The 'Babygirl' meme represents a shift in internet fandom culture where fans affectionately apply a traditionally feminine diminutive to male characters, typically those who are middle-aged, emotionally complex, or rugged. While the term has roots in various subcultures, it went mainstream around 2021 and 2022 on platforms like Twitter and TikTok, often targeting characters like Joel Miller from 'The Last of Us' or the cast of 'Succession.' Calling a man 'babygirl' is a way of acknowledging his vulnerability or simply expressing intense fan devotion through a lens of irony and endearment. It subverts traditional gender roles by celebrating traits not usually associated with hyper-masculinity, making it a staple of modern transformative fandom and meme discourse.