Do you have a “boy’s room”?

For years, a stereotypical image of the living space of a young single man has dominated. You know the one: it’s centered around a mattress on a bare floor, complete with a flat-screen TV, plus maybe a gaming console and controller or metal folding chair. This minimalist painting, devoted to Reddit and Twitter, has recently been challenged by a new TikTok archetype: the Boy Room. If the floor mattress is the symbol of an austere (yet fulfilling) life, the Boy Room is the product of a more indulgent lifestyle, one that produces a clutter of empty beer cans, crumpled tissues (overflowing a rarely emptied basket) and packets of paper. -sheets.

Comedian Rachel Costner took this concept – that men neglect their living space in a way that could be described as “heartbreaking” – and presented it to Adam Faze, director of short-form video production studio Gymnasium (formerly known as FazeWorld). The result is the social media sensation “Boy Room,” which has racked up millions of views on TikTok and Instagram for taking an anthropological look at the modern men’s bedroom, with its movie poster decor and, in one case at least one dead crab. on the dresser.

We asked Costner (who works with producer Sky Saffer, PA Max Sundue, editor Grace Pomilla and director Sexydamion) what it means to have a Boy Room and how men can avoid falling prey to these tropes.

GQ: What do you think makes a boy’s room a boy’s room?

Rachel Costner: Supreme stickers on stuff, a bunch of discarded stuff that could be thrown in a real trash can, empty water bottles, a water bottle full of Gatorade or Gatorade full of water, no cover quilt – everyone is obsessed with it (last one). The Costco fleece blanket that everyone has, brown. Just nothing on the walls or a really crappy poster. No intentionality in space design. When you say to yourself, “I guess I have to live somewhere. » But you’re not proud of it and you don’t want it to be enjoyable for you.

How did “Boy Room” come about?

I’m a comedian with a background in film production. So I was looking for a job this winter and Adam Faze was starting his new company, now called Gymnasium. He posted on his Instagram story that he needed producers, directors, APs and everything, and so I applied. I don’t think he really wanted me as an employee, but he said, “Send me all your ideas, present them my way, and no promises, but I’ll look at them.” » And he really liked “Boy Room”. So we shot a pilot with our friend Peter and it was totally chaotic because we showed up at his house unannounced because we knew where he would be. We’ll never publish that one. It’s so funny. And (Peter) agrees that it’s so funny, but he’s so embarrassed that he said we can’t release it, which is no problem. (But) I hope he changes his mind because it’s so great.

And then we kept doing more, and now we’re not surprising people anymore, but we’re still trying to keep it as real as possible. It’s hard when you walk into a room and I’m like, “Oh, obviously you changed things for us,” because it’s disappointing. Recently we went to a guy’s house and he had some stuff on his bed and I was like, “Did you put that there so I could see it?” And he said, “Yeah. » I don’t really like it.

How do you like boys?

They’ve been texting us, and Gymnasium’s production assistant has been going through the messages, and he’s doing a great job so far. But it’s a bit of a risk because it’s like these people who are making stuff up for the show? Do they just want to be on the show or are they bad guys? That’s a real concern, is whether he’s truly a bad guy.

How do these guys feel about being chosen?

The boys who contact us are proud and excited and want to be on the show. Or there was a guy we met last week whose friends told him about it and they were like, “You need to do this, you need to do this.” So he was more worried.

Why do you think these are tropes for men that we don’t necessarily see in women?

Girls, we are forced from a very young age to worry about the house and our space. “If your room is dirty, no one will ever go out with you.” It’s all from the perspective that if you’re disgusting, you’re unlovable. I remember when I was little, my nails were very short because I bit them and my grandmother said to me: “No one will hold your hand if they are shredded.” » Everything that concerns girls is scrutinized very closely and boys do not benefit from the same treatment. Boys say, “Yeah, girls will always go out with me if my room is dirty.” » Girls, it’s like if you have a dirty room, the boys immediately say “You’re disgusting” and never come back, which sucks.

Do you think women should start taking a hard line on the Boy Room?

I think girls should be able to own anything. I also think boys should be able to own what they want in terms of how they maintain their space. If you like having a dirty room, this is really great. And as long as the people who like you are still willing to date you because you don’t smell bad, no problem. And if you’re extremely mentally ill and it’s just not happening right now – that’s another (thing), especially with girls, I feel like we beat ourselves up so much if our spaces are naughty or if we’re falling behind in some way because we’re depressed or something. And I think that’s something we should really stop punishing ourselves for. There is nothing helpful in feeling bad about yourself.

What would you recommend to a man who wants to avoid creating a Boy Room?

Display art on your walls. Frame it if you can. Clean your sheets fairly regularly. Have a duvet cover, several pillows and matching curtains. The most important thing is adjustable lighting systems, because it sucks when it comes to very intense overhead lighting. It feels like a target.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen in a boy’s room?

I was in Los Angeles once and I saw a huge war painting in this boy’s room – it was like a war scene above his bed. It was crazy. And a bunch of drug paraphernalia lying around. I was like, “It’s not a problem, but it’s crazy to leave this out. Let’s put it in our underwear drawer just for the day so you’re not tempted to rip out a bunch of lines first thing in the morning.