In an Andrew Tate world, the 2024 Emmy Awards were a joyful display of male affection

When was the last time you kissed someone because your heart was full of joy? Other than screaming with rage, it’s probably one of the purest emotional reactions you can have. And nobody has been more on board with a little celebratory smooch than the men of Hollywood this awards season.

Case and point: The 2024 Emmys. Joel Kim Booster kissed his boyfriend John-Michael Sudsina on the red carpet (so far, so normal) before Succession’s Brian Cox landed one on his on-screen son Kieran Culkin as he was announced Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. “I did not see that coming,” screeched Twitter. And then it happened again.

Moments later, The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach snogged the life out of Matty Matheson on stage as they collected the award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Triumphant lipsing all round: “It was nice,” Matty evaluated afterwards. “It was nice,” agreed Ebon. “It was a blur, I had my eyes closed, I think Matty had his eyes closed too. Time stopped, I don’t know how many years went by.”

The trends that emerge from most award seasons are usually fashion related: Cobalt blue, sheer dresses, structured tailoring— as went last year’s red carpet. But 2024 has so-far been characterised by male affection. Giving your mate a big squeeze and a snog because you’re just so elated and proud.

“One of the key components of manhood, always has and always will be, that we have the ability to control ourselves and not act emotionally,’  the internet’s most controversial preacher Andrew Tate, has preached. But actors are acting emotionally. And fans are more than here for it.

So, in a world of robust (nay toxic) masculinity preached out of every social media source, having Hollywood set the bar for boys being allowed to hug and hand hold and kiss with glee – a long-standing physically comforting part of girlhood – is an unexpectedly happy thing to watch. Fingers crossed for more snogging at the SAGs.

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• Jonathan Bailey dedicates his Critics Choice win to the LGBTQ+ community

Featured image credit via Fox