5 Types Of Men To Avoid Challenge

2020Phrasal template / list memedead

Also known as: 5 Men to Avoid Challenge · Men to Avoid Challenge

The 5 Types of Men to Avoid Challenge is a Twitter-born list meme from April 2020 where users posted their own lists of five stereotypical male behaviors to steer clear of. Started by Fox Business reporter Evie Fordham, the format quickly spawned sincere entries, parody lists, and a counter-trend of "5 Women to Avoid" responses.

Overview

The 5 Types of Men to Avoid Challenge follows a simple formula: users tweet "5 types of MEN TO AVOID" followed by a numbered or bulleted list of five male traits, habits, or preferences they consider red flags. The format works because everyone has opinions about dating dealbreakers, and the list structure makes it easy to participate. Some entries were dead serious, others were clearly jokes, and the line between the two got blurry fast.

On April 21st, 2020, Fox Business reporter Evie Fordham posted the tweet that kicked off the trend2. Her list read: "5 types of MEN TO AVOID — men who like jazz — men who like their roommates — men who think the Weeknd is deep — men with podcasts — men who DON'T CARE ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING." The tweet picked up over 1,000 likes and 60 retweets within two days2. The timing mattered. COVID-19 lockdowns had people stuck at home with nothing but Twitter and opinions, making a low-effort list challenge exactly the kind of content that spreads fast.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter
Creator
Evie Fordham
Date
2020

On April 21st, 2020, Fox Business reporter Evie Fordham posted the tweet that kicked off the trend2. Her list read: "5 types of MEN TO AVOID — men who like jazz — men who like their roommates — men who think the Weeknd is deep — men with podcasts — men who DON'T CARE ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING." The tweet picked up over 1,000 likes and 60 retweets within two days2. The timing mattered. COVID-19 lockdowns had people stuck at home with nothing but Twitter and opinions, making a low-effort list challenge exactly the kind of content that spreads fast.

How It Spread

The format caught on the same day Fordham posted it. Twitter user @amber_athey jumped in with her own version: "5 types of MEN TO AVOID challenge: male feminists — men who have never shot a gun — men who are too close to their mom — men who don't workout — men who wear hats with suits"2. That tweet pulled in over 2,500 likes and 275 retweets in under two days2.

Another popular entry came from @heckyessica, who listed men in skinny jeans, men who prefer gaming to sports, men who don't hold doors, men dependent on their parents, and men who "don't feel an urge to protect you"2. Her tweet got more than 1,500 likes and 105 retweets within 24 hours2.

Not everyone played it straight. Twitter user @jordylancaster turned the format into a Rickroll, listing the lyrics to "Never Gonna Give You Up" as the five types of men to avoid2. That parody version earned over 2,600 likes and 250 retweets in less than a day2.

The challenge also triggered a backlash wave. Users began posting "5 Women to Avoid" lists in response, many of which pointedly included "women who contribute to these lists" as one of the five items2. The counter-trend mirrored the original format but flipped the target, turning the whole thing into a gender-war feedback loop that was standard Twitter fare for spring 2020.

How to Use This Meme

The format is straightforward:

1

Start with "5 types of MEN TO AVOID" (or a variation of the phrase)

2

List five traits, preferences, or behaviors, each on its own line with a dash or bullet

3

The items typically mix genuinely questionable traits with oddly specific personal preferences (like "men who like jazz")

Fun Facts

The challenge launched during COVID-19 lockdowns, when "men who DON'T CARE ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING" was a genuinely heated dating dealbreaker2.

The original tweet's inclusion of "men who like jazz" sparked its own mini-debate, with jazz fans feeling personally attacked2.

Many of the most-shared versions were parodies rather than sincere lists, suggesting the format's real value was as a comedy vehicle2.

Derivatives & Variations

5 Women to Avoid:

A direct counter-trend where users flipped the format to list female stereotypes, often including meta-commentary like "women who make these lists"[2].

Rickroll variant:

@jordylancaster's version used the list format to sneak in "Never Gonna Give You Up" lyrics, one of the earlier parody takes[2].

Frequently Asked Questions

5 Types Of Men To Avoid Challenge

2020Phrasal template / list memedead

Also known as: 5 Men to Avoid Challenge · Men to Avoid Challenge

The 5 Types of Men to Avoid Challenge is a Twitter-born list meme from April 2020 where users posted their own lists of five stereotypical male behaviors to steer clear of. Started by Fox Business reporter Evie Fordham, the format quickly spawned sincere entries, parody lists, and a counter-trend of "5 Women to Avoid" responses.

Overview

The 5 Types of Men to Avoid Challenge follows a simple formula: users tweet "5 types of MEN TO AVOID" followed by a numbered or bulleted list of five male traits, habits, or preferences they consider red flags. The format works because everyone has opinions about dating dealbreakers, and the list structure makes it easy to participate. Some entries were dead serious, others were clearly jokes, and the line between the two got blurry fast.

On April 21st, 2020, Fox Business reporter Evie Fordham posted the tweet that kicked off the trend2. Her list read: "5 types of MEN TO AVOID — men who like jazz — men who like their roommates — men who think the Weeknd is deep — men with podcasts — men who DON'T CARE ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING." The tweet picked up over 1,000 likes and 60 retweets within two days2. The timing mattered. COVID-19 lockdowns had people stuck at home with nothing but Twitter and opinions, making a low-effort list challenge exactly the kind of content that spreads fast.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter
Creator
Evie Fordham
Date
2020

On April 21st, 2020, Fox Business reporter Evie Fordham posted the tweet that kicked off the trend2. Her list read: "5 types of MEN TO AVOID — men who like jazz — men who like their roommates — men who think the Weeknd is deep — men with podcasts — men who DON'T CARE ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING." The tweet picked up over 1,000 likes and 60 retweets within two days2. The timing mattered. COVID-19 lockdowns had people stuck at home with nothing but Twitter and opinions, making a low-effort list challenge exactly the kind of content that spreads fast.

How It Spread

The format caught on the same day Fordham posted it. Twitter user @amber_athey jumped in with her own version: "5 types of MEN TO AVOID challenge: male feminists — men who have never shot a gun — men who are too close to their mom — men who don't workout — men who wear hats with suits"2. That tweet pulled in over 2,500 likes and 275 retweets in under two days2.

Another popular entry came from @heckyessica, who listed men in skinny jeans, men who prefer gaming to sports, men who don't hold doors, men dependent on their parents, and men who "don't feel an urge to protect you"2. Her tweet got more than 1,500 likes and 105 retweets within 24 hours2.

Not everyone played it straight. Twitter user @jordylancaster turned the format into a Rickroll, listing the lyrics to "Never Gonna Give You Up" as the five types of men to avoid2. That parody version earned over 2,600 likes and 250 retweets in less than a day2.

The challenge also triggered a backlash wave. Users began posting "5 Women to Avoid" lists in response, many of which pointedly included "women who contribute to these lists" as one of the five items2. The counter-trend mirrored the original format but flipped the target, turning the whole thing into a gender-war feedback loop that was standard Twitter fare for spring 2020.

How to Use This Meme

The format is straightforward:

1

Start with "5 types of MEN TO AVOID" (or a variation of the phrase)

2

List five traits, preferences, or behaviors, each on its own line with a dash or bullet

3

The items typically mix genuinely questionable traits with oddly specific personal preferences (like "men who like jazz")

Fun Facts

The challenge launched during COVID-19 lockdowns, when "men who DON'T CARE ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING" was a genuinely heated dating dealbreaker2.

The original tweet's inclusion of "men who like jazz" sparked its own mini-debate, with jazz fans feeling personally attacked2.

Many of the most-shared versions were parodies rather than sincere lists, suggesting the format's real value was as a comedy vehicle2.

Derivatives & Variations

5 Women to Avoid:

A direct counter-trend where users flipped the format to list female stereotypes, often including meta-commentary like "women who make these lists"[2].

Rickroll variant:

@jordylancaster's version used the list format to sneak in "Never Gonna Give You Up" lyrics, one of the earlier parody takes[2].

Frequently Asked Questions