In the early ’90s the himbo was more commonly referred to as a ‘loveable klutz’, a characteristic which became key to Fraser’s appeal as he rose to stardom.
Whereas the ‘bimbo’ trope is underpinned by misogyny, the himbo is an antidote to the aggressive machismo and bicep mania that dominated Hollywood movies in the ’80s and ’90s (we could argue that Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa is the origin of both of these tropes but that’s an article for another day). The himbo is defined by his conventional attractiveness, his buffoonery and, above all, his lack of toxicity. The term was coined by journalist Rita Kempley in her 1988 Washington Post article, describing a lovable hunk without a lick of common sense. It was only his second film role, his first leading one, and it would cement his on-screen persona for years to come: that of a simple hunk who is unaware of his own buffness, delivered into a modern world without an ounce of toxic masculinity in him, all goofy and wide-eyed and open to all the exciting things society has to offer to a beautiful man.Ī himbo (the male version of the gendered term ‘bimbo’) is a familiar trope in film and television. Released in 1992, Encino Man was the first in what I’ve christened Fraser’s Himbo Trilogy. Now, with an upcoming role in the next Darren Aronofsky film and a sudden resurgence of Fraser Appreciation on Twitter, it’s time to pay respect to the man who created the blueprint for the modern himbo.