It’s that time of year again: Keanu Reeves has a new film out. Cue the stampede. Every time the widely beloved 58-year-old actor hits the press trail for a new project, he is greeted with the same heady flurry of sexually charged hero worship. This week alone has seen the John Wick star endure an impromptu marriage proposal from a fan, and field questions about being the “internet’s boyfriend”. Reeves is not the only actor to experience this phenomenon, of course. Rather, he is part of a small substratum of typically middle-aged male celebrities on whom the internet has fixed its kaleidoscopically horny gaze. Pedro Pascal has been social media’s recent anointed obsession, thanks largely to his leading roles in The Last of Us and The Mandalorian. But there are also celebs like Oscar Isaac, Paul Rudd, Chris Pine, Lee Pace – the list goes on.
The way these men are talked about has two layers: they are lauded both for their sex appeal and their apparent moral virtue. They are not just saints in the eyes of the online public, but sexy saints. Sometimes the link between these two qualities is made explicit: search through Twitter, and you will find countless tweets celebrating “how you age when you’re unproblematic”, often featuring a picture of, say, Paul Rudd, placed in juxtaposition with the visage of some craggy-faced bigot. It goes without saying that morals have nothing to do with appearance – indeed, the ageless skin freshness of most celebrities can more likely be attributed to plastic surgery – but it also speaks to a shocking naivety among the public when it comes to famous people. Being charming in front of a camera means nothing. If the last decade has taught us anything, it’s that abuse and predation are rife among male celebrities behind closed doors. Unfettered glorification only serves to protect the powerful. Don’t get me wrong, I’d imagine Reeves is as likeable and genuine as he appears in interviews – but we have no means of knowing this for sure.
