In the first few days after Russia invaded Ukraine, it became clear one of the distinct characteristics of this war would be how it was told through the internet’s “aesthetic”.
Alongside war memes, edited montages of people posing beside the destruction to trending songs drew millions of views. Not that far away were discussions on the appropriateness of such content.
But one unexpected, or rather expected, facet of the online conversation is the very palpable crush on Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In admiration, supporters are producing slow-motion “thirst traps” (a social media post intended to make others attracted to the subject) for the country’s leader. Others make videos of the President exercising, dancing, looking tough. Sometimes his masculinity is compared to that of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A TikTok of a man expressing his affection for Ukraine's President.
“Any man who stands up and fights for his country is damn sexy,” she said over message.
“He’s a true patriot; fighting for his family and the freedom of his country. It’s refreshing not to see the typical ‘all talk, no action' politician.”
The crush, she said, was by no means meant to trivialise the seriousness of the matter - but she was drawn to his character.
People on TikTok gush over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The fresh-faced 44-year-old comic-turned-president of Ukraine is now heading a nation under attack. After starring in a popular sitcom in which he played the president of his country, and winning Dancing with the Stars, he ran for president seemingly as a joke in 2019.
After he received 70 per cent of votes, securing the presidency, critics compared him to other celebrity politicians, such as then-US President Donald Trump.
During his initial years, some called his engagements with other world leaders stilted. Other diplomats said he wasn’t doing all that bad.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russia's President Vladimir Putin attend a press conference in 2019. Source: AFP / Getty Images
“There’s a leader who is fighting for the cause that the West is wildly supportive of, and the leader of this resistance is a person that comes from an entertainment background,” she said.
“He was already very popular - we had already decided he was charismatic.”
Dr Rosewarne said the “clearly defined evil” and relatively clean story to follow made it easier for audiences to follow and ultimately get behind.
This is not the case for conflict, let's say in the Middle East or other parts of the world. When there are so many layers, it's not so easy for an amateur on Tik Tok to have an entry point into the story.
People walk past a stencil painting depicting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a building in downtown Podgorica, Montenegro in 2022. Source: AFP / SAVO PRELEVIC/STF/AFP via Getty Images
From attention to affection
Dr Rosewarne said a culture of sexualising those we admire meant that the leap from attention to affection wasn't a big one.
Elisabeth Shaw, a clinical psychologist and the NSW CEO of Relationships Australia agrees.
The sustained strength and almost salvation Mr Zelenskyy is promising have been key, with the leader notably declining the US' offer to be evacuated while he was in grave danger. Instead, he reportedly said he needed ammunition, not a ride. He has also been widely commended for staying accessible to a country under attack, walking alongside everyday Ukrainians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits Donbas Source: Anadolu / Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Mr Zelenskyy, she said, has done all the right things to offer that security.
And it's not just young, conventionally handsome men like Canada's Justin Trudeau or former US President John F. Kennedy who garner the hero or idol worship. Ms Shaw added the strong association between power and sexuality has even seen other leaders “like (Donald) Trump” be the object of affection.
“There was something about [Mr Trump’s] confidence, his strength of character, and his virility and the force of his ideas which could be sexualised,” Ms Shaw said.
“Joe Biden is about the same age but he is seen as far more ‘elderly’, and that has had a different impact on the community.”
Ms Shaw said conditioning from a young age meant that we were always looking up to someone for leadership, from parents to teachers to leaders.
“That's why during times of crisis, people often turn back to religion too. Again, there’s a desire to look up to something that can provide a framework to get through tough times.”
History tells us it happens all the time
Dr Toni Eagar, a lecturer in marketing at the Australian National University who studies “human branding”, said historically this has happened before.
“Everyone hated Winston Churchill outside of wartime. He was considered a terrible leader when England was not at war.”
But the archetypal, saviour narrative meant he was remembered as a hero.
Though not as elaborate as the TikTok videos being made these days, Dr Rosewarne said a quick flick through newspaper articles decades ago alluded to this same sexualisation.
Then Labor leader Gough Whitlam with singer Little Pattie, wearing t-shirts announcing 'It's Time', ahead of the 1972 federal election. Credit: Graeme Fletcher/Getty Images
“For (ex-PM) Bob Hawke and Gough Whitlam, absolutely sex appeal was part of their sell.”
