“Giga Chad” or “Gigachad” refers to a character that is the ultimate Chad. The Giga Chad meme takes the Chad moniker-that of a big dumb confident man-and ramps it up by a billion (giga). He is the strongest character and sigma male to have possibly ever existed, with very few ever even rivaling him.
This hyper-masculine ideal has become a symbol of supreme confidence and dominance in internet culture. Let's delve into the origins, meaning, and cultural impact of the Giga Chad meme.
The Birth of Giga Chad
The image that became known as Giga Chad is the fruit of an art project called sleekntears, created by the artist Krista Sudmalis. The artwork features a lot of burly and scantily clad men and has an emphasis on muscle, fitness, and acrobatics.
The most famous and widely used of these men is the model Ernest Khalimov who is registered on Instagram under the name berlin.1969. Khalimov became known as the “GigaChad,” and his photos inspired memes on Reddit, 4Chan, and Tumblr throughout the 2010s.
At the time, the person wasn’t known as GigaChad. The meme originated from a 4chan /pol/ board post on October 17, 2017, which identified Khalimov as the original GigaChad. The image and concept quickly spread through bodybuilding forums, Reddit, and 4chan, becoming a popular internet meme representing exaggerated masculinity.
Read also: Unpacking the Asian Giga Chad Phenomenon
It appears that they are currently marketing a series of NFTs based on the meme. Prior to this, however, he was hard to get a hold of. He had refused to make any connection with his meme status until 2021.
Is GigaChad Real or Fake? An Investigation Into Ernest Khalimov
The Face Behind the Meme: Ernest Khalimov
He is usually represented by the male models featured in art project Sleek’N’Tears (YouTube, Instagram), which is the brainchild of Russian photographer Krista Sudmalis.
Ernest is sometimes put side by side with YouTube comedian ItzMeFraz (YouTube, Instagram), who represents the Virgin in a new Virgin vs Chad meme. He plays the role of an angry chav who is beta compared to the cool and smiling Ernest.
There are people who don’t believe the Gigachad’s appearance is real. Aside from online photos, very little media of Khalimov himself exists. He is not even heavily featured in his own art project even though he has become its figurehead.
There is no live footage of Khalimov in action, though there are Instagram photos which reveal moments of his personal life, including the fact that he has brothers. Internet users claim that the photos are doctored. Arthur Farad, a fitness model, is a likely candidate for being the real inspiration.
Read also: The GigaChad Phenomenon
Giga Chad's Role in Internet Culture
The Giga Chad meme is claimed and embraced by 4chan, though its origins are clearly not with that platform. The Giga Chad is the ultimate Chad. He and his opinions are those of the sigma male, which is higher than the alpha in the hierarchy of male lore. His opponents and inferiors are beta, bluepilled, mad and trolled. The previous standard of Chad Thundercock has been surpassed.
Virgin and Chad memes are satirical and use hyperbole. Average Fan vs. Riffing on the idea that posting an image of GigaChad automatically makes everything you say correct, a smiling devil-may-care version of the meme was integrated into the popular Average Fan vs.
Another variation of the meme has GigaChad reacting to country names like Georgia, Turkey, or Hungary by acting like they aren’t the names of countries but are other places, nouns, or adjectives.
"Chad Face": Emulating the Giga Chad
The Chad Face (also referred to as the Gen Z lip sync face), is a social media trend in which men emulate the facial structure of the hyper-masculine GigaChad. This included “mewing,” which is a tongue and mouth exercise meant to help with the type of jawline definition seen on the GigaChad.
First, arch one eyebrow as if you’re Dwayne Johnson being told something dubious. Second, slim your nose by sucking in air. Third, bite the sides of your cheeks to create two chiseled divots. Finally, flex the muscles around your shoulders to appear more beefed up.
Read also: Cultural Impact of Giga Chad Jesus
Gen Alpha amended traditional mewing to include a “shushing” gesture and a tracing of the jawline with a finger, indicating they wanted to remain silent. The “looksmaxing” movement has churned out Gen Z trends like “mewing", in which teens stick their tongues on the roofs of their mouths, believing it firms up their jawline (it doesn’t, according to the American Association of Orthodontists).
But wait, there’s more: If you attempt to engage a teen in conversation while they are "mewing," they “shush” you, then drag their finger along their own jawline. The trend reflects a shift among men from the playful (soy face) to the severe (chad face), and suggests that the idealization of the chad has escaped the confines of the incel forums and begun to saturate the wider male community.
Reception and Perception
Despite GigaChad being held up as a masculine ideal, this photoshopped take on an allegedly highly attractive specimen actually doesn’t seem to be all that appealing to women at all. According to a survey of both men and women done by DatePsychology.com, women ultimately rated the GigaChad images as “below average” looking. In fact, men rated him notably higher-a 4.88 average on a 7.0 scale, compared to women’s 3.58.
| Group | Average Rating (out of 7) |
|---|---|
| Men | 4.88 |
| Women | 3.58 |
Some still see him as the ultimate alpha who can never be wrong. And to some, being a real GigaChad just means being positive and trusting in yourself.
Ernest Khalimov's Opinion on the Memes
Despite the unlikelihood of Khalimov being a real person, the ruse has been maintained over the years. After the GigaChad picture initially went viral, berlin.1969 responded to the attention with a friendly post thanking his fans for the attention.
“Must admit I’m shocked that there are so many of you and that you are not negative … I have nothing to say to you, probably because I look much more interesting from your words,” he wrote. “It’s very flattering and overshadows my commonness. Thanks for the kind words. Thank you for the positive energy. don’t doubt guys I mentally return it to you. Take your time and keep calm. Take care of yourself and your loved ones … Yours faithfully. “gigachad is real, and humble and he seems like a pretty nice guy. he’s an actual Chad,” wrote one redditor in response.
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