Move away “hot girl summer” because Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s son, Chet Hanks, has declared that “white boy summer” season has officially begun. Unfortunately for this “nepo baby,” as he’s often called, what was meant to be a light-hearted joke turned into a PR nightmare, especially when the racists got a hold of the silly phrase.
Taking to his Instagram page on May 20, Chet innocently shared a selfie flaunting his Versace translucent sunnies and diamond chain, accompanied by a caption that read: “I have consulted with the heavens, felt a westward breeze, and walked outside of a strip club and saw my shadow… this will be a #WBS #iHaveSpoken.”
You guessed it, “WBS” stands for white boy summer, a slogan the 33-year-old has been using at least since 2021, drawing inspiration from Megan Thee Stallion‘s hit Hot Girl Summer.
In a bizarre turn of events, Chet’s benign catchphrase, which became a viral meme, was completely hijacked by white supremacists.
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson’s son, Chet Hanks, has declared that “white boy summer” season has officially begun
Over the past couple of months, groups of hateful extremists have been calling for the destruction of Pride flags, killing “n*****s and communists,” and the creation of “more militia[s]” all under one slogan: “white boy summer,” an eye-opening report by nonprofit organization Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) revealed on Tuesday (July 2).
According to GPAHE, several fanatical sections, including Proud Boys, White Lives Matter, the Identitarian movement in Europe, and neo-Nazi Active Clubs, have been using “white boy summer” since 2021 to spread propaganda, recruit new members, and facilitate targeted hate campaigns that include acts of vandalism and hate incidents.
There has been an alarming amount of incidents involving extremists and the use of WBS over the last three years.
More recently, when former President Donald Trump headlined the “People’s Convention” held by far-right organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in June, a TPUSA staffer walked out on stage with a WBS flag, GPAHE reported.
Neo-Nazis have continued to recruit using WBS, such as Ultras Not Reds, a European Telegram account asking for subscriber submissions of white supremacist activism during “WBS adventures,” as per GPAHE.
Additionally, a Finnish radical movement organized a White Boy Summer festival, which took place on June 14 and 15 this year.
The jarring exposé may have made its way to Chet, who eventually clarified on Thursday (July 4) that his WBS slogan had never meant to be racist.
Taking to his Instagram page, he shared: “White boy summer was created to be fun, playful, and a celebration of fly white boys who love beautiful queens of every race.”
Unfortunately for this nepo baby, what was meant to be a light-hearted joke turned into a PR nightmare
“Anything else that it has been twisted into to support any kind of hate or bigotry against any group of people is deplorable and I condemn it.
“I hope that we all can spread love to each other and treat each other with kindness and dignity.”
The actor’s message was seemingly well received, as a person commented: “People will literally do anything to try to dim our light. Love will always prevail.”
An Instagram user wrote: “It was never Nascar white. It was always you, John B, Jack Harlow white.”
“Chet does this mean white boy summer is canceled?” a netizen quipped.
Someone else penned: “Real ones know!!! white boy summer is all-inclusive.”
An observer added: “Why does this even deserve an explanation and why can’t people enjoy things for what they are and not turning into something else.
“I am black and I love my beige allies.”
Chet’s benign catchphrase, which became a viral meme, was completely hijacked by white supremacists
A separate individual chimed in: “Chet I know you’re an advocate of love brother. Don’t worry I don’t lump you in with the people of prejudice.”
The Shameless star has previously sparked controversy with his outspoken appreciation for Black culture, often adopting elements such as language and style, which some view as cultural appropriation.
One notable example is his occasional use of Jamaican Patois in social media videos, where he mimics the accent and expressions commonly used in Jamaica.
He first went viral for speaking Jamaican Patois back in 2020 at the Golden Globe Awards. At the time, Chet had posted an Instagram video from the red carpet that showed him praising his famous dad before Tom was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the ceremony, People reported.
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In the clip, Chet spoke the English-based Creole language, exclaiming: “BIG UP FIMI WHOL FAMILY SOON COM AT DI AWARDS NA SEEN ? ? ?”
The musician subsequently featured in the hot seat on comedian Ziwe’s eponymous late-night variety show on Showtime.
During his appearance, Chet was grilled about his most prominent and consistent identifier: being an unabashed culture vulture, Rolling Stone reported in 2022.
Chet eventually clarified on Thursday (July 4) that his WBS slogan had never meant to be racist
I will never stop screaming pic.twitter.com/aJlwo1gbqm
— Rap Game Ina Garten (@KaraBTweets) March 27, 2021
Video credits: KaraBTweets
“Are there any marginalized communities you want to apologize to?” Ziwe asked her guest. “I don’t know, maybe the Patois community?”
Chet replied: “Nah, I don’t feel like I’ve truly done anything offensive, so I don’t.”
When Ziwe, who is known for her satire, asked how Chet’s’ version of a white boy summer “is any different from the past 400 summers in American history,” the actor concluded that maybe it wasn’t.
Chet deflected, asking the host if she was trying to make him nervous. Ziwe went on to question: “Are you afraid of Black women?” to which he replied that he wasn’t, but maybe he should be.
Chet’s WBS slogan continued to ignite divided opinions
