Real men don't drink matcha? These friends are challenging stereotypes by having a blast
Khadim Thiam, 23, and his buddies love going on "side quests" together.
By that, he means they take breaks from their responsibilities at New York City's Hunter College to try fun new group activities and make videos about their adventures.
Recently, one of those side quests — a video of the young men gleefully trying matcha tea for the first time — blew up online, with more than 17 million views on TikTok.
But with internet fame comes the inevitable backlash.
"There were [people] saying comments, like, 'When are men going to be the men?'" Thiam told As It Happens Nil Köksal. "They were being homophobic, I guess, because we were just having fun trying this new thing — something that people considered, like, feminine and girly."
Rather than be cowed by the haters, the boys dug their heels in and posted more videos of themselves trying so-called "feminine things."
The matcha-swigging squad have since taken the internet by storm with wholesome videos of puppy yoga, spa days, manicures, pilates, salsa dancing, cooking classes and more.
'Black boy joy'
Their newfound popularity, Thiam says, is helping to break down the "weird boundaries" that society puts on men — and Black men, in particular.
"We can be strong and soft and joyful," Thiam said. "We don't care. We're going to do what we want. We are going to have fun regardless."
That fun, he says, serves a higher purpose. He and his friends — who call themselves One Strong Brotherhood (OSB) — are pushing back against negative stereotypes about young Black men.
"I know this is probably corny to say, but we're not menaces to society or those stereotypical things that people think of us," Thiam said.
Jermal Alleyne Jones says the message is coming through loud and clear. He's the co-founder of Canadian non-profit Next Gen Men, which aims to "change how the world sees, acts and thinks about masculinity," and says OSB's videos are a delight.
"It's just like a public celebration of happiness, of play, of vulnerability," Jones said. "They're, in a sense, rewriting a lot of the narratives about what Black men should be, what Black boys should be."
Thiam calls this "Black boy joy," a term popularlized a nearly decade ago by writer Danielle Young to highlight media that depicts Black men and boys being happy.
"It's so hard to see the OSB guys and not be immediately happy," Young told NBC News. "But it's also hurtful to see that it is considered a thing because of what they're not supposed to be doing."
Alleyne says he often sees younger men living outside the confines of traditional gender roles, embracing not only joy but also self-care, community and mental health.
"For many young men now, those older notions of masculinity aren't necessarily serving them as well. So they're coming up with new traditions and new ways of building community and new ways of engaging with each other," he said.
"That's really cool."
Thiam says OSB's positive message is already changing hearts and minds.
Last month, the group picked out flowers for Nigerian singer-songwriter Burna Boy, and presented them to him outside the MET gala.
While some commenters took issue with the idea of men giving another man flowers, Thiam says most people simply enjoyed the good vibes — including Burna Boy himself.
"People started to see that we're breaking all these weird boundaries that society has placed on men," Thiam said."I feel like we bring a lot to the table in this world. So, you know, Black boy joy to the world."
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