Personality Attributes Of The Modern Himbo: An Analysis Of The Context Effects Of Himboification In Motorsports

Personality attributes of the modern himbo: An analysis of the context effects of himboification in motorsports

INTRODUCTION. Many English-speaking individuals have become familiarized with the term bimbo, a slang term referring to an attractive yet unintelligent woman, that has permeated popular culture throughout the early 20th century. While bimbo was used for both men and women for several decades, as early as 1988, the term himbo has been used colloquially to refer to a man whose level of attractiveness far exceeds his intelligence. While it is widely accepted that attractiveness and intelligence are the only two aspects of what it takes to be a himbo, the present study sought to delve deeper into exactly what qualities, and to what degree those qualities, make a himbo. The researchers of the present study used these concepts of himboification to rate and rank each of the current (2019) Formula One (F1) drivers, in a quest to find the Ultimate Himbo.

PROCEDURE. Two groups of F1 fans, the researchers group (14 participants) and the fandom group (20 participants), of varying demographics were asked to rate each of the current drivers in terms of intelligence and attractiveness (1 through 20, 1 being most attractive and most intelligent; meaning each driver was assigned a different number for each parameter, producing two separate lists). Once all ratings were acquired, the average of all ratings was calculated into a score for each variable and were listed in descending order (Figures A and B; in the case of ties, the driver whose first initial comes first in the English alphabet were listed ahead of the other). These results were graphed to better illustrate where each driver places on a broader himbo spectrum, i.e. hot vs. ugly, stupid vs. smart (Figure C and D).  Then, each drivers’ attractiveness score was subtracted from their intelligence score, yielding an overarching “himbo score” in which the higher one’s score, the more “himbo” energy they exude (Figures A and B).

RESULTS.

Based on these results, the research concludes that regardless of whether opinions are collected from more niche fandom groups or are sourced from the general fandom public, many F1 fans are in agreement that Charles Leclerc is the top himbo in the 2019 Formula One World Championship, with Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz being consistently in the top five grid himbos.

DISCUSSION. There were indeed various limitations in the present study. Namely, towards the end of the data collection process, the researchers began exploring other variables that may be involved in himboification. This issue was addressed when one researcher began considering the himbocity of drivers in other motorsport series such as IndyCar, specifically, James Hinchcliffe. Many fans would agree that while Hinchcliffe is both hot and stupid, he does not exude raw himbo energy as his fellow IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden or the certified himbos of the F1 grid. This led us to consider a possible third variable involved in what it takes to be a himbo: chaotic energy. Keeping in mind the general fandom opinions from the official data collection, the researchers created a projection piece of what the himbo spectrum would look like if chaos was considered as a third variable (Figure E). 

Another limitation of this study was the rather existential question of how intelligence is measured and quantified, given the various components that make up one’s overall intelligence. While many drivers (and all athletes) undoubtedly have an abundance of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, there is a diverse range of minds within the F1 paddock that surely displays a just as diverse array of intelligence types. While some drivers show more intra-personal intelligence (understanding of oneself; Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton), others are more technologically inclined (Robert Kubica, Kimi Raikkonen), and still others boast thorough knowledge of a broader range of topics and thus are quick at trivia (Sebastian Vettel, Daniil Kvyat). As these different aspects of intelligence cannot be compared or quantified in a single score, participants of this study were asked to rate each drivers’ intelligence based on vibes. This may have influenced the intelligence ratings as certain drivers may radiate an unintelligent vibe when, in reality, they are indeed very intelligent in some way. 

Finally, though participants were asked to leave their biases behind while giving their ratings, this limitation was difficult to control for, thus it must be mentioned that biases were likely in play and therefore these results do not reflect the opinions of the fandom at large. 

CONCLUSION. Though there is some variability in himbo opinions depending on the fandom group to which one belongs, the present research concludes that many F1 fans of tumblr agree that Charles Leclerc is the Ultimate Grid Himbo of the 2019 F1 season: that is, he is hot, stupid, and in the case of a third himbo variable, chaotic.