The Internet Is Obsessed With The ‘Sexually Competent Dirtbag Line Cook’
"Has he showered today? No. Are you going to be the one to change him and make him want to settle down? Also no!"
Everyone is super horny for the dishevelled hot chef aesthetic right now, and it’s disgusting.
To be clear, we do not endorse this sentiment. We are simply reporting that it is one out there, and as journalists it is our duty to inform you of bourgeoning cultural trends. The “Sexually Competent Dirtbag Line Cook” is a term that was introduced in Bon Appetit last week, and it’s already gained significant traction within the relentless world of discourse that we find ourselves in.
“What if Pete Davidson drank even less water?” poses Bon Appetit‘s Sarah York. “That’s what the Sexually Competent Dirtbag Line Cook looks like.”
“He perpetually smells like a campfire, partly because he works over an open flame, but mostly because he spends his nights burning through a pack of American Spirits out on his favourite dive bar’s smoking patio.”
“He will send the same exact text in response to your artful nude as he did when you told him your childhood cat died: ‘whoa lol’.”
Smoking patio? Dive bar? It all sounds very American, and that’s because it is: the term emerged amid the the hype around FX’s new TV series The Bear, a frantic restaurant dramedy that of course isn’t out in Australia until next month.
The show is helmed by Carmie (Shameless’ Jeremy Allen White) — a tormented, white boy wunderkind who spends his time furiously chopping onions and repressing his emotions — an archetype that several straight girl viewers have found themselves either deeply drawn to, or in recovery from.
I’m actively in therapy to help me stop falling in love with men who look like this but The Bear on Hulu is worth the mental set back. #TheBear #hulu pic.twitter.com/szOQJusAf7
— Nikki Slowiak (@Nikkis817) July 6, 2022
As The Cut points out though, there is [spoiler alert] no actual sex in this otherwise very heated show. So the Sexually Competent Dirtbag Line Cook has seemingly risen from a confluence of Carmie himself, other hot chefs strewn throughout popular culture (Spanglish, No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain), and women’s real life experiences.
Will the release of The Bear in Australia next month spark a similar cultural conversation down under? Or is the Sexually Competent Dirtbag Line Cook a uniquely American phenomenon? We will have to wait and see.
The Bear will be available to watch on Disney+ from August 31, 2022.