The term 'wife guy' has recently been circulating on social media, primarily because of the cheating husbands who became popular for loving their wives.
Concerning this, many internet users believe that people should stop celebrating when a man publicly loves his wife.
The term 'wife guy' comes from the phenomenon when men on the internet devotedly post about their spouses. There comes to a point when their actions can be a bit suspicious because they seem to be doing much for some personal gain.
Reasons why a 'wife guy' doesn't need praise
A person whom people consider a 'wife guy' is not just your typical devoted husband. Most of these men also became quite prominent in the online world, especially on social media. They mostly post content about their partners.
People, especially women, typically praise men who are posting about their wives on the internet. A lot of women find them impressive as they appear as very loving husbands. The 'wife guys' even define themselves through their overreaction to marriage.
Devotion to wife for personal gain
Men who appear to be 'wife guys' on social media may use it for personal gain. Indeed, being a wife guy is not something that a person should be embarrassed about.
However, there could be times when their actions become suspicious. It is when they began appearing to be someone who uses his devotion to his wife for personal gain.
Influencer branding
In some instances, the 'wife guy' may exist due to influencer branding. Those men exhibit a heady combination of privilege and desperation.
Wife guys commonly craft a whole online persona. They eventually aim to be acknowledged, praised, or even receive awards for publicly loving their spouse.
Unfortunately, his identity can become not just a personal choice but also a professional gambit.
Cheating husbands who were famous for loving their spouses
Indeed, many people on the internet are frequently using the term 'wife guy' nowadays.
The three famous 'wife guys' who have been the centre of controversy in the past year include American singer Adam Levine, the former The Try Guys member Ned Fulmer, and the comedian John Mulaney. These names may sound familiar because these men became notorious after contradicting their statements about loving their spouses.
The celebs we mentioned gained a large following for showing their supposed devotion to their wives. However, their 'wife guy' images went crashing down when people learned of their extramarital affairs.
How it all went wrong
In a past interview, Adam Levine shared that he believes men fall under two categories; misogynists are the first type. They look down on women and only show love for their wives or partners.
This claim soon haunted him when news of his affair surfaced online. Despite the mixed reactions of the public, the Maroon 5 vocalist admitted to cheating on his pregnant wife.
Meanwhile, comedian John Mulaney ruined his 'wife guy' image when people learned of his divorce. He lost credibility when news of his new partner's pregnancy broke.
The announcement of Olivia Munn's pregnancy with John Mulaney came a few months after the comedian finalised his divorce. Yes, you read that right. He got his new partner pregnant before the ink on his divorce papers dried.
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Before his affair, John Mulaney built his image as a comedian by making jokes about his devotion to his wife. He also usually sang praises about getting inspiration from his former wife's hard work.
"She's my hero," said John Mulaney before his divorce. "When I walk down the street, I need everybody, all day long, to like me so much. It's exhausting."
Lastly, Ned Fulmer, who people on the internet consider a 'wife guy;, recently got involved in a cheating controversy. Like John Mulaney, he builds a persona of being a typical 'wife guy.'
In most of the videos featuring The Try Guys, Fulmer almost always mentions his wife, Ariel. This led fellow members to tease him about being too in love with his wife.
Moreover, he constantly compliments his wife on social media, showing people how much he appreciates everything she does.
"One of my favourite moments from our movie and tour was this moment seeing Ariel backstage after opening night," said the former member of the Try Guys.
The internet personality eventually destroyed his 'wife guy' brand when news of his affair came to light. Multiple witnesses came forward showing evidence of Ned sharing intimate moments with one of his employees.
Don't be deceived when they show off their devotion
Indeed, these kinds of sweet words are something that every woman would want to hear from their partner. Unfortunately, men with 'wife guy' images commonly do all these things while actively engaging in an affair with someone else.
In the end, we cannot judge men who are open about loving their partners, as there would be nothing wrong with that. The only time such actions become a problem is when wife guys do it for the benefit of themselves and the public rather than their partner.
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This article was first published in theAsianparent.