec
Andy was such a sweetly stupid guy, from his band Mouse Rat to his dozens of iconic quotes. I’ve ranked Andy last, though, as I’m unsure whether Chris Pratt is at the hot level that a himbo requires. Some might think he’s conventionally attractive enough to be a himbo, but I guess it’s up to personal taste.
13. Teddy, Bad Neighbours
Something about Zac Efron just screams himbo. But weirdly enough, he actually hasn’t played that many himbo characters. The closest Efron has come is Teddy in Bad Neighbours. Teddy is not intelligent, he drops out of college and gets a job as a shirtless greeter at Abercrombie & Fitch. There’s no denying that Efron is hot, but is his character wholesome enough to top the list? I don’t think so! He’s quite devious in how he attempts to annoy his neighbours, Mac and Kelly, so he loses some himbo points there.
12. Nate, Gossip Girl
Nate might have taken part in one of the most confusing and convoluted mysteries in television history — who is Gossip Girl? — but he also contributed absolutely nothing in the process. He was always in the background looking hot, kissing women, or being left without his clothes, and that’s a himbo!
11. Josh, Younger
Similar to Nate, Josh is not an overt himbo. However, if it looks like a himbo and talks like a himbo, he’s probably a himbo. Josh’s himbo-ness is on full display when he dates Liza, who is comparatively much more intelligent and book smart.
10. Steve, Stranger Things
Steve Harrington did not start out as a himbo on Stranger Things, rather he grew into the role he was always destined to play. At first, Steve was a bit of a bully but in recent seasons he’s become the character who tends to just have no clue what he’s doing or what’s happening at any given time. That is a himbo — and that is beautiful.
9. Kelso, That 70’s Show
Beautiful hair? Wholesome naivety? It’s like Steve Harrington was carved out of Ashton Kutcher’s Michael Kelso. Kelso was probably the first himbo who stole my heart. Sure, his stupidity is frustrating to watch at times (as is the himbo curse) but you just can’t get much more handsome than this man.
8. Troy, Community
Troy on Community showed that himbos aren’t just handsome idiots — they can be straight-up hilarious. Troy is too pure for this world.
7. Prince Edward, Enchanted
James Marsden looks like he was carved by angels, which makes him the perfect vessel for a himbo. Sadly, he has mostly stayed away from himbo roles throughout his career but in 2007, he gifted us with the himbo to end all himbos: Prince Edward in fairytale adaption, Enchanted. We will be forever grateful.
6. Duke, She’s The Man
Like Zac Efron, Channing Tatum was born to play a himbo, but unlike Zac, he has actually been cast as low-key himbos in quite a few films, like 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike. But he’s never been a more fully-fledged himbo than he was in She’s The Man. Channing peaked in this iconic film and you won’t change my mind.
5. Joey, Friends
In the ’90s, Joey Tribbiani took the stereotype of the brainless womaniser and turned it on its head: he made himbos loveable. Joey is a top-tier himbo and nothing can take that away from him.
4. Jason, The Good Place
You can’t get purer than Jason Mendoza. Jason eternally looks like a golden retriever who thinks he just brought his owner a ball back, but he actually carried back his own tail. An absolute angel who must be protected at all costs.
3. George, George of the Jungle
Throwback! Brendan Fraser’s brand was built on him playing himbos, he perfected it to the point where I still wholly believe that Fraser himself has to be an absolute stupid brick of a man. We can’t forget his other iconic performance in Encino Man, but George of the Jungle is when he truly hit his stride.
Me too George, me too.
2. Jason, True Blood
Australia, represent! Jason Stackhouse brought himbos back in a big way midway through the ‘oos as the ridiculous and hilarious brother of Sookie. Jason is a complicated himbo, but at his heart he is a good person who wants to live a simple life without being murdered or turned into a vampire. Can relate!
1. Thor, Thor Franchise
Thor might be Marvel’s most hunky superhero, but he’s also usually the most confused. And that’s a himbo, baby. Chris Hemsworth nails the himbo persona, he played an excellent himbo in the 2016 Ghostbusters remake, but Thor took it up a notch. He’s just so damn funny.
A Norse God who also happens to be a textbook himbo? We simply have to stan.