The Internet’s Dirty Little Secret: Dumping the A-List
We need to have a serious conversation about your search history. For months, the mainstream media has been force-feeding us a steady diet of the same three names. You know the drill: Glen Powell is everywhere, Jacob Elordi is towering over everyone, and Timothee Chalamet is… being Timothee. But sources are whispering that the public is officially bored. The “Internet Boyfriend” rotation is stale, and the real heat is happening in the underground.
Insiders tracking search trends are seeing a massive shift away from the polished, PR-approved A-listers. The new wave isn’t about box office numbers or Oscar campaigns; it is about raw, unfiltered appeal. We are talking about the guys who might not be on the movie poster, but are definitely the ones you are zooming in on when nobody is looking. This isn’t just a crush; it is a full-blown digital investigation into the “underground” group of rising stars who are stealing the spotlight—and the thirst—from the big dogs.
The vibe has shifted aggressively. While PR teams are desperate to push the “safe” choices, the internet has gone rogue. Fans are ignoring the captains and the lead actors to hunt down the side characters, the villains, and the reality stars who are bringing a dangerous edge to the timeline. We are breaking down the names that are secretly dominating the Google image search bar, specifically with the word “shirtless” attached. It is time to expose who you are really looking at.
Sibling Rivalry Explodes: The Efron War
The biggest shocker on the list? The sudden dethroning of a Hollywood legend by his own flesh and blood. For nearly two decades, Zac Efron has been the undisputed king of the shirtless scene. But there is a new Efron in town, and he is coming for the crown with zero mercy. Dylan Efron has rocketed from “Zac’s little brother” to a legitimate sex symbol overnight, and it is all thanks to a calculated appearance on the cutthroat reality show Traitors.
While Zac has been busy polishing his acting chops, Dylan seemingly decided to weaponize his genetics. His stint on Traitors wasn’t just about strategy; it was a televised audition for America’s heartthrob. The moment he hit the screen, search traffic spiked. Viewers weren’t analyzing his gameplay—they were aggressively hunting down his Instagram handle. And what did they find? A goldmine of thirst traps that would make a Magic Mike casting director blush.
“I used to be a Zac girlie until I saw Dylan on Traitors. Sorry Zac, but your brother just stole your whole flow. The abs run in the family but Dylan hits different.”
This isn’t just a cute family moment; it smells like a changing of the guard. Dylan’s Instagram is “stock-full” of content designed to stop the scroll. We are seeing a surge in fans who are admitting that the “unexpected rise to prominence” has them switching allegiances. Is there jealousy brewing at the Thanksgiving table? When the younger brother starts getting more shirtless Google hits than the movie star, things get awkward fast. Dylan Efron isn’t just participating in the game; he is hijacking the narrative.
The NFL’s Body Part Obsession: ‘Saquads’ Take Over
Forget the score, forget the halftime show, and honestly, forget the quarterback. The NFL has a new problem, and it is the aggressive objectification of Saquon Barkley. While the media narrative was trying to force us to care about Jalen Hurts and his “rage,” the real story during the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl championship was happening below the waist. We are talking, of course, about the “Saquads.”
It is rare for a single body part to get its own nickname, but Barkley’s legs have achieved mythical status. This wasn’t about football stats; this was about pure, unadulterated thirst. Reports indicate that during the Big Game, a significant portion of the audience was tuning in solely to catch a glimpse of Barkley’s lower body definition. It is a level of scrutiny that borders on obsessive. While Jalen Hurts was trying to lead a team, the internet was busy drooling over a running back’s gym routine.
The “Saquads” phenomenon proves that the modern fan is looking for something specific. They don’t want the clean-cut quarterback interviews; they want the physical spectacle. Barkley has inadvertently become the face (or legs) of the NFL’s underground thirst market. It is a distraction, it is chaotic, and it is exactly what drives the social media conversation during the biggest sporting event of the year. The league might want you to focus on the playbook, but the fans are zooming in on the players.
The Villain Era: Drew Starkey’s Erotic Pivot
If you thought the drama on Outer Banks was intense, wait until you see what the “villain” is up to. Chase Stokes—better known as John B.—is the safe, obvious choice for the teen drama crowd. He is the golden boy with the wind-swept hair. But the real scandal is how quickly the internet abandoned the hero to lust after the bad guy. Drew Starkey has shattered his TV image with a pivot so sharp it gave us whiplash, and it is all centered around his role in the film Queer.
This isn’t just an actor taking a serious role; this is a full-blown brand reinvention. Insiders are calling his performance “nuanced and erotic,” two words that usually signal a career-defining thirst trap. Starkey stripped away the teenage angst of his Outer Banks character and delivered something raw that has fans looking at him in a “whole new light.” It is the classic bad-boy allure turned up to eleven. Why root for the good guy when the villain is delivering Oscar-worthy eroticism?
“I can never look at Rafe Cameron the same way again. Drew Starkey in Queer changed my brain chemistry. John B who?”
The shift from hating a character to obsessively Googling the actor shirtless is a phenomenon we are seeing more often, but Starkey has mastered it. He has managed to eclipse the lead star of his own hit show by taking a risk that is paying off in massive internet clout. The “obvious crush” on Chase Stokes is fading as fans rush to find the edgier, more dangerous content Starkey is putting out. It is a brutal reminder to leading men everywhere: don’t get comfortable, because the villain is usually having more fun.
The Tom Blyth Mystery: The Ringmaster of Thirst
Leading this pack of underground heartthrobs is the man putting everyone else on notice: Tom Blyth. He is the name on everyone’s lips, the “Guy We Googled Shirtless” who seems to be the captain of this new, darker team of internet boyfriends. Blyth represents the ultimate shift in taste—he is not the guy you take home to mom immediately; he is the guy you search for in Incognito Mode.
While the old guard of Chalamet and friends are busy walking red carpets in designer suits, Blyth and his cohort are winning the war for attention by being accessible, raw, and just a little bit scandalous. The fact that he is headlining this list suggests that the industry is ready for a new prototype of male celebrity. One who isn’t afraid to be the object of desire without the heavy PR filter.
We are witnessing a changing of the guard in real-time. The “Underground Group” is no longer underground. They are breaking into the mainstream by bypassing the traditional routes and going straight for the jugular—or in this case, the abs. It is a strategy that relies on shock value, physical perfection, and the element of surprise.
The Verdict: Hollywood is terrified
Make no mistake, the agents for the A-list are sweating. When a reality star’s brother, an NFL running back, and a TV villain can dominate the conversation over established movie stars, the hierarchy is broken. The “internet boyfriend” label is fickle, and right now, it belongs to the guys who are willing to show a little more skin and play a little dirtier.
Who is next to fall? Will Glen Powell start posting thirst traps to compete with Dylan Efron? Will Timothee Chalamet hit the squat rack to rival Saquon? The pressure is on. The fans have spoken, and they are demanding something new, something raw, and something that requires a high-speed internet connection to fully appreciate. The underground has risen, and they aren’t putting their shirts back on anytime soon.
