Sep 19
Paul Mescal’s Armpits Ignite Social Media Frenzy After Rolling Stone Cover
READ TIME: 18 MIN.
Paul Mescal, acclaimed for his roles in “Normal People,” “Aftersun,” and the upcoming “Hamnet,” has once again captured the internet’s imagination—but this time, it’s his unapologetically hairy armpits that have become the focal point of LGBTQ+ social media conversations. The recent Rolling Stone cover shoot, featuring Mescal in a wet shirt clinging to his torso and arms raised to reveal his untrimmed armpits, has generated a wave of excitement, thirst, and cultural commentary across platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Threads .
The imagery—raw, sensual, and defiantly unfiltered—has struck a chord with queer audiences who see Mescal’s look as a celebration of natural masculinity and a rejection of sanitized, airbrushed celebrity standards. As one commentator at Instinct Magazine put it: “If thirst-trap were a religion, Paul just became its patron saint. Armpits gloriously untrimmed. Wet shirt clinging to every curve of his chest” .
The buzz around Mescal’s armpits is more than just a fleeting meme—it’s a reflection of deeper shifts in LGBTQ+ aesthetics and attitudes toward male beauty. Online, users are trading edits, GIFs, and memes that celebrate Mescal’s “wet, hairy” allure, with hashtags like #paulmescal, #QueerFilm, and #lgbtqfilm trending on Threads and TikTok .
For many LGBTQ+ fans, Mescal’s unapologetic display of body hair is a direct challenge to the decades-old grooming norms that have dominated both heteronormative and queer media. In interviews, Mescal has spoken candidly about his journey from Gaelic football to drama and the vulnerability he brings to his roles, resonating with queer audiences who see authenticity as a form of resistance .
Body positivity advocates within the LGBTQ+ community are highlighting the significance of Mescal’s “moment,” arguing that it represents a step toward more inclusive representations of masculinity. The embrace of “real” bodies—hairy, sweaty, imperfect—stands in stark contrast to the pressure for celebrities to maintain airbrushed, sanitized appearances. As one viral post summarized: “Dirty, wet, hairy fantasy of the fall season. And we wouldn’t have it any other way” .
The response has been intense and immediate. Gay Twitter, known for its rapid-fire humor and viral memes, nearly “combusted” over the cover shoot, with users joking, thirsting, and dissecting every detail of Mescal’s look. Edits on TikTok and Instagram feature clips from the shoot set to playful audio, and users have created hashtags like #paulmescalarmpits and #WetForestBoyPaul to celebrate the new queer iconography .
Some posts highlight the importance of natural masculinity as a form of queer resistance, with one viral tweet reading: “Mescal’s armpits are a win for unfiltered queer desire—we deserve bodies that look like ours.” Others simply revel in the spectacle, with comments such as “I clicked for the photos before the interview. We all did. No shame here” .
The meme-ification of Mescal’s armpits has also sparked light-hearted debates about celebrity grooming, body hair, and the politics of thirst-traps in an age of ever-present social media. LGBTQ+ creators are remixing the images into art, parody, and commentary, making Mescal’s moment both a source of joy and cultural critique.
Mescal’s viral moment fits into a broader history of shifting standards around male beauty, particularly within LGBTQ+ spaces. Historically, mainstream media often favored smooth, hairless bodies, while queer subcultures—such as the bear community—embraced body hair as a symbol of authenticity and sexual agency. Mescal’s emergence as a hairy, unfiltered heartthrob is seen by many as the latest chapter in this ongoing evolution .
The actor’s willingness to be vulnerable and “messy” in public has further endeared him to fans seeking more honest representations of desire. In Rolling Stone, Mescal reflected on his own psychological challenges and the comfort he found in solitude and authenticity: “I don’t think I was generally in a great spot psychologically last year, and I found it useful to be on my own for that—and also for the films themselves. Kind of a happy accident, I suppose. Not that I would chase that anymore” .
While Mescal’s armpits are the talk of the moment, the broader impact lies in how queer audiences are reclaiming representations of desire. The actor’s open embrace of his own physicality—and the enthusiastic response from LGBTQ+ fans—demonstrates the community’s power to shape pop culture narratives.
Mescal’s recent shoutout to his queer co-star Andrew Scott (“If God was a real person, I think he would be something like an Andrew Scott”) has only deepened his resonance among LGBTQ+ audiences, who see both actors as trailblazers for queer visibility in international cinema .
As the memes and edits continue to circulate, commentators are asking whether Mescal’s armpit moment will have lasting influence. Will more celebrities embrace body hair and vulnerability in their public personas? Can viral thirst translate into wider acceptance of diverse bodies in media?
For now, Mescal’s Rolling Stone shoot remains a touchstone for queer celebration, body positivity, and the joyful chaos of internet culture. The actor is set to star as Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles biopic and in the tragic drama “Hamnet,” but for many LGBTQ+ fans, his most iconic role may be as the accidental patron saint of hairy, messy, unfiltered desire .
The conversation continues, one meme—and one armpit—at a time.
