• On Good Things Utah this morning – “Hot girl summer” is out, and “rat girl summer” is in. As opposed to past social media trends encouraging people, especially women, to get in shape, be confident and remove anything toxic from their lives, “rat girl summer” provides another approach. Naz Perez, co-host of the podcast “I Don’t Get It,” says the trend has specific rules, citing creator Lola Kolade, who appears to have coined the term back in June. “We are embracing rodent energy now,” Perez told Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY. As Kolade described in one viral TikTok video, which has garnered over 4 million views, “We’re scurrying around the streets, we’re nibbling on our little snacks and generally finding ourselves in places we have no business being in.” One day after she posted her original video introducing the new trend, Kolade shared a follow-up clip, sharing the rules for having a “rat girl summer.”
    • You have to go outside
      • “You cannot scurry in bed,” Kolade says. “You cannot scurry on your couch. You need to leave your home.” Rat girls can save two days of the week for “decaying,” which Kolade described as a time for scrolling through social media, binging television shows and “rotting in bed.”
    • Eat, and enjoy eating
      • Rats nibble, so rat girls must as well. “Starving yourself to be skinny for summer is out. Eating nourishing meals so you can make mischief and cause mayhem is in,” Kolade says. Examples of meals Kolade provided as fuel for wreaking havoc include pasta salad, potato salad, sandwiches and ice cream.
    • Kill the cringe
      • “The part of you that feels embarrassed when you want to do certain things, kill it immediately and bury the body,” Kolade says. “That’s over.” A rat girl’s “drive” and “whimsy” should be leading her through each decision, she explained.
    • No overthinking
      • “You think a rat thinks twice before stealing a slice of pizza and scurrying across the subway platform? No, we’re going with our gut. We’re going with our intuition,” Kolade instructs. Kolade says a rat girl’s gut will likely lead her to the correct decision, but even if it’s wrong, no need to fret. It’ll likely make for a better story, anyways.
    • Other tips for a ‘rat girl summer’
      • Another TikTok creator, a self-identified “deeply seasoned rat,” says her five P’s for a “rat girl summer” include pals, plan, plug, plot and perspective. In essence, the user, who goes by the handle @tamillionaire4eva, explains that the rat girl surrounds herself with friends who are down to have “good, clean fun” and hold themselves accountable. But in order to follow through with the summer vision, the creator advises aspiring rat girls to have a plan for what it entails and create connections to make it possible. What do you think? Are you having a ‘rat girl summer’? Join our hosts as they dive into this Hot Topic and so much more this morning on GTU.