THE 'BRIDGERTON' EFFECT: HOW 'SOFT MEN' BECAME DESIRABLE AGAIN

Newsweek Exclusive Feature

From Bridgerton to TikTok thirst edits, romance is shifting from bad boys to men who yearn—and audiences embracing it.

Bridgerton's return to our television screens has not just revived conversations around costumes, orchestral covers of pop songs and color-blind casting, it has also reaffirmed a contemporary romantic ideal—a leading man, often emotionally expressive, and often found yearning.

With social media platforms already saturated with edits of fictional men gazing, pining and confessing feelings for their on-screen love interests, it is safe to say that the popular Regency series did not instigate this cultural shift. It has only brought it into sharp focus.

Since its 2020 debut, the Netflix hit has been celebrated for its elaborate set design and diverse casting, but also for how it presents romantic male leads. Where the aloof “bad boy” was once the default, Lori Bindig Yousman, a professor of communication at Sacred Heart University, told Newsweek that Bridgerton foregrounds men who are emotionally expressive, attentive and engaged with their partners’ inner lives.

These characters are not perfect, but they move beyond the tired dichotomy of the thrilling but cruel bad boy versus the safe but dull nice

guy. That distinction matters because it reflects a broader recalibration already underway.

For much of the 2000s and 2010s, popular romance, especially for younger audiences, was dominated by men defined by emotional distance and volatility. Think Edward Cullen in Twilight, Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, Jess Mariano in Gilmore Girls. Desire was often framed as endurance, with women positioned as the ones who are tasked with "fixing" a brooding, damaged man.

But now, it seems the sensitivity of the soft boy is sexy once more—and this time it's about what we might call "soft men."

Recent findings shared with Newsweek support this.

Following the premiere of Bridgerton season 4, Google searches for "my boyfriend is not romantic" and "my man is not romantic" jumped by 107 percent and 98 percent, respectively, according to Google Trends analysis by the virtual intimacy platform, Dating.com.

Searches for "no romance in relationship" have been soaring by 2900 percent year after year, while 36 percent of American women say they would date rather someone from a more emotionally expressive culture, suggesting a frustration with dating norms in the U.S.

Yearning Goes Mainstream

Today, that emotionally distant leading man no longer feels as culturally relevant.

On TikTok, edits of contemporary male characters yearning for love interests crowd FYPs, signaling that audiences are attuned to—and actively celebrating—a different romantic language.

The examples are recent and telling. Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) is joined by Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) from The Summer I Turned Pretty, a major cultural talking point last summer; Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) from Stranger Things, whose popularity surged again over the series finale; the portrayal of JFK Jr. in Love Story by Paul Anthony Kelly, currently streaming and driving online discussion; Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine) in Amazon's The Idea of You, which sparked intense fan frenzy in 2024; and Prince Henry in Red, White & Royal Blue, also played by Galitzine—clearly a go-to yearner for casting directors.

Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek and Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton in a still from Bridgerton. Credit: NETFLIX

Even the central relationship in Heated Rivalry has been praised for its slow-burning romantic appeal. The Canadian series became an overnight success thanks to the emotional and passionate love story between its leading men, played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storie.

Of course, brooding characters have not completely disappeared, but they now coexist with leading men who communicate clearly, express desire directly and prioritize emotional connection. Online discourse suggests that many viewers—particularly women—are noticing and naming this shift, framing emotional availability not as a compromise but as the bare minimum.

Why the Archetype Is Shifting

Bindig Yousman believes this change reflects deeper cultural shifts. With more women shaping stories behind the scenes, such as Shonda Rhimes on Bridgerton and Jenny Han on The Summer I Turned Pretty, romantic narratives may better reflect how women want to be treated and perceive love and dating.

Cultural and political shifts also matter, the professor added. In the wake of #MeToo and amid renewed scrutiny of men in power, audiences may be less inclined to romanticize behavior now labeled toxic, though once normalized as edgy or exciting.

"Audiences may be less inclined to seek out entertainment where men behave badly and may gravitate towards stories where women are valued," she said.

Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, a Harvard‑trained clinical psychologist and relationship expert for Hily, aligns the shift with collective emotional fatigue. The emotionally withholding leading man of the 2010s, she told Newsweek, now reads as “less exciting and more exhausting.”

After a global pandemic, dating fatigue, social isolation and ongoing political divisions, people are no longer seeking unpredictability in their romantic fantasies. Instead, the so‑called “golden retriever” man—emotionally available, direct, upbeat and stable—offers relief and escapism in a destabilized world.

Journalist Katherine Brodsky describes Bridgerton as “a recalibration of masculinity in romance.”

Vulnerability in men, she said, is no longer coded as a character flaw or weakness but as real confidence and self-assurance.

“The fantasy is that he yearns for the woman, openly,” Brodsky told Newsweek. “It is aspirational.”

Bridgerton does not mark the beginning of this new male archetype being in favor, but instead, provides its clearest expression. And judging by fan responses online, what audiences increasingly want is not less passion, but partners who are present, communicative and emotionally fluent.

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COVER IMAGE CREDIT: NETFLIX

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