What is ‘Ben Affleck summer’ on TikTok? Users embrace actor’s stressed-out style
YouTube: Dunkin'The latest trend sweeping across TikTok invokes the style of one of the 2000’s biggest actors — Ben Affleck — whose casual T-shirts and constantly stressed-out expression are both inspiring and relatable to Gen Z.
Hollywood A-Lister Ben Affleck has been in the news lately thanks to his apparent split with Jennifer Lopez… again. While Millennials are wondering if we’re somehow back in the 2000s, Gen Z is making sure that we look like we are thanks to TikTok’s most recent obsession.
If you’ve been scrolling down your For You Page lately, you’ve probably seen a few folks embracing their ‘Ben Affleck summer.’ In simple terms, this means that they’re channeling their inner Ben Affleck, including his comfy style, stressed-out facial expression, and his penchant for iced coffee.
While it’s not hard to find an image of Affleck looking like he’s barely holding it together (especially in the midst of his split with Lopez), the iced coffee part of the equation comes from a paparazzi pic of the actor attempting to balance his massive order from Dunkin’ Donuts taken in 2020.
In fact, there’s another popular photo of Affleck trying to balance a stack of packages with another Dunkin’ iced coffee on top of them, showing a clear trend that the man loves his cold caffeine.
It’s definitely a mood — one that’s all too relatable for Gen Z, who have decided to embrace the chaos of their lives and, much like Ben Affleck, do their best to keep it together.
TikTokers are showing off their casual, comfy style with an iced coffee, openly opining about how stressed they are this summer.
A user on Twitter/X sums it up best: “I’m having a Ben Affleck summer (I’m stressed out with an iced coffee).”
Affleck is currently under the internet’s microscope thanks to multiple photos taken of him out in public with ex-wife Jennifer Garner and his mother, with netizens labeling him as “depressed” and “stressed.”
Given his supposed breakup from Lopez, it makes sense that Affleck is a little bit frazzled, giving everything that’s going on with him. At least he has his iced coffee to bring him comfort.