Recently, “nice guys” find themselves getting called out as “simps,” aka men subservient to women by simply acting kind or chivalrous. Not only does the word “simp” subtly evoke sexism, it also perpetuates the notion that treating girls well is cretinous and deserves mockery. 

Imagine scrolling through TikTok, then an absurd mashup of Rockstar by Post Malone and Hey Ya by Outkast starts to play. A figure stands in the frame, usually a teenage male, accompanied by words that describe an action that typically characterizes a simp.

“If she rants to you about her relationship,” cue the jumpcut to the same person holding out their hands with the words, “Welcome to Simp Nation” on the screen. So, why does that perfectly nice and normal action constitute one as a simp? 

Having initially originated from an anti-feminist community on Reddit, TikTok user Marco Borghi (Polo.Boyy,) popularized the term and the common trend described above. These videos have caused any form of the word “simp” to be spoken in derogatory, demeaning, and demasculinizing manners, and often deters males from merely behaving in a humane way to girls their age. 

Sure, plenty of women tend to take advantage of men’s feelings towards them, and these actions should be discouraged of course, but there are also plenty of “nice guys” whose sole interest in women is anything but innocent. 

This notion that kindness from the opposite sex must be rewarded is toxic and inherently sexist; however, not all men who show kindness towards their lady friends want something more. These “simps” more frequently seem like guys who treat women with basic human decency.

While “simp” may appear as fresh Gen Z slang from the ever-popular urban dictionary, its definition proves quite misogynistic. When the laughs fade, simp’s true meaning reveals itself as a catchall sexist term aimed not directly towards women, but the men who value them.

Maybe simp hatred is not about the males at all, but yet another anti-women scapegoat. Think twice before using the word simp. Whether subtle or not, sexism is sexism.