9 Random People Who Became Internet Baes in 2016

From Teacher Bae to Prison Bae, here are nine everyday people who disarmed the internet with their hotness in 2016.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Sometimes, we're struck with awe-inspiring examples of people working hard to achieve their dreams and earning recognition for their accomplishments. This year, for instance, the world watched transfixed as 19-year-old Simone Biles won four Olympic gold medals and set a new American record for most gold medals in women's gymnastics. Other times, however, we're struck with examples of people who earn overnight viral fame because the internet is a cesspool of people looking to objectify any ol' thing. These real human beings become viral hotties and are ultimately reduced to a hashtag because we (incorrectly) don’t expect teachers, senior citizens, or prisoners to be attractive. But for the entirety of that sweet, sick, journey, they're always #bae.


From Teacher Bae to Male Teacher Bae, here are nine everyday people who disarmed the internet with their hotness in 2016:

Teacher Bae

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Fourth grade Atlanta teacher Patrice “Tricey” Brown gained overnight fame for her social media pics when Twitter users dubbed her #TeacherBae. Even though her clothes seem totally appropriate for her—or any—profession (she’s entirely covered up), her virality became a launching pad for sexist debate. Some questioned if her “attire” (thinly coded language for her body) was “better suited for the club than the classroom,” and others took it even further by questioning her competence as a teacher.

Ultimately, the Atlanta Public Schools reprimanded #TeacherBae. Brown, the fully-realized woman subsumed by #TeacherBae, now has her social media presence monitored because too many thirsty dudes on the internet couldn’t stop talking about her body. In related news, our schools are still banning benign articles of clothing like leggings and yoga pants, because otherwise men just won’t be able to help themselves from sexualizing and harassing the underage girls who wear them.

Male Teacher Bae

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New York elementary school teacher Jamel Fenner is a single father and another #TeacherBae anointed by the internet this year. Unlike Brown, Fenner’s attire (read: his body) isn’t a point of sexist contention and no one wonders if his good looks affect his ability to do his job. Fenner’s sexiness is celebrated instead of debated, and his Instagram handle even boldly declares “imwhygirlscheat.” He’s been dubbed “the sexiest male teacher in New York,” has not been reprimanded by his employer for his looks, and has a public, flourishing social media presence.

Mr. Steal Your Grandma

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Houston, Texas elementary school teacher Irvin Randle was poised to be another male #TeacherBae, but his telos was actually #MrStealYourGrandma. Randle took a picture of himself with a selfie stick and posted it to Instagram, according to People, and it made him a viral star.

“Now we are in 2016, I start buying things a little tighter for me, you know, I said, ‘Why not? I’m a papa, I work out, let me show the grandmas what they want to work with,'” Randle told KHOU.

Prison Bae

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Proving that Jeremy Meeks isn’t the only person who can be objectified during a moment of personal turmoil, 24-year-old Sarah Seawright of Arkansas was the victim of far too many “convicted of stealing our hearts” jokes when the internet dubbed her “prison bae.” Seawright’s Pulaski County mugshot managed to entirely obscure that she was arrested for aggravated robbery, kidnapping, first degree battery, hindering prosecution, and tampering with physical evidence.

Chaiwala Bae

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After photographer Jiah Ali posted a picture of a Pakistani chaiwala (tea vendor) with the caption “hot-tea 😉 ,” the internet quickly took notice, garnering the post more than 30,000 likes. The blue-eyed beauty is 18-year-old Arshad Khan, who worked at a bazaar in Islamabad. Khan told Samaaa TV that “40 to 50 girls had visited him within hours of his photo going viral,” and he ultimately earned a modeling sponsorship from Pakistan-based online shopping store Fitin.pk, according to Mashable.

Veggie Bae

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Weeks after #chaiwala bae was trending, a Nepali vegetable seller had social media swooning once again. Eighteen-year-old Kusum Shrestha was photographed carrying crates of tomatoes at a local market and later learned of her viral fame from a friend, according to the Daily Mail. “On that day, I came to sell the vegetables to help my parents,” she said. “When I was on my way to sell the vegetables, RupChandra [the photographer] took my picture—but at that point of time, I didn't know that I was being photographed.” She said she was thrilled by the publicity and would jump at the chance to pursue a modeling career.

Oily Bae

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At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Tonga’s flag bearer Pita Nikolas Taufatofua became the star of the opening ceremonies when he led his country’s Olympians into the arena shirtless and totally covered in oil. Thirsty internetters everywhere assumed he oiled up for their benefit, but his slick bod actually has cultural significance. Taufatofua took to Facebook to explain: “Coconut oil is an integral part of indigenous Oceanian body adornment,” he wrote. “Typically performers apply copious amounts of coconut oils on their body as a celebration of the symmetry of the human body as well as a mark of ancestral identity.”

Policewoman Bae

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German policewoman Adrienne Kolescar was swamped by thirsty “please arrest me” Instagram DMs when she became an internet sensation. The 31-year-old senior police commissioner has amassed more than 370,000 Instagram followers and—despite how her male followers behave—says, “I am mainly aiming my photographs at women, not men.”

Vice President Bae

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