Why does everyone want to date a "golden retriever boyfriend"?

Depending on where you look, there are many different ideas about what makes an ideal male partner. Golden retriever boys — also called golden retriever boyfriends, as the end goal is to date one — are a lot like the breed they’re named after. In a world filled with toxic masculinity and conservatives lamenting the decline of alpha men, a golden retriever boyfriend doesn’t even know what the word “simp” means. “He’s like a golden retriever, and I love it,” a woman fittingly named Kat, said about an early love interest on a recent episode of “Bachelor In Paradise.” People want a partner who is supportive, enthusiastic and makes things easy, like this Reddit user who shared that she hopes to get back together with ex-golden retriever boyfriend while reminiscing about a time he was so excited to greet her that he face-planted on his way to her car. We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism While someone of any gender could have a golden retriever boyfriend, online and on TV, they tend to be paired with a “black cat girlfriend.” Think of the type-A, workaholic Amy Santiago or how Barbie starts to think about death and her purpose.