Move over, 'golden retriever' boyfriends! Women are now into 'black cat' men as TV shows tout moody, edgy romantic leads

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

In-between a friendship-bracelet wearing Travis Kelce and romantically gushing Tom Holland, who makes ardent posts about his girlfriend Zendaya - last summer saw the crowning of many a 'golden retriever' man.
But now the tide is turning, as the hype for sunshiny, enthusiastic (at times overly so) beaus was at a high in 2023 and 2024 - highlighting stars like Sam Thompson and Jamie Laing - has now died down in favour of the more moody, elusive 'black cat' boyfriend.
The fever pitch for giddy, excitable hunks was at such a peak in recent years, that it translated onto the silver screen with Hollywood touting the likes of Ken from the Barbie movie and Peter Kavinsky in To All The Boys I Loved Before as the peak of romance.
And it wasn't just blockbusters, as sitcom viewers fell in love with wide-eyed, smiling heartthrobs like Jake Peralta on Brooklyn99 and Steve Harrington on Stranger Things.
But now filmgoers and TV show fans are preferring a broodier cohort of studs - who don't necessarily light up the room, but may have a magnetic, mysterious pull - a la Mr Darcy over Mr Bingley.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, PR expert Chad Teixeira revealed how the shift can be demonstrated in current popular viewing.
'There's been a really noticeable shift in what audiences, particularly Gen Z, are gravitating toward when it comes to romantic leads,' he explained.
'For a long time, we romanticised the 'Golden Retriever' boyfriend who was cheerful, dependable, always emotionally available.
'But now, the cultural needle is moving toward the 'Black Cat' boyfriend instead, so think emotionally complex, a bit aloof, maybe even brooding, but with real depth underneath.
'Will Sharpe's character in Too Much is a great example, or Conrad from The Summer I Turned Pretty. Even the sudden resurgence of interest in Gilmore Girls has younger viewers overwhelmingly choosing Team Jess, who is a classic Black Cat, over the more sunshine-coded Dean or Logan.
'Netflix's My Life With The Walter Boys had the perfect examples of Golden Retriever and Black Cat in two of its male leads with brothers Alex and Cole, and Jackie forced to choose between them.'
Chad stressed however this is bigger than just overall personas - but rather offers an insight into what audiences want out of their own love lives.
'This shift isn't just about characters being darker or moodier,' he continued. 'It reflects a larger generational shift in how people understand relationships, emotional growth, and vulnerability.
'Gen Z, more than previous generations, tend to value emotional realism over idealism.
'They're not necessarily looking for someone to 'fix' or save, but they are drawn to characters with internal worlds, flaws, and depth so look for people who evolve, who challenge them and who aren't immediately easy to understand.'
Chad said that this is because there is an 'intimacy' in 'unraveling someone who is emotionally guarded that feels more authentic and rewarding in today's storytelling'.
In it, he plays struggling musician Felix, who is paired up with enthusiastic (but naive) Jess (Megan Stalter) who has moved over to London from the US, serving as a much more British, angsty contrast to her excitable nature
'Culturally, we're also moving away from binaries e.g. good guy vs bad boy, sunshine vs storm cloud, and toward more nuanced portrayals of masculinity,' he added.
'The Black Cat boyfriend complicates the traditional romantic arc. He's not perfect, but he's real.
'He reflects the messiness of modern dating, where people are often dealing with anxiety, identity shifts, and emotional baggage.
'And in a world that feels increasingly chaotic, there's something oddly reassuring about loving someone who reflects that same complexity.'
As per Chad's example, the character of Conrad (Christopher Briney) from the Summer I Turned Pretty is one that is deeply popular with TikTok edits as fans consider him the more intelligent, earnest alternative for the protagonist - Belly (Lola Tung) - over his energetic but immature brother-dash-love-rival Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).
Elsewhere some have even branded Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) from The Bear as a feline beau thanks to his unpredictable temperament.
Other make the case that often the 'grumpiness' associated with black cats is often rooted in deep personal traumas that the character is working through, rather than personality issues.
Hence, when they lash out, we feel sympathy and understanding, making them more relatable than the never-fallible canine man.
Another element of the black cat boyfriend that appeals to others is the reserved nature - they don't go all out with romantic gesture guns blazing, but rather softly pine from afar.
One decades-old but powerful example which still has young viewers enchanted is Jess Mariano - played by Milo Ventimiglia - a bookish troublemaker that doesn't tell his girlfriend, the main protagonist of the show Gilmore Girls, the struggles he's facing, including family issues and dropping out of high school.
And in a more recent example, Will Sharpe's character in the popular new Lena Dunham drama, Too Much, has sparked black cat comparisons.
In it, he plays struggling musician Felix, who is paired up with enthusiastic (but naive) Jess (Megan Stalter) who has moved over to London from the US, serving as a much more British, angsty contrast to her excitable nature.
While both are flawed, it's clear who the cynic in the relationship is - and viewers can't get enough.
Speaking to Men's Health, Will said he enjoys the 'complexity of the character and how many layers there are to unpack'.
'It's a testament to Lena's writing and the way she drew all the characters, and it's so rewarding as an actor to have all of that to use and to play with,' he added.
'Some of it goes to heavy places at times, which can be challenging, but it's also often the most rewarding part of playing a character.
'Whatever journey Jess and Felix are on and whatever compulsions and weaknesses and addictions they might have, we need to see them struggle with that. Otherwise it's almost too easy and we don't believe it's an issue.
'I really like that Felix isn't kind. He f***s up quite a lot and makes a lot of mistakes. That makes him better rounded as a character.
'Hopefully it makes you invest more in the relationship, that they're having to fight through all of this stuff to find their way back to each other.'
Where it marks an end for the reign of the golden retriever is yet unclear - but for now at least, it's evident the cat's out the bag.