According to TikTok, there are four types of pretty. You might be thinking sexy, cute, etc. Well, you’d be right, but also wrong.
If you haven’t heard about the latest trend, then let me explain it to you. The four new types are: Cat pretty, fox pretty, bunny pretty, and deer pretty.
What are these new ‘pretties’?
You might be thinking what on earth do they mean? I was too. Luckily there is a TikTok for everything and there are plenty describing exactly what each look entails.
The general consensus is as follows:
Cat pretty – Any hair color, softer features, siren eyes, green/hazel eyes
Fox pretty – Dark hair, sharp features, siren eyes, light/ dark eyes
Bunny pretty – Light hair, soft features, doe eyes, green/blue eyes
Deer pretty – Dark/medium hair, soft features, doe eyes, brown/green eyes
What are doe eyes and siren eyes?
Now I know what you’re thinking, what the hell are siren eyes and doe eyes? The other features seem relatively self-explanatory, if unnecessarily specific. (I fail to see how having green/ blue eyes is necessary to have the ‘bunny’ look). But back to the siren/doe eyes. What are they?
You guessed it, just another TikTok trend based on whether you are more of a seductress or an innocent doll. The appearance of these is often created by makeup.
Doe eyes are wide and innocent. Doll like. Some might even go as far as to say childlike…
Siren eyes on the other hand are meant to be sultry and sexy. They are often elongated with eyeliner and lashes – again it sounds vaguely problematic.
Why does this ‘4 types of pretty’ trend sound familiar?
Well, it’s probably because there was another Tiktok trend, not even a few weeks ago, which was identical.
That trend categorized beauty into four categories again: hot, cute, pretty, and sexy.
Cat, fox, deer, and bunny can be mapped onto these pretty easily.
Fox = sexy, Deer = pretty, Bunny = pretty, and Cat = hot.
It’s the same thing over and over again just rebranded differently.
Is there a hierarchy?
Yes, as per usual some of the types of beauty are seen as more desirable than others. There is a ranking system of which is the best type of pretty to be. Fox pretty is the most desirable, whilst bunny is at the bottom.
There are many TikTok videos where the comments are full of people commenting: ‘you’re trying so hard to be fox pretty but you’re not’ or ‘you want fox but you’re bunny’. Not very women supporting women is it?
The idea that the ‘sexiest’ of the beauties is the one that everyone wants to be screams internalized male gaze. There is nothing better about being ‘sexy’ than being ‘cute’.
And who is deciding which features belong in which category? I really struggle to see why having dark hair immediately makes you a fox or deer and vice versa. Its just crazy the restrictions we are putting on beauty.
Why are these problematic?
Whilst they can just be a bit of fun with guessing which one you are, and believe me I’m not above doing this, it is important to consider that there are negative consequences. These trends are never as innocent as they seem.
Internalizing the male gaze:
Each of these types of ‘pretty’ falls into categories typically associated with how men see women. We have all the reductive archetypes displayed. Each of these is competing against the other as creators ask their followers ‘which type of pretty am I?’.
If there wasn’t a hierarchy, this wouldn’t be a problem.
This, however, is not the case. This means that by wanting to be ‘fox’ you are aiming for a beauty that most appeals to the male gaze – often whether you realize it or not…
Feeling constantly unsatisfied with how you look:
Wanting to be one type of beauty and being told by strangers that you aren’t, can be very upsetting. It places unnecessary pressure on ourselves.
What starts out as a bit of fun can very easily turn into something that starts to define your worth. We are surrounded every day with images of how we should look. Spoiler alert – these are usually unachievable beauty standards. All of this can impact your self-image. These trends do not help.
Dehumanizing:
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Or rather the fox, cat, deer or bunny… All of these are animals. Does that not seem a little dehumanizing?
We’re comparing ourselves to animals! I personally would prefer not to be compared to an animal. But hey, maybe that’s just me!
What’s being said about this trend?
TikTok creator @jasmine.lochan stitched a video of an influencer asking ‘which pretty am I?’. @jasmine.lochan exclaimed ‘I cannot be the only one who gets annoyed when this shit comes up on my for you page’!
She goes on to say ‘you guys come up with a new definition and new ‘types of pretty’ every two weeks’.
I think she sums it up quite nicely. These trends can be a bit of lighthearted fun but don’t take it to heart. I can promise you no one actually cares whether you’re cat, fox, deer, or bunny pretty. Most people don’t even know what these are!
