A few days ago I watched Wake Up Dead Man, and then 24 hours later I watched it again, for no reason in particular… Just kidding, it was because of Josh O’Connor. So now I’m thinking about Hot Priests.1
When we think of the term “Hot Priest,” the first example that comes to mind is Fleabag and the original sin Hot Priest, Andrew Scott. He’s charismatic, he’s a bit tortured, and, as Fleabag writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge said in her opening monologue on SNL, he actually listens. Post-watching Wake Up Dead Man, I was thinking about the idea of the Hot Priest taking over the internet, and our collective attraction to men we know we can never have. And yes, that’s part of it! When “researching”2 this, I found myself scrolling through many Reddit threads of people discussing the Hot Priest phenomenon, when one in particular mentioned a term I had never heard before:
Chalice Chipper.
Essentially someone who is obsessed with the idea of dating priests. I am obsessed with the fact that this term exists in Catholic circles. The vow of celibacy men must take to become priests is a sort of mating call, if you have the ears to hear it. I hypothesize that the idea of a man who is led by values and works tirelessly to uphold those values is what makes these fictional priests so magnetic, but it very well may also be the fact that in film and TV, they are played by Hot Guys like the aforementioned Andrew Scott. However, he is not alone in the Hot Priest Extended Universe, not anymore.
The concept of the Hot Priest is nothing new. My first dip into the Hot Priest Pool was that one episode of Supernatural when Sam and Dean dressed up as priests as a disguise, and me at 13 had an ah-ha moment. I was raised Catholic, and I was also raised reading forbidden love tropes on Wattpad. 2+2=4. Quite literally the forbidden fruit.
And then came Fleabag, and then came Midnight Mass. The Hot Priest who I would say had the most profound impact on me. Vampire Hamish Linklater crying on his knees and destroying his entire church to be with the woman he loves is what I believe to be the epitome of the concept of Hot Priest. The idea of a man willing to give up everything, including his faith, for someone he loves, works on us. Because men who are willing to do anything for love nowadays is hard to come by. The stakes being high for him takes the pressure off of the stakes being high for us, since they usually are anyway. You meet the wrong man, and he literally kills you…
Fleabag’s character arc was heavily reliant on her own emotional wounds and how she struggles to navigate them in her intimate relationships, so falling in love with a wholly unavailable man was an act of protection in a way. He can’t hurt her if he can’t be with her. Priests are also the head figures of love and care, pillars of their communities and the ones who are meant to hear and solves all of your problems. Fleabag’s monologue encapsulates this perfectly, the desire to have someone, anyone, just fix your life for you. Someone who has all the answers and actually wants to give them to you. He has no choice but to love and care about me!
There were many very beautiful conversations about religion happening in Wake Up Dead Man, one of which happened between Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) and Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) where Father Jud describes how before his time as a priest when he was a boxer, he turned to God after he killed a man in the ring. He says God didn’t try to fix or solve his problems, he loved him despite his problems, despite his sins. He said, “He loves me when I’m guilty,” and this is what prompts him to focus his attention not on solving the murder, but being there for the people in his church. And yes, I was moved. In more ways than one.
With the rise of interest in religion, specifically Catholicism, especially post-LUX by Rosalía, it’s important for us to use the power of discernment to specify what parts of religion we are gravitating towards. Right now, with Wake Up Dead Man, it seems to be the more loving and beautiful parts, the parts that say to love each other and be there for each other. But we can’t forget the parts of Catholicism that have harmed, and continue to harm people. I love this Hot Priest Agenda as much, if not more than the next guy, but that is an important part to remember; these priests are not real! They are hot on purpose!
All this to say, I have considered going to my local Catholic church. We yearn for men who have spiritual connections, men who care about things, men who try. Dare I say, men who suffer on their knees? Yes.
Thanks for joining me here today, and watch Wake Up Dead Man because it was gorgeous. And, stay tuned for the second annual Reel/Girl Awards, coming soon ;)
NOT Nicholas Chavez because I sense an evil energy deep within him,
The concept of me researching Hot Priests.